Tips&TricksBaking tray turning rusty? Here's how onions, sugar and a potato can come to your rescue

Baking tray turning rusty? Here's how onions, sugar and a potato can come to your rescue

Smear the rusted sheets with a well-known vegetable.
Smear the rusted sheets with a well-known vegetable.
Images source: © Adobe Stock | Semiglass

9:27 AM EST, January 20, 2024

Rust is a significant threat to our kitchen utensils and metal tools. It forms when the material reacts with oxygen and moisture, resulting in an unsightly brown or red deposit layer. Rust is common on baking trays and metal cooking utensils. Apart from damaging them, it can also negatively affect your health. We suggest methods to effectively and swiftly eliminate rust. Instead of resorting to potentially harmful chemical agents, try natural approaches.

How to clean a baking tray using onion and sugar

The onion is more than just a healthy vegetable to include in meals. It contains biologically active ingredients and is abundant in essential oils, alkaloids, and organic acids, some of which can dissolve rust. You need one large, fresh onion with a dense structure to utilize this natural method. Cut it half, liberally sprinkle powdered sugar, and scrub the rusted baking tray with the prepared onion. After cleaning, ensure you rinse the tray thoroughly and dry it.

Alternative methods to clean a baking tray

Onion and powdered sugar aren't the only natural agents that can combat rust on kitchen utensils. If they are unavailable, you can use vinegar, baking soda, Coca-Cola, or even a potato.

Concerning vinegar, merely soaking the kitchen utensils in it for a few hours or overnight should do. In the morning, scrub them with a coarse sponge or brush. If the rust proves stubborn, you can add salt to the vinegar; this helps scrub off the deposit. Similarly, use Coca-Cola to clean the trays.

Utilizing baking soda is slightly different. This alkaline powder, which counters the acidity of rust, facilitates its removal from metal. To this end, mixing it with water into a thick paste is best. Apply the paste onto the rust-afflicted implements and let it sit for some time. Lastly, scrub the items with a sponge or brush and thoroughly rinse them with water.

As mentioned before, a potato can also help against rust. Cut a potato, sprinkle salt, and scrub the rusted trays and utensils with the prepared half. Similar to the onion method, the deposit will quickly vanish.

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