Many people have experienced the frustration of finding cooking spray residue stuck to dishes, pots, and pans. On the positive side, at least this kind of cleanup is pretty simple for most people to handle. Whether you’re looking for a commercial product that will work or just some helpful tips on how to get your dishes spotless when using cooking spray as an ingredient in various recipes, we’ve got your back! Let’s go over some ways folks try to deal with this frustrating problem… and then I’ll show you what I recommend!
First of all, it’s important to understand what causes cooking spray residues in the first place. This sticky stuff is oil, which, if it settles on anything, becomes a kind of glue. So when you’re trying to remove it from your dishes, a lot of the time you might not be able to get rid of the hardened oil residue itself. Instead, what you end up trying to do is scrub away whatever bit of residue has been left behind.
In other words, there’s probably no way around it: sometimes you’ll have to scrub your dishes until they’re basically smooth again! I know that can sound pretty daunting when you’re trying to rinse off some cooking spray residue on a pot or pan after one or two uses.
For this reason, it’s often a good idea to start with one of the easier methods for getting stuck cooking spray residue off of your dishes before you tackle the harder ones.
Removing residue using dish soap
The first method where we’ll start is using dish soap and hot water to remove the cooking spray residue. This is one of the easiest ways to go about it, but, unfortunately, it can be a little bit difficult to see exactly where you’re applying the soap until after the residue has been loosened. So you might have to use a little trial and error when doing this method.
All you need for this method is a small amount of dish soap and a sponge (or scrub brush if you want). Apply the dish soap directly onto your dishes, then use the sponge to loosen and scrub away cooked-on cooking spray. Use hot water every so often to loosen up tougher spots as needed.
You might need to use a bit of elbow grease for this method, but if you’re not in a major rush, it’s a good way to save yourself from scrubbing for an hour to get the cooking spray residue off.
Removing residue using a stronger commercial product
Next, we’ll look at a few different commercial products that you can buy to remove cooking spray residue from your dishes. These are the kind that you see advertised on late-night TV, and they can be a little bit more expensive than dish soap, but they also have a higher success rate.
However, getting rid of the residue from cooking spray isn’t exactly what these products are designed to do. It’s more like an added feature that can occasionally come in handy!
So while you might not need to actually buy one of these products specifically for removing cooking spray residue from your dishes, it might be useful to pick one up if you’re curious. I’ve used both of these brands before with pretty good results: Enkay Anti-Oil Spray ($4.99) and Nu Finish Cooking Spray Cleaner ($3.97).
Removing residue using baby wipes
This is another way to remove cooking spray residue. You just need to apply some baby wipes (or the sort of facial wipes that are designed for cleaning dishes as well) all over your dishes, scrub away any residue with your sponge, then repeat on other areas as needed.
Obviously, this is a pretty easy process and you’ll be able to finish it up fairly quickly. You might not even need a lot of elbow grease with this method!
However, if you don’t have some baby wipes on hand or another product designed for cleaning dishes, you might want to skip this one. It’s a bit difficult to see where the residue is when you’re applying the wipe before scrubbing it off, and it also feels a little too rough on your dishes. (Using too harsh of a cleaning method can actually increase your chances of getting a scratch!)
Removing residue using rubbing alcohol
This is another very simple method that’s pretty common in some circles. Just apply a generous amount of rubbing alcohol onto the dishes, then use a clean sponge or cloth to scrub away any remaining cooking spray residue. As for where to apply the rubbing alcohol, you’ll want to get as close as possible to the areas where your food was cooked. (If you’re fairly new and don’t have any cooking spray residue yet, that will probably be somewhere clear of the food itself!)
However, there are two downsides to this method. First, it can be pretty difficult to see where you’re applying the alcohol on your dishes while they’re so shiny and smooth. Second, rubbing alcohol can be pretty harsh on glass dishes. While you’re not going to cause any major damage with one or two uses, it can make your dishes more susceptible to scratches over time. So if anything happens with rubbing alcohol and your dishes, you’ll want to throw them away.
You’re probably better off using this method for plastic dishes instead!
Removing residue using a razor blade
This is one of the most time-consuming methods we’ll be talking about today. However, when it comes to getting rid of cooking spray residue, this can actually be a pretty effective way to go about things. To do it, you’ll just need to get yourself a small razor blade (they sell them at pretty much any grocery store or pharmacy), then hold onto your sponge and use the blade to remove all of the residue as gently as possible. This will help you get into the tightest spaces and prevent any damage from happening.
Removing residue using a toothpaste
While it might seem a little strange, this is actually one of the easiest ways to remove cooking spray residue from your dishes. All you have to do is apply a generous amount of toothpaste onto the area where you’re removing residue, scrub it off with your sponge, and rinse the area if you need to.
This is pretty much identical to using dish soap or rubbing alcohol, except that it’s probably going to be just a tiny bit easier because toothpaste comes in gel form and will stick onto your dishes more easily. But it will also probably be just a little bit cheaper than using those other two products.
Removing residue using lemon juice
The final method that we’ll look at today is using lemon juice to remove cooking spray residue from your dishes. While you might get some sort of strange looks or comments from others for doing this, it’s actually pretty good at getting rid of the residue (especially with plastic dishes). Just grab yourself a lemon, slice it open with a knife, and then apply some freshly squeezed lemon juice directly onto the cooking spray residue on your dishes. Then let it sit for about 5 minutes so that the acidity can start to loosen up the residue. Then just use a sponge or cloth to get the rest of it off.
If you do this with plastic dishes, you’ll want to make sure that you let the area completely dry overnight before using them in the morning. Otherwise, the surface of your dishes might feel a bit tacky to the touch and will probably look kind of gross!
By following these simple steps, you should be able to remove almost any sort of cooking spray residue from your dishware. If there’s absolutely no way for you to save on time and avoid cleaning up your kitchen messes right now, then you can probably skip this post and find an alternative method online or in a book somewhere. But if you’re in a situation where you’ll be able to clean up your dishes at some point between now and tonight, then it would probably be best to give one of these methods a try.
That way, once you get the residue off your dishes, you can store them away in a place where guests aren’t going to see them! And if they do ask about them, then it’s always a neat conversation piece or something to add to your collection! You could even use cooking spray residue as a conversation piece or end table decor.
If these eight methods didn’t seem like they were going to work for you, then there are some other ways that I’ll tell you about in the next section…
Some additional methods and alternatives to cleaning cooking spray residue
As I said before, not all of us are going to have easy access to good cleaning methods like these (and for some, it might be an option that we’re just never going to have). However, there are a few other alternatives that you should also look into.
You can always use hydrogen peroxide to get rid of cooking spray residue. You’ll just want to apply a generous amount of the liquid onto your dishes and rub it away with your sponge or cloth. This is probably the best alternative if you’re looking for something that’s affordable and doesn’t require any special equipment.
If you’re going to be using a natural chemical instead of an artificial alternative, then you might also want to consider using Barkeeper’s Friend. That’s just a mixture of borax and washing soda that will also remove some residue from your dishes without hurting them. However, it will also leave the surface of your dishes feeling slightly rough, so you might want to replace your dishware or wash them thoroughly before using them for the first time after applying this mixture.
You might also be able to find another version of Barkeeper’s Friend at some home improvement stores or online retailers. I’ve heard that they sell a version for dishwashing purposes that doesn’t leave the surface of your dishes feeling a bit sandy-like.
And if you want to be even more environmentally friendly, then you might want to consider using one of these alternative methods:
If you use any sort of vinegar or other acidic solution (or some baking soda and lemon juice), then make sure that you let it dry before using your dishes. Otherwise, they might feel a little bit greasy and sticky at first!
If you want to use something alternative to the lemon juice method, then try using vodka. You’ll just need to apply the alcohol directly onto the cooking spray residue on your dishes when they are spotless. Then just allow the alcohol to sit out for about 10 minutes or so before using a sponge or cloth to get it off.
If you have any sort of vinegar, then you can also try using that. Just apply it directly onto the residue and then scrub it with your sponge. Once you’re done, just wash the dishes in warm water and dry them with a towel immediately after.
If you want to use something natural instead of artificial products, then you might consider using this homemade spray:
You’ll need some liquid castile soap (the only type that should work), lemon juice, vinegar, and vegetable oil! You’ll want to mix all of these ingredients together and put them in a spray bottle. Then you’ll want to spray your dishes with the mix before using them.
I know that this sounds kind of disgusting, but it actually works. It’s a great alternative if you don’t want to use any chemicals and would prefer not to use any commercial products. Just make sure that you do this outside or in a well-ventilated area so that the smell doesn’t linger around your kitchen all day long.
If these other alternatives didn’t work for you, then you might want to try one of the following:
You can always try using some sort of cooking oil to get rid of cooking spray residue from your dishes. All you’ll need is some oil and a rag that you can wipe it onto your dishes with. However, this method is not going to work perfectly since it’s not going to remove all the residue immediately.
You can also try using just dish soap instead of a commercial product. You’ll only need one or two drops (depending on how much residue there is) and then just rub the dish soap into your plates or bowls until they’re completely clean. This method is kind of slow, and it’s not going to remove all the residue from your dishes, but it will still work to get rid of some of the offending residue.
There are actually other methods that you can try if these didn’t seem like they would work for you. If any other alternatives caught your attention and you’re interested in trying them out, then I’ll tell you about them in the next section of this post!
So let’s move on to talking about some more unconventional kitchen cleaning methods that we haven’t come across before…
Some interesting alternatives to cleaning cooking spray residue
However, there are some other alternatives that you might want to look into. I’ll start out by talking about some alternatives that are going to be a little more expensive than the ones that we’ve already discussed. But I’m sure that there will be something in this list that you can use for your dishes…
You could always use cooking oil instead of dish soap to get rid of the residue from your plates or bowls. This is actually an effective method, but it requires some extra steps and some extra trouble getting the oil into your dishes.
You might also use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to get rid of the residue from your dishes. It’s not as good as using specialized products, but it will definitely work to get the job done.
Another method that I’ve heard about is using a glycerin-based mixture to get rid of cooking spray residue on dishes. This doesn’t seem to be for everyone, so you’ll want to find out more about this before you try it out!
There are some other alternatives that you might want to try if these did not work for you… And now let’s talk about some even more unconventional alternatives that I haven’t come across before…
That’s right, there are different versions of commercial dishwashing liquids available that are aimed at removing cooking spray residue from your dishes. These products are going to be a little bit more expensive than the alternatives that we’ve looked at so far, but they might be worth it for you.
The main ingredient in these products is some sort of vinegar. You’re just going to have to pour a little bit of the product onto your dish and then rub it into the residue until it’s gone. Some of these products will even come with a sponge that you can use to get the rest of the residue off your dishes!
There are also some natural cleaning products that you can get that are going to work just as well as the conventional products. These are definitely going to be a little bit more expensive, but they’re still going to work for getting rid of your cooking spray residue.
Conclusion
If you’re tired of having to deal with the residue from your cooking spray, then you’re in luck! There are so many different products that are out there to deal with this problem, and I’m sure that everyone will be able to find something that works for them.
Now you just need to decide which product is going to work for you! If none of these options sound like they would work for your situation, then don’t worry, I’ll tell you how try using some different methods in a moment.
Just know that the methods mentioned above did work for my cooking spray problem! I’m not sure exactly which one is going to work best for your cooking spray residue issue based on your preferences, but you will definitely be able to find one that suits you from this list.
