Chemistry in Action

Subject: Chemistry in Action Tue Dec 16, 2014 7:49 am

My friend Mark wrote:: Like a hundred years ago, Vicki bought a le Creuset set of cookware -
she had it when we met - and over the years it's suffered burns,
scorching, and other discoloration to the white enameled interior. A
week or two back I forgot about a pot of rice I was cooking, and that
added another layer of carbon to one of them...

Anyway, the cookware's ridiculously expensive, so started looking
around at how to get them cleaned up from this condition. Found a
method where you dump enough hydrogen peroxide in the pan to cover the
scorch, stir in a couple tablespoons of baking soda, and heat it until
the baking soda starts bubbling (that's when the chemical reaction
starts), then drop heat to simmer and leave it go (covered. That stuff
will make you cough) for 15 minutes. Let cool for an hour, then wash
as normal.

So I did two sessions with four burned pots last night. Three of them
got totally white and new again, and the forth - which was by far the
worse burnt - needs one more treatment, and it should be white again.
(I understand you can do a similar thing with enzymatic dish
detergent, so I'll try that next.)

Apparently the chemical reaction between two components breaks the
carbon bond with the enamel.

I really should have paid more attention in chemistry class.