Kitchen Tip: Removing Caked-on Gunk from Slightly Worn Teflon-coated Cookware

Today I had a daunting task.  I had some honey and Dijon mustard that had charred and coated the bottom of a skillet.  It was on there but good, even with a good scouring with a handmade scrubbing pad made of plastic bags.

I didn't have the time, patience, or energy to stand there for hours trying to scour it off with my Teflon-safe scrubbie.  I wasn't about to ruin it further with something more abrasive.

What to do?

I filled the skillet with water and heated it.  Using a plastic serving spoon, I scraped off the easier bits with that without harming the skillet.  To remove the tougher stuff, I dumped the water, rinsed the skillet, and refilled it with water.

I heated the water with some baking soda.  After letting the "soup" bubble for a few minutes, I used the spoon to scrape some more.  This managed to dislodge the rest of the char, and all I had to do was let the skillet cool enough to wash out the baking soda residue.