Ceramic pots and pans are easier to clean. But, it can be troublesome if you don't know the proper cleaning method.
Ceramic pans are different from other types of pans. So, you cannot wash them and other nonstick pans the same way.
Because if you clean your ceramic pan like other nonstick pans, it might get damaged permanently. Thus the money you spend on the cookware is a substantial loss.
This article will help guide you on how to clean ceramic pans properly. You will also know how to wash your ceramic cookware when it is burnt and the difficult stains that are usually difficult to remove.
How to Clean Ceramic Cookware (DIY Guideline)
It would be best always to clean your pans immediately after you cook something on them.
And you need just a few things for a quick wash. Take a soft dishwashing sponge, some liquid dishwasher, a soft kitchen towel, and some of your time.
However, with the best non stick ceramic pans, the cleaning process will be much easier.
Let's get to know the guide on cleaning the ceramic pans regularly.
Wait till your pan cools down
The first step to clean your ceramic pans regularly after cooking is to let them cool down first before you start cleaning. If you start cleaning the hot pan or pot, it can affect nonstick ceramic coating, which eventually lessens the cookware's life. And you will not be able to use them for a longer period.
Wash with soap water
After cooling down the ceramic pan surface, clean the cookware with normal water and soap or liquid dishwasher.
The process is easy—spill a few drops of liquid dish soap over the ceramic pan with a few drops of warm water. And start scrubbing the surface of the pan with a non-harsh dish sponge and rub it with a circular motion. After a complete rubbing, rinse with warm water.
Allow the pan to dry in the air
After washing the pan, dry it in the air. You can put them on a dish dry rack or dry them in an air or cooling fan. But make sure that the pan is completely dried before you store it.
Otherwise, the nonstick coating can be ruined if you keep the ceramic cookware before drying. As an alternative, you can also use a soft kitchen towel or cloth to wipe the water and make it dry with your hands.
How Do You Clean a Ceramic Pan That has Burnt Food in it?
It is a very common issue that food is burnt out, and you need to clean the burnt pan. You can follow three steps to clean your ceramic pan when food is burnt.
Normally, if you use extra-virgin olive oil, butter, clarified butter, or vegetable oil for cooking, your pan is less prone to get burnt.
And you can easily avoid food-burning issues. Also, cooking with butter or cooking sprays helps save the nonstick coat of your ceramic pan.
But mostly, people do not cook with such ingredients, which is a great mistake. Moreover, cooking with high flame is another reason why food is suddenly burnt and sticks with the pan, which is difficult to remove.
Check out the following methods to clean burnt ceramic pans.
Steep in warm soapy water
If you have burnt ceramic pans in your kitchen, the first step you may follow is to steep the pan in warm water. You can add some liquid dish soap to make the warm water soapy.
Or you can also flow a bit of hot water and liquid dish soap on the pan and let the soapy water rest for three to four hours. This step helps pull out the pan's burnt oil and food residues.
But keep in mind that every ceramic pan is not the same, so soaking all kinds of ceramic cookware in the sink may not be a good idea.
In that case, you can get some soapy hot water and pour it into the pan.
Sprinkle and scrub with baking soda
Another step or method to clean burnt ceramic pans is to use baking soda. You sprinkle or spray around two tablespoons of dry baking soda all over the pan.
And scrub or brush with a wet sponge on the pan, especially on the affected area with a circular motion.
Add a few drops of hot water and clean the pan again with the sponge and baking soda.
Remember that never use any harsh brush or sponge to scrub your pan. Use a soft sponge to clean.
When the job is done, wipe the dirt with a kitchen towel and wash the pan normally.
Cook a mixture of baking soda and warm water
Baking soda is helpful for the surface burnt area of ceramic cookware and the bottom of the cookware.
The first step is to cover the bottom part of your burnt pan with baking soda and run warm water on its half full. Set the ceramic pan over high or medium flame and come to a boil.
Now, reduce the flame to low heat for fifteen minutes. The burnt parts will fall off. You can deep clean your ceramic cookware in this way.
How to Remove Stains Over Ceramic Cookware
Ceramic coatings are susceptible to food stains over time. Though it does not degrade the quality of your ceramic cookware, it does not look good also. So, if you want your kitchen to look like a restaurant, then the pan with food stains may be annoying for you.
To keep your kitchen restaurant quality and shiny, you should know how to remove difficult food stains from ceramic cookware.
Removing food stains is easy. Let's check out the steps:
Use white vinegar
You can use a white distilled vinegar combination to remove hard food stains from your ceramic pan. Use a 1:4 ratio say one-fourth cup white wine vinegar and a three-fourth cup of water.
Fill the pan with the mixture for an overnight stay. Cover all the areas that have food stains and blemishes. Or you can boil the vinegar mixture on the stove and simmer for fifteen minutes.
After boiling the mixture, wash the pan normally and dry with a soft kitchen towel.
It would help if you were careful of white wine vinegar and water ratio. It should not be more intensive than the 1:4 ratio because vinegar is a highly acid-containing product that can destroy your ceramic cookware's nonstick coat.
Use hydrogen peroxide to lighten food stains on ceramic pans
Hydrogen peroxide has a bleaching reaction, for which it is widely used for cleaning. So, it is very much handy and beneficial to remove hard food stains from ceramic cookware.
Wrap your ceramic pan surface with 3% hydrogen peroxide. It will start making a bubble. Then allow the hydrogen peroxide to sit on the pan for around 30 minutes. After that, wash your pan normally and dry it with a kitchen towel before storing it.
You can get hydrogen peroxide in any drug and medicine store. If the hydrogen peroxide is not making a bubble, it has probably expired the due date. In this case, change the solution from your nearest store.
Do Not Do These Things While Cleaning Ceramic Cookware
We already have mentioned that ceramic pans need a different cleaning guide than normal cookware. Ceramic cookware is high priced because it has no harmful chemicals like other nonstick cookware.
You can use ceramic pans for a longer period. But it would be best if you learned how to take proper care of ceramic cookware.
There are certain guidelines on what you should not do while cleaning ceramic cookware. Check these out:
Do not use harsh sponge over ceramic cookware
Using harsh sponges like metal pads can destroy the ceramic coating as it is fragile.
Ceramics would get scratched due to steel pad rub. And steel pads or wools are much harsh to tear down the nonstick coating of the cookware surface.
And if the nonstick coat is destroyed, your food will be more prone to get burnt.
Using a soft sponge or luffa is an excellent solution to clean ceramic cookware for longevity.
Do not use metal utensils for cooking food
Using metal spoons and spatulas over ceramic coats can damage the cookware. So it would help if you used wooden spoons or nylon spoons which are not harsh on ceramic coats.
You should also not cut anything directly on the cookware.
Do not use harsh soap
The dishwasher damages the ceramic coat of ceramic cookware so never put your pan in the dishwasher. And also, do not use harsh dish soaps or detergent because the ceramic coating is much sensitive to getting damaged. Mild dish soaps are available in super shops, which you can easily avail.
Keep away from radical temperature change
Radical temperature changes in ceramic cookware can damage the nonstick coat of the pan or pot.
That's is why we recommend not to wash the pan when it is hot. Let cool it and rinse with warm water.
Too much drastic temperature change can destroy the carbonized layer of the nonstick coat, making the pan useless.
So, it would be best if you cool it first before cleaning.
Do not soak pans in the sink
Ceramic pans are not completely made of ceramic. They are mostly made of stainless steel, cast iron, or other metals that helps cook food evenly and hold high temperature.
Then the pan gets a ceramic coat. So before soaking the ceramic cookware in the sink, be sure of the material used inside.
For example, if your cookware cast iron ceramic coated, you should not soak it in water and keep away from moisture because cast iron rust quickly.
Final Thoughts
Ceramic cookware makes your kitchen look restaurant quality. You can use ceramic cookware for a longer period if you take proper care of it.
If you regularly maintain the small techniques of cleaning ceramic cookware, your pans will work for years and keep your kitchen shiny.
FAQ
How do you get burnt oil off a ceramic pan?
You can sprinkle and scrub baking soda on the burnt area of the pan and rub for a while in a circular motion to get off burnt oil.
How do you clean the bottom of a ceramic pan?
The first step to clean the bottom of a ceramic pan is to cover the bottom part with baking soda and pour water halfway. Then cook the ceramic pan over high or medium flame to boil the water.
When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a low flame and wait fifteen minutes. With this time, the burnt part will fall off, and the ceramic pan's bottom part will be cleaned.
Why is food sticking to my ceramic pan?
Food is stuck in the ceramic pan because people usually do not cook with vegetable oil, butter, extra virgin olive oil. So, the nonstick coat is eroded, and food sticks into the pan.
How long does ceramic cookware last?
Ceramic cookware lasts for a long period if you take proper care.