Shea Simmons
Are your nonstick pans not lasting as long as you’d like? Surprisingly, over-cleaning could be the culprit.
While you’re probably tempted to grab your dish soap and sponge after every use, nonstick pans required markedly less cleaning than you’d think to protect the nonstick coating. In fact, dish soap should only ever be used to remove the most stubborn grease or grime.
The truth is you really shouldn’t be washing your nonstick pan at all—they really only require a wipe down.
If these types of pans are overwashed with detergent and hot water, or not treated well (like sticking it in the dishwasher or running cold water over it when it’s still hot), the coating will wear away and begin to flake. This will quickly make your pan unusable and send you right back to Amazon searching for a new one.
This is why you should stop washing and start wiping. While the pan is still warm, simply wipe out any leftover grease or food with a paper towel or gentle sponge. If there happens to be something stubborn in the pan, use the same sponge and a bit of cold, soapy water to gently scrub until it’s gone.
Again, though, washing with soap should be kept to a minimum.
If you’ve worn down the coating on your pan, you can start over with a brand-new one. If you wipe instead of wash, this one should last you a good long time!
[Via LifeHacker]
