Domakihub How to Clean a Baking Tray and Get It Sparkling Again
Remove baked-on grease and burnt stains with pantry staples — no harsh chemicals needed.
Reviewed by Domakihub cleaning pros · 2026-06-23 · 4 min read
A baking tray that has seen one too many roast potatoes or sheet-pan dinners can look hopeless — but it rarely is. The video above walks you through the baking-soda-and-vinegar method in real time; this article lays out the steps in order so you can follow along at your own pace. Whether you are maintaining a family home in Athens, a holiday villa in Crete, or a hotel kitchen on any of the islands, these techniques will keep your trays in service for years.
Why baking trays get so dirty
Every time fat drips onto a hot metal surface it polymerises — it bonds chemically to the metal rather than simply sitting on top. Successive cycles of heat turn this layer darker and harder until ordinary dish soap and a sponge cannot shift it. That dark, sticky film is polymerised oil, not rust or permanent damage, and it can be broken down with the right alkaline or acidic treatment.
Aluminium and non-stick trays need gentler care than stainless steel or carbon-steel ones, because abrasive scrubbing or strong alkalis can strip coatings. Knowing your tray material before you start saves you from accidentally causing more harm than the baked-on grease did.
What you need before you start
You need white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), washing-up liquid, a non-scratch scouring pad or a stiff brush, and hot water. All of these are available in any Greek supermarket. For very stubborn stains on uncoated steel trays, you can also use a paste made from cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide, but the baking-soda method handles the vast majority of household trays without any specialist products.
Have a large basin or your kitchen sink ready, because the soak stage works best when the tray can lie flat in liquid. If your sink is small, a plastic storage box works just as well.
How to clean a baking tray: 5 steps
- 1
Rinse and remove loose debris
Run the tray under hot water immediately after use while it is still warm — this prevents grease from setting. Scrape off any solid food residue with a wooden spatula or a blunt knife. Skip steel wool at this stage; you are just clearing the surface so the cleaning agent can reach the staining, not scrubbing yet.
- 2
Sprinkle baking soda over the tray
Lay the tray flat in your sink or basin and cover the stained surface with a generous, even layer of bicarbonate of soda — roughly two to three tablespoons for a standard 30 x 40 cm tray. The baking soda is mildly alkaline and will react with the acidic, polymerised fat to loosen the bond between the grease and the metal.
- 3
Pour over white vinegar and let it fizz
Pour enough white vinegar over the baking soda to dampen the whole surface. It will fizz immediately — this is the acid-base reaction at work. Leave the mixture to sit and work for 30 minutes (or up to two hours for heavily soiled trays). Do not rinse it away during this time; the prolonged contact is what lifts the staining.
- 4
Scrub with a non-scratch pad
After soaking, the darkened patches should feel noticeably softer. Use a non-scratch scouring pad or a stiff nylon brush in circular motions to lift the loosened residue. Apply a small drop of washing-up liquid as you scrub for extra grease-cutting power. For uncoated carbon-steel or stainless-steel trays, a fine steel-wool pad is acceptable for the most stubborn corners.
- 5
Rinse thoroughly and dry immediately
Rinse the tray under hot running water, checking that all the baking-soda residue is gone. Then dry the tray straight away with a clean cloth or in a warm oven for two minutes — leaving it wet encourages rust on uncoated steel trays. A thin wipe of vegetable oil applied with a paper towel to carbon-steel trays after drying will season the surface and protect it from future sticking.
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FAQ
- Can I use this method on a non-stick baking tray?
- Yes, but be gentle. Use the baking-soda soak as described, then wipe with a soft cloth or silicone brush rather than a scouring pad. Abrasive scrubbing removes the non-stick coating, so if the staining does not lift with gentle pressure, repeat the soak rather than scrubbing harder.
- How do I remove that dark, baked-on ring around the edge of the tray?
- The border ring is usually the heaviest polymerised-fat deposit because fat runs to the edges when it melts. Apply a thick paste of baking soda mixed with just enough washing-up liquid to form a spreadable consistency directly onto the ring, cover with cling film, and leave overnight. The prolonged contact normally breaks down even very old deposits without scrubbing.
- My tray came out of the dishwasher still stained — why?
- Dishwashers use detergent and water pressure but not the alkaline-and-acid reaction needed to dissolve polymerised fat. They are good at removing fresh food residue but rarely shift baked-on grease. The baking-soda-and-vinegar method specifically targets the chemical bond that dishwashers cannot break, which is why it outperforms machine washing for heavily used trays.