What Helps Clean Pots Used to Cook Pasta?

Abrasives

• Without scratching up your pot, there are several chemical-free options to help lift this stubborn film. Cream of tartar and baking soda are both mildly abrasive, which makes them ideal for scrubbing without leaving scratches behind on even the most fragile of surfaces. Fill the pot with water at least halfway with water and dump in a few scoops of cream of tartar or baking soda. Bring it to a boil and allow the abrasive substance to scrub away the film so you don’t have to. After it has boiled for five to 10 minutes, the film will come of much easier when the pot is cool enough to touch. A quicker method is to sprinkle some cream of tartar or baking soda onto a sponge and use it to clean the pot.

Acids

• A mild acid is highly effective for cutting through even the toughest of stains. White vinegar and lemon juice are both strong enough to cut through the film without harming your pot. Dampen your sponge with one of these and wipe the film right off before washing it.

Soaking

• A simple soaking with hot water should lift the pasta residue right off, but if you have noodles that have stuck to the bottom of the pan, you may need a little more help. Fill the pot with hot water and add in a few drops of dish soap and leave it to soak. Rather than dish soap, add a fabric softener sheet to help demagnetize whatever is stuck to your pot. Allow the pot to soak overnight and wash it in the morning. If you need the pot clean sooner than that, fill it with hot water and drop in a denture cleaning tablet for fast results. When it stops fizzing, the pot will be ready to be washed.

Considerations

• Often, any leftover film from cooking pasta will come off easily while cleaning it in the dishwasher. Not all types of pots are dishwasher safe such as cast iron. Use plastic scrubbers or even crumpled up aluminum foil if your pot can handle it for additional scrubbing power if you have to wash it by hand. By using a large pot and stirring constantly, you can make the process of cleaning the pot used to cook pasta in a lot easier.