How To Clean Aluminum

[Harl]

I got a set of Bon Chef aluminum oval omelet pans at a garage sale.
They're awesome, but some have lotsa well burnt on grease.
Anyone know how to make them look new again?
Also some heavy duty aluminum baking sheets similarly covered with burnt grease..... Advice please...
Harl

 

[Andy M.]

Place every thing into a large plastic bag or tub and add a few cups of ammonia. Tie the bag opening tightly and leave it outdoors overnight.

Next day, remove he pans and scrub clean with a scouring pad or similar. The ammonia will go a long way toward loosening up the burned on grease.

 

[Human]

Can you just fill the pan with ammonia and leave it outside instead of putting the pan into a bag filled with ammonia and leave it outside?

 

[Andy M.]

Can you just fill the pan with ammonia and leave it outside instead of putting the pan into a bag filled with ammonia and leave it outside?

The point of the plastic bag was to accommodate a number of items at one time. the ammonia fumes attack the residue on the pans and the plastic keeps the fumes where they belong.

If you just have one item, you could put a small cup of amminia in it and put the lid on.

 

[Robo410]

the ammonia works
later clean with bar keepers friend.

 

[sparrowgrass]

Be careful scrubbing with metal scrubbers--aluminum is soft, and the scratches you leave will make the pan harder to clean later.

I know.

 

[Harl]

Janitorial grade ammonia, from Ace Hardware did not work on my burned on grease. Soaked my pans two times for about 24 hours each and scoured with steel scrubing sponge. The abrasive helped and the ammonia may have helped a little, but 6 pans times 1 hour or more each is prohibitive. What do those of you who know think about the self cleaning cycle in my oven , for Bon Chef aluminum? some automotive degreaser? some other chemical solution?
I'm sure I'll have to use some elbow grease to re-burnish the pans when done but I'd like to minimize the amount of time needed
Also...
the ammonia resulted in a dull dark greying of the inside of the pans? what is this? is it still food safe? opinions please?

Thanks
Da**spamn

 

[TomW]

... What do those of you who know think about the self cleaning cycle in my oven , for Bon Chef aluminum? ...

I think you run a chance of melting the pans. While most aluminum alloys melt at around 1220 degrees F, and the temperature of an oven while self-cleaning is only 900 degrees F, the radiant heat from the heating element can create high localized temperatures.

The heat would remove the burnt-on mess, though.

Tom

 

[Harl]

power tools?

I suppose a brass brush on a drill or something like might work...thoughts?
really want to restore, not destroy....heh

 

[aribaba]

if you have equipment, you can polished it....

While it's not possible for us to do like this....