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Salt Questions · Home, wellness & DIY

How do you clean a burnt pot bottom with salt?

By The Salt AlmanacUpdated November 8, 20261 source cited

Short answer

Cover the burnt area with water, add a few tablespoons of salt (and a splash of vinegar for stainless steel), and bring it to a simmer for 5–10 minutes. Let it cool, pour off the water, then scrub with a paste of salt and a little water or baking soda. The heat loosens the residue; the salt acts as a gentle scouring powder.

The Salt Almanac

Rescuing a burnt pot

  1. 1Cover burn with water + salt (+ vinegar)
  2. 2Simmer 5–10 minutes; cool
  3. 3Scrub with salt or salt + baking soda
  4. 4Rinse; repeat if needed
Graphic: The Salt Almanac, drawn from the sources listed below.

Method

  1. Add enough water to cover the burnt layer.
  2. Stir in 2–3 tablespoons of salt; for stainless steel, add ½ cup of vinegar.
  3. Simmer for 5–10 minutes, then let it cool.
  4. Pour off the liquid and scrub with a paste of salt and a little water, or salt and baking soda.
  5. Repeat for stubborn spots.

Which pans

Good for stainless steel, enamelled cast iron and glass. Be gentle with non-stick coatings and avoid long soaks in salty water for aluminium, which can pit.

Why salt helps

Salt crystals are hard enough to scour residue but dissolve and rinse away, so they don't leave grit.

Related on The Salt Almanac

How do you clean a cast iron skillet with coarse salt?

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Cite this page

For school projects and reports. Teachers often prefer the original sources too: see the list below.

The Salt Almanac. (2026, November 8). How do you clean a burnt pot bottom with salt. https://saltalmanac.com/answers/how-do-you-clean-a-burnt-pot-bottom-with-salt

Original sources

  1. Wikipedia. Sodium chloride. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_chloride