Green Clean: How to clean a pot with baking soda

I love to cook...but I despise doing dishes. And it always seems that the things I like to cook the most leave behind the most terrible pots and pans to clean; like the kind that require soaking for days and still somehow take a 30-minute scrubbing. Well, I have a trick to share with you that will save you a ton of hassle; no soaking and no harsh chemicals required, and only a teensy bit of 'scrubbing' (which is actually more like just wiping with a sponge, you'll see).

The last time I made my Homemade Maple Pumpkin Butter (yes, you're gonna want that recipe) was when I really put this trick to the test. The process of cooking it on the stove and then baking in the oven in the same pan really left behind a horrible caramelized burnt pumpkiny maple sugary mess. This technique worked like a charm as you can see from the photo! 

I thought this might be a timely post, knowing there are probably tons of you putting off doing that pile of dishes you have soaking in the sink after your Thanksgiving feast - which I hope was amazing by the way!

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Aside from the filthy dish you want to clean, you will need:

• dish soap 

• baking soda

• water

• rubber gloves (to protect from the heat)

• scrubbing sponge or scrub brush

First, add a drop or two of dish soap to the bottom of the empty pan. This will help to cut the grease.

Then, add a tablespoon or two of baking soda (depending on the size of the pan - I used 2 for mine knowing I would need to fill it to the top with water to get all that crud at the top).

Add water to the pan, the smallest amount needed to cover all the crusty bits, then put on the stove and simmer until it just reaches a boil. When cleaning a casserole dish, simply place it in a hot oven (preferably while you are already cooking something else so you don't waste energy) until it begins to bubble.

Remove from the heat when your baking soda concoction is nice and frothy, and empty that into the sink. Add a little bit more baking soda to the pan, put on your gloves, and start gently scrubbing at the caked on food and you'll see it wipes away quite easily!

I love the way this trick works so well and doesn't require any toxic harmful chemicals for you to inhale or pour down the drain. It's a true "green clean" that works!

I hope everyone had a wonderfully Happy Thansgiving! Don't be afraid to tackle those dishes...