Every year for Christmas, my Mom gives each child a gift bag full of little odds and ends. And there’s usually our annual steel wool scrubber. It must be something from her generation, because I don’t know too many people who use these. But they are a great cleaning tool, perfect for scrubbing off those brown stains on your glass pans!
To Clean Your Glass Pans: Using a little mild soap and water with your steel wool scrubber, scrub the entire surface of your glass pan. The brown rusty looking stains should come right off, leaving your glass pan as clean as when you first bought it!
Warning: Steel wool can scratch some surfaces. Use with caution and first test on a small area.
Written by Marie LeBaron
Marie LeBaron is the founder and managing editor of Make and Takes. Always having a love of crafts, she enjoys getting messy with glue and glitter. There’s always some sort of project going on, her kitchen counter is often cluttered with crafts. When she’s not crafting and creating with her kids, she loves to run, read, and blog! Read other posts by Marie
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes, I’ve had great luck with stubborn stains! Especially my glass pans like yours :)
Thank you thank you for this tip. I have a few glass pans that need a good scrub.
I guess I’m old school too — thanks to my mom. Steel wool or those miracle SOS pads work wonders, especially when my sheet pans start to look a little beat up.
I LOVE those scrubbers. They are so hard to find so when I do see the right kind (Because there are knock-offs out there) I buy a bunch of them. No I am not old (25 and proud of it) and no I don’t know how to dishes without them.
Yes… regularly! Steel wool is the best thing for cleaning stainless steel pans!
Steel wool is the bomb. I have even used it to clean the glass stovetop, although I think that does scratch it a bit. I get the knockoff SOS pads at the dollar store and keep about a cubic yard under my sink.
Wow, seriously? I guess at 28 I must be part of the “younger generation.” :) I’ll have to look for this stuff!
I use S.O.S pads and that’s the only way I get our glass pans clean! Lasagna is yummy but it sure make a mess! Also, it’s the only reason I buy them. Well that and cleaning the rings around the stove burners.
I have a pot from my grandma. It isn’t non-stick, but I love it. But I am always grateful for the steel wool when it’s time to clean. I don’t know why I never think to use this on glass. I will now.
I want to add another use for steel wool to your list. When I was doing a decoupage course. the final polishing we did, before our final coat was applied, was with the very finest steel wool. It took off the last ridges and marks to give a really smooth finish. You use the steel wool with water, and do not rub too harshly. If you keep checking, you get a finish as smooth as silk.
As a renter, I RELY on steel wool to clean the drip pans on the stove every time we move. It’s the ONLY thing that works!
Using steel wool on glass pants is actually not a good idea, as it will scratch (whether you can see it or not) and weaken the glass, increasing the likelihood that it will break. If it does break, it could shatter into tiny shards of glass, as many glass dishes are now not tempered properly or made of quality ingredients. These invisible scratches also harbor bacteria. For cleaning, I keep a large box of baking soda in the kitchen. Make a paste with a little water and baking soda, adding a few drops of liquid dish detergent for really messy pots and pans. This solution will clean everything from wooden cutting boards to glass, stainless, and enamel pots without even having to scrub hard. If you really have a hard time cleaning your pan, just let it sit a while longer; when you come back, it will most likely rub off with no more than a wipe of damp cloth.
Of course, I wouldn’t use them on glass PANS either. Nor wear glass pants =P
I use steel wool for all sorts of things, from cleaning to crafting. Can’t live without it!
Kristen – I haven’t had any problems with scratching, as I don’t have to scrub too hard with steel wool. So I’m okay with using them for glass as my Pyrex dishes are fairly hefty. But this is something to consider. Thanks for your feedback.
My mom is the exact same way and I always have one of those.
This was perfect timing for me because I was trying to clean the glass from our outdoor light fixtures and my hubby had some fine steel wool that got them looking new again! Thanks!
Wire wool is used in the process of making stained glass – once a panel is made, cement is scrubbed into the crevices of the lead to make it weatherproof and prevent the glass from rattling in the lead framework. I use coarse wire wool all over the lead AND the glass, without scratching the glass at all……
essential bit of kit :)
i know you should not used steel wool on stainless steel or granite worktops
We found some stainless steel wool which we love at our house. Regular steel wool always seemed to go rusty on us, but the stainless steel kind has lasted forever and makes cleaning those crusty pans so easy.
Hi there! I love your blog, always gives me a ton of inspiration. I saw this article and wanted to mention something about the stainless steel wool; I found with my experiences and what I heard, that the stainless steel wool ends up ‘scratching’ the surface of which ever item you use it for.. which in turn will cause bacteria to in-bed in the scratches. May be the reason why no one really uses them anymore. The scratches are barely visual but I just thought I would mention this incase your a ‘germ-a-phobe’ like me :) We tend to try and deter clients from using them as well as the cheap ‘scrubbies’ (I use to love these) which are commonly used for bathtubs, counters and sinks. The sad thing is, they are so cheap and do a great job!… but after hearing and noticing how scum and food buildup seemed to got worst in our clients houses, I had to turn to micofiber clothes which are amazing!