Seeking Help with Baked on Gook. (Don't Know What Else to Call It)

Updated on October 20, 2008
T.G. asks from Oakland, CA
12 answers

Hi everyone,
I know that 99% of you have had this problem but I can't seem to find the correct solution. How do you get baked on gook off of a cookie sheet? It is black and is covering 60% of my cookie sheet. I've tried scrubbing with sponges, soaked it, threw it in the dishwasher, but nothing happened. I'd hate to just throw it away. Any good ideas?

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So What Happened?

Well, I read every email sent and decided to go with the "throw it in the oven while cleaning" choice. BIG MISTAKE!! At least for me. My entire house smells like a burnt oven and I ended up throwing away the cookie sheet after all. It actually made it worse. Next time I will try the dryer sheet soaked in water idea. I bet it won't smell as bad.
Thanks so much for all of the creative ideas that I am sure I will get to try over the next few bakings.

Featured Answers

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C.B.

answers from San Francisco on

Try soaking it again in water with a dryer sheet. the stuff on the dryer sheet (don't know what it is) will work to loosen the gook off the pan. they work great!

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V.W.

answers from San Francisco on

Find someone with a self cleaning oven and place the cookie sheet in the oven during a cleaning cycle. I dont know if they still have them. My grandmother had one.

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S.L.

answers from San Francisco on

I have the same problem and I've tried everything, including the oven cleaner. The problem came from my Husband's use of Pam on the sheets without really washing between several uses - I know, that's gross, but that's what he did. The pans look like hell but they still work so I keep using them, but I make sure to line with parchment. Don't stress yourself out trying to clean these, Martha Stewart probably won't be over anytime soon.

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K.P.

answers from San Francisco on

I heard that oven cleaner will take off baked on gook. Good Luck.

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K.G.

answers from San Francisco on

I haven't actually tried this myself, but I remember seeing some "queen of clean" type person on TV clean pots and pans with baked on goo by soaking them in the sink with a dryer sheet. I think she soaked them for at least a few hours. I would definitely clean the cookie sheets well after than because dryer sheets have chemicals of some sort in them.

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B.M.

answers from San Francisco on

You know, I read in Martha Stewart once where someone wrote in with the same question, and Martha's answer was that the solution was to not let things get like that in the first place- get them absolutely clean each and every time from the beginning. Thanks Martha, I thought- a little late for that now!

When my pans look really bad I sometimes use Bon Ami and scrub like crazy and I do see a big difference. Spots come off that I never thought would. SOS pads work and the oven trick sounds like a good idea. I think there's a trick for cleaning barbeque racks that might work too- my Dad takes the rack and puts it in a garbage bag with some ammonia and seals it up over night. He says it works great.

I might try some oven cleaner spray on your cookie sheets and leave them in your oven over night. You don't even need the self cleaning feature- a cold oven is fine. Then just scrub them in the morning. I think I may try that myself. Good luck!

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J.M.

answers from San Francisco on

I used Easy Off oven cleaner (they have a fume free one) and that cleaned EVERYTHING off. My cookie sheet and stove top look like new.

Good luck!

Jen

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D.H.

answers from San Francisco on

Steel wool, brillo pads, elbow grease!

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A.C.

answers from San Francisco on

As long as your cookie sheet isn't coated with the Non-stick coatings all you need is steel wool. Also, I find abrasive powder works, like comet or something.

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M.P.

answers from San Francisco on

Soak it for a bit in the sink with dishwasher soap & hot water and then scrub with an SOS pad.

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D.T.

answers from San Francisco on

I have the same problem!!! I can't bring myself to throw them out either (unless they're REALLY old and bad!!!!). I haven't tried the brillo pad method mentioned (I might give it a try the next time I bake something), but I've started lining my cookie sheets with foil or parchment paper. It's sometimes a pain to line the pans, but it makes baking and clean up easier. You can also try the "silpats" on your cookie sheets (silicone liners). They're supposed to work really well. I hope this helps!!

D.

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E.C.

answers from San Francisco on

brillo pads and a lot of elbow grease can take out a lot of the brown oily baked on gunk, but I can't quite eliminate the gunk that accumulates in the corners of the cookie sheet.

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