Aluminum utensils are much lighter than other utensils and also heat up faster. But when it is used for a long time, the material darkens, soot appears on the surface. In order for the containers to serve as long as possible, it is necessary to properly care for them. How to clean aluminum cookware at home is described in the article.
Nuances of application
Aluminum cookware has some properties that limit its use in everyday life. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account certain nuances of cooking:
- The material interacts with various acids. If you cook and leave porridge or soup in a bowl, then after a while they turn sour and spoil the container.
- In aluminum utensils, products are often cooked for various preparations for the winter, for example, jam. But they should not be stored in it for a long time, since the acid from fruits and berries negatively affects the walls of the product.
- In order to prevent an unpleasant outcome, water and salt are boiled in a container before use in the proportion: 1 tsp. salt for 5 tsp. water.
- These products do not have a non-stick coating. If you overlook the preparation, the contents will burn, a dark coating will form on the walls. The outer part turns black after contact with the burner of the stove.
How to clean aluminum cookware at home? Washing will not work to remove carbon deposits from this dish. It is necessary to use effective methods to eliminate it.
Terms of Use
Aluminum is a soft metal that is prone to oxidation Scouring powders, steel wool and sponges cause scratches. But even prolonged use of products helps to maintain an excellent appearance of dishes, if some recommendations are followed:
- Do not use abrasive cleaners that contain chalk solids. Negatively affects soda ash, other materials that can lead to mechanical damage to the product. For cleaning, liquid detergents, gels are needed.
- Do not clean the bottom and walls with a knife or sandpaper.
- To maintain shine, to prevent the formation of dark spots, it is forbidden to use aggressive substances with alkali and acid.
- To protect the metal from darkening due to the action of high-temperature water, do not wash products in the dishwasher often.
Since dirt, dark spots, white stains from food, water, chemicals easily appear on products, you should know how to clean aluminum cookware at home. It is important to use proven products and not use harmful substances. The cleaning method depends on the type of contamination.
Carbon removal
How to clean aluminum cookware if soot has appeared? There are methods that make containers shiny. Allow the product to cool before cleaning. Otherwise, it will change shape upon contact with cold water.
Effective tools include the following:
- Dishwashing soap will be an excellent tool to improve the condition of the aluminum container. The product is soaked in a soapy solution, which consists of half a bar of soap, which is dissolved in 5 liters. warm water. It is not worth leaving the container for a long time so that stains and stains do not form on the surface. After this procedure, minor efforts and a dish sponge are required to remove carbon deposits from the walls. This recipe is used when the plaque has not yet eaten.
- The classic way to clean aluminum cookware from soot is based on the fact that the container is rubbed with a sponge with soda until the defect is eliminated. If this does not happen, then the product must be lowered into a bucket or basin, pouring water (10 l) into it, pouring soda (a glass). The solution is boiled for at least 5 minutes and until the contamination is removed. For a qualitative result, a piece of laundry soap, silicate glue (150 ml) is added. After finishing work, rinse the dishes with warm water and leave to dry.
- Instead of baking soda, table salt will do. When the container is dirty inside, a saline solution is boiled in it so that the carbon deposits begin to be removed. If the deficiency is noticeable from the outside, then the dishes are boiled in a bucket or tank, adding a lot of salt to the water.
- How to clean aluminum cookware at home in a different way? Carbon deposits are removed with citric acid, which is used during canning vegetables. Water is poured into the container so that it hides the blackness, add 2 tbsp. l. lemons, and then boil for 15 minutes. At the end, the dishes are washed under running water with a special agent.
- Vinegar 9% is also used. It must be poured into a container for 3 hours. Then it is washed under running water using a hard foam sponge. To enhance the effect, you can add 0.5 bar of grated laundry soap to the vinegar. It is also used with PVA glue. To do this, create a mixture of 1/3 a piece of grated soap, glue (1 tablespoon), water (4 liters) and boil the container.
Chemicals
Stores sell professional aluminum cookware cleaners. In this case, you do not need to prepare homemade solutions. The best tools include the following:
- "Shumanit" is a potent and effective drug used to clean dishes.
- Amway is an effective and aggressive solution.
- "Chister" - not very effective, but affordable.
Any purchased funds must be used according to the instructions. Then they allow you to quickly eliminate pollution, give the product its original shine.
Descaling
If the tap water is hard, scale often appears on the inside of aluminum objects. When rubbing it, there is a chance of scratching the product. Purification is carried out in the following ways:
- If the scale is stable, the product is boiled in a mixture of components from soda, soap, silicate glue.
- If the scale is small, apply ammonia in the amount of 5-10 drops, which is dissolved in half a glass of water. Also added 1/3 bar of laundry soap, 1 tbsp. l. drinking soda. The product should be washed with the prepared product and rinsed with running water.
- Scale is removed with vinegar, for this, water is poured into the container, table vinegar (4 tablespoons) is added. The solution is boiled for 15 minutes and then drained. The product must be washed with water.
All of these recipes are effective for cleaning the surface without damaging the material. At the same time, they are affordable.
Fat removal
With improper cleaning of aluminum pans from fat, they lose their original appearance. There are scratches on the surface. In order not to spoil the appearance, you need to know how to properly clean the container from fat. The following recipes are effective:
- Warm water is poured into the contaminated product, in which 1 tbsp is dissolved. l. detergent. In this form, it should be left for 30-60 minutes, and then wipe the surface with a soft cloth and rinse.
- The dishes must be filled with water, add vinegar and lemon juice (2 tablespoons each). The pan is put on gas, brought to a boil and boiled for 15-20 minutes. Then it should cool, the fat is removed with a foam rubber sponge.
- To eliminate fat, the same method is used as with soot - using soda, soap and silicate glue.
soda ash
Not all housewives know that soda ash is used for dishes. Pure sodium carbonate can be used for cleaning. The powder is poured onto a sponge from a pack, and then the surface of the dishes is treated. You can use a solution of soda ash for washing dishes. To do this, water and soda are added to the basin in the amount of 3 tbsp. l. powder per 1 liter of liquid. A container is placed in the resulting solution. It is necessary to soak for 2-3 hours, and then wash in the usual way.
There is another effective method to clean utensils. Soda ash is mixed with dishwashing detergent and silicate glue. The components must be taken in the same amount (2-3 tablespoons each), stir until smooth. The resulting product should be applied to the dishes for several hours, and then the contaminated place is cleaned and rinsed in clean water.
Eliminate old fat and plaque allows boiling dishes with soda ash. This method is more suitable for forks, spoons, knives, small bowls, lids. Kitchen utensils are folded into a metal basin, filled with clean water. 0.5 packs of soda and laundry soap shavings are also added (1 piece is rubbed on a coarse grater). The basin is installed on the stove, after which you should wait until the water boils. Then the fire is reduced and the solution is boiled for 15 minutes.
Conclusion
Thus, various means are used to clean aluminum dishes. All methods presented in the article are effective. Their use allows you to return the product to its original form.
If you turned off the fire at the wrong time, which led to the appearance of black spots on the bottom and walls of the dishes, do not despair! Take hydrogen peroxide, salt, soda or silicate glue. Just boil water containing the selected ingredient and wash the dishes using detergent and a regular kitchen sponge.
Darkening or deposits of grease on the surface of kitchen utensils are not only unattractive, but also affect the quality of the finished dishes. Scraping dishes is strictly contraindicated, especially if it has a polished surface. These measures lead to corrosion and unsuitability of utensils for further use, so clean aluminum pans properly.
The formation of gray plaque
In most cases, aluminum cookware loses its luster and darkens due to food burnt to the bottom and walls. But even the most accurate housewife, who has never burned anything, may have a plaque inside the pan. This is due to improper care of kitchen utensils.
- boiling water without salt;
- preparation and storage of sour dishes, such as sauerkraut, cabbage soup;
- cooking potatoes in the "uniform".
Note ! It is strictly forbidden to use coarse-grained abrasives to remove a bronze shade plaque. They mercilessly destroy the coating of the pan and provoke food sticking and corrosion.
We clean at home
The blackness that appears on the walls of the dishes is scale. With proper care, you can remove it in a timely manner with improvised means, extending the life of kitchen utensils.
To wash aluminum dishes from burns and scale, use the following products:
- oxidized hydrogen;
- ammonia;
- PVA glue (silicate is also suitable);
- salt;
- apples;
- Activated carbon;
- soap (household);
- vinegar;
- citric acid;
- serum;
- and food;
You can also use special products for cleaning aluminum dishes: Shumanit, Amway, Chister. They are expensive and aggressive, so they are purchased to eliminate burnt soot and serious dark burn spots.
Cleaning up mild burns
If the pan has darkened a little or spots that have not eaten into the metal appear on the bottom, you should not resort to aggressive cleaning methods.
Although special products are designed for cleaning dishes, they affect the structure of the coating and can make it unusable.
Note ! These recipes are best used when darkening the walls and bottom of the pan. If pronounced burnt food stains appear, use stronger improvised such as soda, ammonia.
Apple
An apple will help clean the aluminum pan from burning with a slight darkening.
Cleaning can be done in 2 ways:
- Slice the apple and place in a saucepan filled with plain water. After 20-30 minutes of boiling, cool the water and carefully wash the pan with a sponge.
- Rub a fresh apple on problem areas and leave for 20-30 minutes. Rinse off the acid along with the browning with a kitchen washcloth.
Only sour varieties of apples, for example, green ones, are suitable for the procedure. It is the acid that corrodes the plaque on the walls and returns the kitchen utensils to their normal appearance.
Serum
The serum also has acidic properties, so it helps to clean aluminum, enameled, and light soot. Fill it with serum and leave overnight. In the morning, darkening will be washed off without much difficulty.
If you need the pan urgently, boil the whey for 20 minutes. After cooling, the dishes will acquire a shine and a uniform color.
PVA glue + laundry soap (72%)
These components allow you to clean a burnt pan from plaque and wipe off non-stubborn stains.
- Grate 0.5 bar of soap on a coarse grater.
- Fill a pot with water and put soap in it.
- Add PVA glue (100 mg per liter of water).
Boil the solution and let stand. After 2-3 hours, darkening and light soot can be washed off with a minimum of effort.
How to clean an aluminum pan from burning outside, see the video:
Activated carbon
Conventional activated charcoal tablets work as a mild abrasive. To clean aluminum pans, they are pounded and boiled. After cooling, the sagging scale and light burns are washed out, returning the non-stick properties to the kitchen utensils, an attractive appearance.
Onion
Cleaning with onions is suitable for removing light plaque from any kitchen utensils. To clean the pot, boil the water with the peeled onions, then rinse thoroughly.
Note ! By cleaning the pan, you can polish the cutlery. Put them inside the container and boil. After the water has cooled, wash the appliances with detergent, rub with a dry towel and they will become like new.
We remove strong plaque from burnt food and darkening on the inner walls
Some improvised means do a good job with food that has burnt to the bottom and wall.
Removing heavy plaque from aluminum is real!
These include soda, silicate glue and edible salt. To quickly clean your favorite kitchen utensils with these ingredients, follow these recipes.
Remove the remains of burnt milk with salt
Salt is an ingredient in every home. It is often used by housewives for or residues, elimination and with.
If milk or other food is a little burnt, it is recommended to clean kitchen utensils in this way, since salt is gentle on the coating of the pan and removes black coal stains and darkening well.
- Fill the pot with water.
- Throw in 1-2 tbsp. l. salt, boil.
Remove from heat after 20-30 minutes and let the solution stand. After 2-3 hours, wash the pan with detergent.
Note ! It is not recommended to wash pans with black soot in the dishwasher, because it will not be able to safely and efficiently remove the fumes..
How to bring back the shine
soda
Cleaning an aluminum pan burnt during cooking with soda is done in the same way as with salt.
Boil the soda solution and wash the dishes thoroughly after cooling. If the pan does not burn, but darkens, moisten the kitchen utensils and rub with baking soda. Then it will perform the function of an abrasive and polish the surface of the bottom and walls without deteriorating the properties of the coating.
silicate glue
To clean the pans from soot with silicate glue, special skills are not required. As in previous cases, boil the glue in water. When boiling, the soot will turn sour and easily lag behind the walls. This method of cleaning is well suited for removing light and medium-intensity burns.
Note ! Do not tear off the burn with an iron scraper! Due to improper cleaning, food will burn even more.
Recipe for removing severe burn or soot
Some housewives believe that due to the heavily burnt bottom, the pan is no longer suitable for further use. However, there are recipes that refute this theory, such as cleaning with vinegar, ammonia or hydrogen peroxide.
We remove fat and dark soot with table vinegar
Cleaning burnt aluminum cookware with vinegar is easy. Its acid dissolves even seemingly hopeless burnt spots. Follow this sequence and return the ability to “please with delicious food” to the dishes:
- Fill the pot with water.
- Add 2-5 tbsp. tablespoons of vinegar, depending on the volume of the pan.
- Boil the solution - the duration of boiling is up to 1.5 hours (depending on the intensity of soot).
During processing, you can lightly scrape the bottom and sides with a wooden pan stick to speed up the cleaning process. Be sure to wash the pan with detergent after cleaning.
Note ! Use table vinegar (9%). Acetic essence is not suitable, because it dissolves not only the burn, but also the coating, rendering kitchen utensils unusable.
Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia
These funds qualitatively remove, even a strong fumes. You need to use them in the same way, and combine them to enhance the effect.
Just 3 Ingredients Make an Aluminum Pan Look Like New
Recipe for a strong cleanser:
- Fill the pot with water.
- Pour in oxidized hydrogen and ammonia (0.5 vials each).
- Boil for 30 minutes.
- Let stand for about an hour.
Wash the container after cooling. If the cookware is badly burnt, start rinsing the pan without draining the water. If there are places where the burning does not lag behind, put the pan on the stove and repeat the procedure.
Special fat removers: Shumanit, Amway, Chister
Special flame retardants, such as "Chister", "Shumanit", "Amway" are expensive and aggressive, so you should not use them to clean pans from darkening or small soot. Irrational use violates the integrity of the coating, due to which the pan will begin to burn.
They are best used on completely burnt surfaces. The processing scheme is simple:
- Apply the product of your choice to the burnt areas.
- Leave the pan for 10 minutes in the processed form.
- Wash with detergent.
Note ! Do not use a metal scraper and do not exaggerate the time allotted for processing.
Among the means described above, less aggressive, but also less effective, is Amway. If possible, purchase it in order to reduce the risk of complete damage to the dishes. If burnt spots remain after the first treatment, treat the container again or use salt, soda, ammonia or hydrogen peroxide.
How to care for such dishes daily
Food can burn, even for the most accurate housewife, because while cooking, a woman is able to be distracted by children or cleaning. However, darkening on the surface of aluminum is also formed as a result of improper care.
To avoid plaque on the walls, follow these recommendations:
- Descale the walls using activated charcoal, whey or apples after each cooking.
- Try not to leave the stove until you turn off the fire.
- If the pot boils, turn the heat down to low and open the lid.
Additionally bake the aluminum surface the day before the first use of the pan. Preparation will protect the metal from oxidation and serve as a barrier against harmful compounds. Carry out annealing as follows:
- Wash and dry the aluminum container.
- Pour a little sunflower oil on the bottom.
- Add 1 tbsp. l. salt.
- Put on fire and wait for the smell of hot oil.
After cooling, thoroughly wash the container and start cooking your favorite dishes. However, do not forget to carry out cleansing activities.
Note! These recipes can be used to clean both aluminum and stainless steel pans. .
Larisa , May 5, 2018 .Aluminum is a lightweight metal. It was discovered in 1825, and it began to be mined industrially only after 1890. Prior to this, aluminum was more expensive than gold. Once in 1889, British scientists, in order to honor Dmitri Mendeleev, presented him with scales made of gold and aluminum. The peculiarity of this metal is that it is light and not subject to corrosion due to the oxide film that forms on its surface. The only thing is the film makes the metal dull. To clean aluminum to a shine, follow our tips. Order general cleaning in our company. We will polish all metal surfaces in your home.
Method 1 - cleaning small aluminum products
- To wash things like pots, pans, etc., you first need to wash these things well. Fill a sink with hot water and use dishwashing detergent to wash all kitchen utensils. Rinse it in clean water and dry.
- Now you need to prepare a solution for cleaning aluminum. Take a container and pour a liter of water into it for 2 tablespoons of wine vinegar or citric acid.
- Put the pan on the stove and boil the solution. As soon as the solution begins to boil, put all the aluminum things you want to clean into the pots. 15 minutes of boiling in the solution will be enough.
- Put on gloves and carefully remove the pan from the heat. Drain the solution down the sink.
- Boiled items should be washed with warm water.
- If not everything is completely cleared, then boil again.
03.09.2018
How and how to clean aluminum from corrosion and oxidation products
It is believed that aluminum does not corrode, but this is not true. Aluminum is a highly reactive metal. Under the influence of oxygen and moisture, it oxidizes. This process is accelerated due to aggressive environments and the presence of certain materials near aluminum. As a result, the metal darkens and becomes covered with a loose layer of oxides. Let's try to figure out how to clean aluminum from oxidation and what is needed for this.
Among all types of kitchen utensils, most housewives choose aluminum utensils. This is easy to explain - this metal heats up very quickly, the heating is uniform, the dishes withstand wear well, have a light weight, which is very convenient during operation.
Aluminum products are distinguished by a bright sheen, but over time this sheen is lost - the metal is covered with grease, white bloom or dark spots.
To clean kitchen utensils, most women use a regular dishwashing detergent. The effect, of course, will be, but insignificant. There are several secrets that allow you to wash aluminum more efficiently:
- Wash only completely cooled dishes. If you wet hot metal, then there is a risk of deformation.
- If there are burnt food residues inside the pan, then the pan is poured with warm water and detergent is added to it. Next, the water should be left for about an hour. After that, the burnt food residues will easily leave.
- Do not try to clean the dishes with acids and alkalis - after such cleaning, dark areas may form on the surface. It must be remembered that alkali and acid deprive aluminum of its luster.
- It is better to wash products made of this metal by hand - if they are washed using hard brushes and metal sponges, then traces will definitely remain on the surface.
Related article: Causes of electrochemical corrosion and ways to protect the metal
On the video: how to wash an aluminum pan from burning and fat.
How to clean aluminum from corrosion products and oxide
Let's see how to remove corrosion, oxidation, carbon deposits, plaque and other contaminants:
- To combat dark spots, sour milk, kefir, and also brine will go. Any of these means is poured into the bottom and left for 12 hours. Then you need to rinse the product abundantly under running cold water. Further, all darkening will be washed off with a regular rag.
- Nagar removes sour apple well, you can also use lemon. To do this, it is cut in half and rubbed with half the surface to be cleaned. Due to the action of acids, carbon deposits can be removed very quickly.
- You can remove the oxide with salt and warm water. The solution is prepared in equal proportions. The temperature of the water can be any, the most important thing is that the salt is completely dissolved in it. Further, using this solution and a sponge, you can clean the surface.
Vinegar is an effective remedy
This method of caring for aluminum utensils and products is quite simple and effective. You need to take vinegar or vinegar essence. Wipes are moistened in the liquid and the contaminated area is cleaned. Vinegar will easily remove oxides of varying complexity.
If the dirt does not lend itself, then process the part in boiling vinegar. The liquid is brought to a boil and then cooled. When the vinegar has cooled, you can start cleaning the workpiece. If the pollution is strong, then the product is boiled in vinegar.
Soda and glue against old oxides
You can clean oxides and deposits with the help of these substances. At home, you can prepare a very strong tool that will not only make the aluminum part clean, but also give it a new look. Hot water is poured into the container, and then baking soda and glue are added to it. The ingredients are taken in the following proportions - for 10 liters of water you need 100 g of soda and 100 g of clerical glue. All components must be thoroughly mixed.
You also need a small bar of ordinary soap, grate it and add it to the water with glue and soda. The workpiece is placed in the finished solution for 2-3 hours. Then, when time passes, you need to rinse the product in water and wipe dry with napkins. This method will remove the oxide film.
Related article: Purpose of corrosion inhibitors and their main types
Recipes from the garage
Some car parts are also made of aluminium. Often they are oxidized and require cleaning. Motorists have developed effective ways to clean parts even from complex oxides:
- For 2 tablespoons of soda take a liter of water. The product is immersed in the solution and then boiled. The process should be controlled. Already after 10 minutes of cleansing, a visible effect appears. It may take a few boils to give the ideal purity to aluminum.
- You can remove the oxide film from aluminum using borax. For 10 g of the substance, you need a few drops of ammonia. It is enough to apply the solution to the surface of aluminum parts and let it dry (approximately 30 minutes). After that, the part is wiped with a dry cloth.
- Well cleans aluminum caustic soda. It is necessary to prepare a solution: for 1 liter of water, take 1-2 teaspoons of caustic soda. A part is placed in the resulting mixture - a violent chemical reaction is formed. Within five minutes there will be no trace of an oxide film on the surface. Then it remains only to rinse the treated parts with water.
- They also process parts from this metal with Coca-Cola. Cleaning will take some time, but the drink will effectively remove rust, oxidation, and dirt. If the desired effect does not come, you can boil the part in Coca-Cola.
On the video: polish for cleaning aluminum.
Anodizing as a way to protect aluminum
In order not to have to constantly clean aluminum products, you can protect the surface by applying anodizing technology. So, a film of oxides is formed on the parts, and the outer layer is also painted. First, the part is cleaned of plaque, for this it is skinned, immersed in oxalic acid and washed with water.
Then prepare a special solution - electrolyte. To do this, pour distilled water and sulfuric acid into a plastic container of a suitable size in a 1: 1 ratio. As the latter, an electrolyte for a lead battery, which can be purchased at a car dealership, is suitable.