How to Clean Cookie Sheets: 4 Easy Cleaning Methods

After consistent use, your new and shiny baking sheet will start to fade and develop discoloration from a variety of different stains, such as:

• Burns: Roasted vegetables and homemade cookies can leave dark spots on your baking pans if cooked in the oven for too long.
  
• Hardened food: As raw food cooks in the oven, food residue can stick to the baking sheet, leaving stains and making it difficult to clean.
• Oil residue: Drizzling olive oil or avocado oil onto fresh veggies results in crispy, golden-brown vegetables but can also cause tough oil stains.

The tools you’ll need to clean a cookie sheet depend on your cleaning method of choice. However, a gentle castile soap, sponge, and scouring pad are a good starting point. For tough stains, you may also need a lifting agent, such as baking soda, to clean your cookie sheet.

A simple way to keep your baking sheets clean and shiny is to line them with parchment paper or a silicone mat before baking. The paper will protect the sheets from food residue and help minimize cleanup. To preserve and care for cookie sheets long-term, avoid washing them in the dishwasher, which can lead to discoloration. Instead, try these cleaning hacks to remove food gunk and tough stains from your baking pans:

• Baking soda and vinegar: Combine baking soda and white vinegar to create a great DIY cleaning agent for removing tough stains on cookie sheets. Start by filling your kitchen sink with hot water and adding a half cup of baking soda and a half cup of vinegar to the tub. Allow the dirty baking sheet to soak in the mixture for about thirty minutes. Use a sponge and gentle dish soap to scrub away the remaining residue, then rinse the sheet clean. When cleaning a nonstick cookie sheet, swap the vinegar for warm water.
• Dryer sheets: This cleaning method involves laying two to three dryer sheets on your cookie sheet, then filling it to the brim with warm water and applying a few drops of dish soap. Let the baking pan sit overnight so that the dryer sheets can absorb all the grime. The next day, hand wash your sheet pans with a sponge or scrubber, using circular motions to clean the pan.
• Hydrogen peroxide: Using hydrogen peroxide to remove burn stains on your cookie sheets is a straightforward process. Sprinkle baking soda on top of your baking sheet, then pour a thin layer of hydrogen peroxide, followed by a layer of baking soda. Allow the mixture to sit for up to two hours, then rinse the pan clean with mild dish soap and warm water. Dry the bakeware with a paper towel.
• Scouring tool: For removing hardened food grime or sticky sauces, consider using a scouring tool to clean your cookie sheet. Copper cloths, steel wool sponges, or crumpled-up aluminum foil with soapy water work well to scrub away stubborn stains. Only use scouring tools for stainless steel baking sheets, as scouring tools damage nonstick coating and wear away aluminum sheets.

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