Have you seen the photos where a dryer sheet or baking soda miraculously clean a greasy and grimy cookie sheet to new? I’ve tested the methods folks, and based on my findings, they don’t work. Proof? Here are 3 ½ ways on how NOT to clean a cookie sheet.
I needed a quick win today. A simple project that everyone does that I could whip out fairly easily and wouldn’t take too much of my time in completing.
If you follow 100Things2Do.ca on Instagram, you know that I’m in the midst of a dining room makeover and this past week was full of sanding, sanding, sanding, staining, top coat, top coat, top coat… (you get the idea) on my dining room floor.
I am tired, I am sore, and I am broke. 😂
Passively cleaning a cookie sheet seemed like a great project!
I know! If ever there was a cookie sheet that needed cleaning, THIS is it!
Even the back is horrible bad.
I had big dreams. High hopes. Lofty aspirations.
I had a dream folks…
Let me show you the crushing blows that destroyed my dreams:
How NOT to clean a cookie sheet – Oven cleaner
I purchased an inexpensive no-name brand oven cleaner – which is supposed to clean burnt-on stains in an oven right?
After applying a fairly thick coating to the cookie sheet I decided to cover it with plastic food wrap to keep the fumes in and working.
I left it on for 2 hours – the minimum suggested on the oven cleaner can – and….
almost no change at all.
I did scour it a bit with a green scouring pad and a bit of ENJO Marble Paste – but this is as good as it got.
Very disappointing.
How NOT to clean a cookie sheet – baking soda and peroxide
There are some Pinterest folks that swear by this and since the cookie sheet couldn’t get any worse, I decided to give ‘er a go.
Mix the peroxide and baking soda at about 30:60 ratio – enough to get a thick paste – then leave on for 2 hours.
Again, I did scour it with a green scouring pad and a fair amount did come off – so colour me somewhat impressed.
BUT, this cookie sheet started out silver, as you can see by the Wilton lettering in the bottom of the photo, and this baby is nowhere near silver.
How NOT to clean a cookie sheet – Dryer sheets
This method was sure to work right? If nothing else the “jar was loosened” by the first two methods and the grease and grime had to give at some point right?
I put two dryer sheets on the tray and then covered them in warm water and let it sit for… 2 hours. (I’ve got to keep my testing methods consistent).
Nothing.
Not one single scrap of improvement.
Not to throw in the towel without exhausting this method more fully, I dumped the old water, put in two new dryer sheets and then covered them with boiling water, letting it sit for 2 hours. (writing that is kind of making me laugh now lol)
I scoured again with the green thingy and a bit of marble paste (which is kind of like Bar Keeper’s friend) – and nothing.
NO-THING!
Well, if anything, it’s pretty negligible.
So, to recap – this is an article about how NOT to clean a cookie sheet – because nothing works.
What’s worse is that I’m out $8 CDN for the oven cleaner, maybe $4 for the peroxide and baking soda and then a few pennies more for the dryer sheets.
PLUS the time in between each “scientific method” that I spend scrubbing, photographing and now blogging about… say 3 hours?
Minimum wage in Canada is $14/hour, so that’s approximately $42.
Basically $54 CDN in materials and labour to keep a dirty cookie sheet.
Yes, HomeSense sells new ones for $10-$14. I could have bought 4 new ones 🤦🏻♀️
Just saving you all a bit of time, money and labour folks – based on my stupidity. 😂
Repurpose your grungy cookie sheets with spray paint or fabric in some craft project and spend the $14 and just get a new one.
So much for a “quick win” eh? 😂😂
Back to sanding the floors – at least there I get some gratification for all of my work.
Have a great one!