I Just Learned This “Miracle” Technique for Cleaning Baking Sheets, and I’m in Disbelief By How Well It Works

If your bakeware collection is as sad-looking as mine, let’s talk. Stained and scratched and all around pitiful-looking — you’d part with them, except for the fact that they still work. And besides, you know that in only a few uses those shiny new ones you bring home from the store will fit right in with the dingy ones, amiright? Enter this stroke of simple cleaning genius. 

All you need are three dryer sheets, warm water, Dawn dish soap, and five minutes of your time.

I had seen dryer sheets work their magic on a burnt pot, and figured my dingy sheet pans had nothing to lose. Just to really test the effectiveness of this cleaning method, I considered what the messiest possible dish I could make to really gum up the pan would be. Chicken thighs for dinner, folks! Drizzled in olive oil and generously seasoned with paprika, garlic powder, and other seasoned goodness. And to really up the ante, no cooking spray.

After I baked them at 400 degrees for 45 minutes (plenty of time for the baking sheet to get saucy and sticky), I lifted the four chicken thighs from the pan, and it was an absolute mess. Perfection!

Once the pan was cool enough to handle, here’s how I got it clean:

1. Scrape hardened food bits off the surface and wipe it down with a paper towel.
2. Add a few drops of Dawn dish soap to the pan, focusing on the most stained areas.
3. Place three unused dryer sheets (I used Kirkland brand) across the pan (they will overlap slightly).
4. Add a few more drops of dish detergent on top of the dryer sheets. 
5. Pour warm tap water onto the baking sheet (no need to fill to the edge). Give yourself enough room to scrub it gently without water sloshing out.
6. Gently scrub the baking sheet, taking care to remove any tough stains left after the first thorough scrub.
7. Rinse. Wash baking sheet with more dish liquid and warm water.
8. Dry with paper towel and buff out any remaining spots.

Experts recommend you let the baking sheet sit for an hour, which I tried on my first attempt, and it ultimately made no difference! All in, the most successful try took me less than five minutes from start to finish. And if you’re buying dryer sheets in bulk, just a few for this hack will cost only a few cents.

I was surprised to see that the faster method resulted in a cleaner baking sheet (and didn’t take up precious kitchen counter space for an hour). Within minutes, I had a grease-free cookie pan that went from horrifying to sparkling clean with minimal effort. Plus, I was able to use what I already had in my laundry room!

Now that it’s post-holidays and my urge to clean is in full force (and my pans are looking brand new), I’m excited to try cleaning other things around the house with dryer sheets, like my dusty baseboards. If I can do the deep-cleaning nobody really wants to do while putting some household staples to good use, I’m calling it a total win. Happy cleaning!