I also hate to clean up....never dried thed rier sheet thing....but I really don't have much trouble with "grimy pans"...I use enameled cast iron for long slow cooking and a silpat on a sheet pan for cookies and rolls and a foil covered pan for anything that may get really nasty...like BBQ ribs in the oven, non stick fry pans for things sautéed and cooked at A fairly low temp, and cast iron and enamel fy pans for long and hot fry stuff. mostly easy clean up....unless I forget and burn something.....;-((

I just consider cleaning pans part of the "gig". We use stainless steel pans (purchased in 1976) and they seem to be easy to clean with a stainless steel scrubby and then shine them with Bar Keepers Friend (for stainless steel) or Cameo (also for stainless steel) which will remove any heat stains.

I don't use/own dryer sheets, but I do keep a bottle of DAWN Platinum, and that seems to do the trick.

To prevent baking pans from getting all grimy from vegetable spray, use Bakers & Chefs Cooking Spray. It resists darkening under heat, unlike PAM and other brands.

-Grainlady

Hmm...I use pan spray....but not for baking. I spray it on the saran I use to cover rising bread dough and on my grill and on parchment for making stuff "en papillote"....but never ever on a cookie sheet or a muffin pan.

I tried using a dryer sheet while visiting a friend and was surprised it worked.

I've never tried dryer sheets, but I find that my stainless steel scrubs up relatively easily anyway. If I burn something on I dump in some baking soda and a couple of cups of water and boil it, it nearly always works. My cast iron is as slick as Teflon, very well seasoned and nothing much sticks to it, I can fry eggs in the stuff.

I really don't enjoy clean up either, so I use parchment paper on my cookie sheets, foil to line pans of things like BBQ ribs, and I'm not reluctant to soak things like glass casseroles that I baked beans in, or whatever, and I'll leave them in the sink overnight sometimes.

Annie

Just one more reason I love cast iron... clean up is merely a quick scrape and wipe, maybe add a little oil, re-heat, and ready to go again...

I put almost everything in the dishwasher :) But I don't use cast iron that you couldn't put in.

I try not to have anything that you can't put in the dw. I have tried the dryer sheet thing and didn't think it made any difference. I do sometimes take a squirt of dishwashing liquid and add hot water from our hot water dispenser. That extra hot water with the soap seems to loosen anything stuck.

For non-aluminum:

Brush on drain cleaner, such as "Liquid Plumber". Cover with thin plastic grocery bag, let sit overnight. Then just rinse everything away. No scrubbing needed. MAKE SURE you read instructions and wear protection.

For aluminum:

Get grime remover from auto parts store. Brush on, Cover with thin plastic grocery bag, let sit overnight. Then just rinse everything away.

dcarch

To remove a burnt sugar mess, add a little hydrogen peroxide to the pan. Enough to cover the boo-boo and then a little more. Bring to a quick boil and remove from heat. The burnt on black carbon mess just magically starts separating from the pan. Works on stainless steel pans; I have not test it on aluminum. Don't know if it will work for other burnt on messes but would be worth a try.

Thanks so much for all the suggestions!

I've recently switched from Teflon to SS and Pyrex so clean up is……challenging. Although I don't have a dw, it seems like there's lot of other solutions to enable me to start cooking again!

Stainless and Pyrex should be asier to clean up and not worry about damaging. Bar Keeper's Friend (the powder version) and Dawn Platinum are the best!

I've been using Dawn Platinum-can you explain how it helps with crusted on grime?

I've never found it effective for immediate clean up. Smells good, though!

I don't buy disposables like dryer sheets - too polluting.

For dishes other than cast iron that I've burnt something on, or otherwise created a sticky, hard to clean mess, I'll fill it with soapy water and just let it soak over night. I have been known to boil the messy pan, too, like Annie does, but I haven't thought of baking soda, just dishwashing liquid. (I use Palmolive instead of Dawn, as Dawn dries out my skin too much.) You might peruse estate sales or stores for cast iron and/or enamel coated cast iron cookware. They are so much easier to clean than stainless steel.

I guess there's not that much I cook that makes a hard to clean mess - unless I over cook a cream sauce, or burn something, or decide I want scrambled eggs. Scrambled eggs are probably the worst mess I have to clean up, so I don't make them very often.

Sally

The trick to ease cleanup is get to it quickly. An old procrastinator like me finds that hard to do but the benefits converted me. When I'm cooking I fill the sink with soapy water. As I'm finished with something, it goes into the sink to soak. Non-stick pans are immediately rinsed to get the bulk, the a quick wash with soapy water and a thorough rinse in the hottest water I have and air dry. When I get to the soaking stuff it generally falls off quite easily from most things, a little scrub with a scrubber on the more difficult is occasionally needed.

The Dawn Foam and there was a spray bottle of Dawn called Power something that worked surprisingly well. Plus I use only Dawn or Joy for dishwashing. I just think they work better than any other, which makes kitchen work more enjoyable

Try Oxiclean. Mix it with the hottest water from your sink and let it soak at least an hour. Better is a few hours to overnight. Works fine on glass, pyrex, or anything nonreactive like stainless steel. I don't know about aluminum or copper. It's used in winemaking to clean up stubborn stains and to prepare utensils and containers for sanitizing. Cleans anything organic in nature.

I avoid the scented types.

The Dawn Platinum has a little something extra in it -- not sure if it is ectra grese busters, enzymes that break down the gunk and burnt on deposits -- but it works. It will work like regular Dawn if you use it right away, but if you gove it a little time, it will do extra work for you. SOmetimes I let something sit while I do other dishes adn sometimes it will be the last thing and I come back to is the next morning. Makes cleaning up after meatloaf a breeze. Other things too.

Be careful with Oxyclean -- I have used it to soak away charred popcorn from a stainless pan (my son had to learn about too high heat and not watching it). It helped break it down and saved and expensive pan, but I damaged the finish on a baking sheet my husband used to put under a roasting chicken. Do not use it on any non-stick or coated pans -- can't speak to aluminum and I definitely ouldn't risk it on copper. The Dawn Platinum is a gentler, kinder way to treat those.

I use subtle lighting (dim) in the kitchen. Can't see the grime.

Thanks all, for the additional details and the Oxyclean warning.

Mxyplux, thanks for my first LOL today!

If I wasn't so OCD about cleanliness, it'd be an ideal solution:)

Cooking is way too much fun to worry much about clean-up. Yep, i dislike it but tackle it right away.

I would take a good look at your cookware. And simplify. Your best friend for soups, stews, chili, pot roast, even some chicken dishes like a family size pot pie is an enameled cast iron. A big round one or oval. I have a smaller one for re-heating frozen soups and chili. Nothing ever sticks. Sometimes i let it soak overnight just so the food residue does not dry on the surfaces if i don't feel like cleaning right away.

All my favorite pans are easy to clean. Use a bit lower heat and use a timer to check things. Foil line a small cookie sheet and always have it or similar on the lower rack under everything going into the oven to avoid making oven messes.

Always start with a very clean kitchen, empty dishwasher, AND empty sink.

Clean up as you go along.

Give chores and make deals with family members, or with yourself. -'i'll make a breakfast frittata if you empty and re-load the dishwasher!'...(this mornings deal in my home)

Love my cast iron.

Try some of the many one pot meals. Many serve 6-8 and can be cooled and frozen in single or two serving portions for an easy re-heat for busy work week meals. Again one pot clean-up.

I don't use my crockpot very often but it has a glazed ceramic insert. I made caramelized onions yesterday, then an apple/pear butter overnight. Just a rinse with a tad bit of soap to clean this morning.

I don't use dryer sheets.

If you see a recipe you might want to try don't hesitate to ask the preferred pan one uses. Or how you couple skip a few messy steps.

Really great tips, thank you.

I had an entire set of cast iron but obviously did not know how to take proper care of them so they rusted away. I tried enamel but it was so difficult to clean and they got stained and chipped. Nonstick worked until I became aware of the health risks and then switched to SS/Pyrex. Due to various surgeries, cast iron and heavier cookware would not be a good choice for me.

Some valid points have been made about the dryer sheets. I'm trying to avoid toxins so I'll rule those out,

Good to hear about the experience with the Oxiclean on Non-stick surfaces. I don't use non-stick (except cast iron,) so I have no idea if some types hold-up better than others. I also have never had a reason to try it on cast iron.

When it comes to glass, pyrex, and good stainless though, it works very well.

My theory is that you only need a non-stick skillet for eggs -- one for most folks or posibly a larger and smaller one for some families. But most bakeware seemed to be coated for a while and it's getting back to basics, so I'm replacing a few coated bakeware pieces.

I came back to add to my earlier reply about the Dawn Platinum. It has a sticker on it that says it has 3 times the grease busting power -- so there you go.

I have an old non stick coated cake pan....works very well for a bain marie....

Prevent....Use Pam or other brand spray. And dollar store foil for sheet pans and such. It is 4 cents a sheet. And SOS with blue soap for tough stainless. Dawn and. BKF and done.

I used to put all my aluminum pans in the self clean oven cycle, until they started disappearing.