The Affordable Cleaning Hack That Will Completely Revitalize Your Old Baking Sheets

For serial bakers, baking sheets are a kitchen staple. They're a go-to for bread-baking, pastries, and other desserts. However, over time they can take quite the beating — with grease, food, and grime getting baked onto the pans. Sometimes, it can seem like no amount of scrubbing, or running them through the dishwasher, can remove the grime. Luckily, there's a budget-friendly cleaning solution hiding in the back of your medicine cabinet that can help remove stubborn grease stains and get your pans back in working order. 

Hydrogen peroxide is an effective cleaner that can break down stains and grime, which is why it's great for kitchen cleaning. It works by breaking down matter through oxidation. It's also antifungal and antibacterial, which makes it a popular option for commercial and medical use in industrial-grade concentrations. It can even be used to treat mild instances of black mold in homes. Even though the concentration of peroxide available in grocery and drug stores is much milder than industrial concentrations, it can still be an effective cleaner when combined with other items like baking soda, soap, and a little scrubbing action.

There are a few different ways you can use hydrogen peroxide on your baking sheets. The first solution involves a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. This dynamic duo can cut through even tough stains. Simply sprinkle baking soda liberally across the baking sheet, and spray the hydrogen peroxide on until you're able to work the mixture into a paste. Rub this across the pan and leave it on for at least three hours before removing the dried paste with either a plastic scraper or with a scrubbing sponge and soapy water. Then, rinse with warm water and your baking sheets should be in much better condition.

If you're out of baking soda, you can use hydrogen peroxide on its own by soaking a dish towel, or paper towels, in it. Rub the baking sheets down with hydrogen peroxide and then cover them with the saturated dish towel or paper towels. Let the pan sit for three to eight hours, depending on the amount of buildup. Note that this method might require more scrubbing. 

For equally stubborn silicon baking mats, soak particularly dirty sections in peroxide for a few hours. Scrub gently and rinse. Peroxide makes a great all-purpose cleaning solution for kitchens, bathrooms, and even your laundry. For disinfecting kitchen countertops, you can mix one part hydrogen peroxide with two parts distilled water and two tablespoons of lemon juice. Add this solution to a spray bottle, spray countertops, and let it sit for about five minutes before wiping away.