The Clever Salt Hack That Leaves Your Oven Trays Sparkling Clean

An oven tray, also known as a sheet pan, baking pan, or baking tray, is a key piece of kitchenware for tackling everything from roasting vegetables to cooking your favorite batch of cookies to perfection. But because these trays are versatile and frequently used, it might not take long before you notice they're covered in hard-to-remove grease or burnt-on bits. If your oven trays have taken a beating, think twice before tossing them in the trash. A simple sprinkling of salt while the tray is still warm may be enough to bring it back to life.

Degreasing and cleaning your oven trays is one of the clever ways you should be using salt when cleaning your home. Salt can absorb grease, and its abrasiveness provides the perfect texture for scrubbing off burnt-on food. Plus, since grease hardens as it cools, trying this hack with still-warm (but not piping-hot) pans can make it even more effective.

After taking your baking tray out of the oven and removing the food, let it cool for a couple of minutes, then, while the tray is still warm, sprinkle a thick layer of salt over the entire tray to absorb the excess grease. Let it sit for several minutes, then wipe away or dump the salt, and wash the tray in hot, soapy water. If there are any problem areas still on your pan, sprinkle salt on a damp sponge and use it to scrub away burnt-on food or grease. This method is generally safe for all oven tray types, including non-stick, aluminum, and cast iron. However, if you're worried about leaving scratches or removing the non-stick coating on non-stick pans, use salt only to absorb grease and skip the scrubbing. Alternatively, you can try this simple salt hack for cleaning your nonstick pans, which removes residue and stains without scratching the surface.

If you're not having any luck removing severely burnt bits, kick up the cleaning a notch by adding a lemon to the mix. Tough, burnt-on spots on pans and oven trays are among the things you should be cleaning with a salt and lemon mixture. Simply sprinkle salt onto the oven tray, then cut a lemon in half and use it to scrub the pan. The acidity from the lemon and the abrasiveness from the salt will break down the residue. Wash as usual afterward.