From roasted vegetables to chocolate chip cookies to crispy homemade pizza, baking pans are the "old reliable" of countless tasty meals. But since they're so versatile, they're subject to a wide variety of stains and charred-on cookie crumbs, crispy sheets of melted cheese, and more.

Baking pan stains can seem impossible to get out, no matter how hard you scrub. Left untreated, that brown, burnt-on greasy residue on your cookie sheets, muffin pans, cake pans or other bakeware can end up affecting the flavor of your culinary creations.

Stuck on food and stains on your sheet pans and bakeware can be persistent, and a standard cleaning with dish soap and water usually won't do the trick. Even cleaning pans with baking soda and water can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour (and a lot of elbow grease) to start removing gunk.

Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner breaks down grease and deep cleans without caustic or abrasive chemicals and won't leave behind residue that can linger long after you've finished cleaning.

Directions for Cleaning Baking Pans:

Allow pans to cool completely before you begin cleaning. Use these directions to remove fairly recent spots and stains to avoid permanent discoloration.

1. Wipe away excess. Using a paper towel, wipe away excess grease or burnt on food residue from the baking pan.
2. Make a paste. For heavily stained areas, mix a tablespoon of baking soda with a tablespoon of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner to form a paste. This helps the cleaner stay in place, and acts as an additional abrasive against stains. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes.
3. Fill the sink with your Simple Green solution. Fill the kitchen sink with enough hot water to submerge the baking sheet, and add about 2 tablespoons of Simple Green to each cup of water in the sink (or 1 cup Simple Green to 8 cups hot water).
4. Soak. Soak the sheet for 3-5 minutes, allowing the cleaner to work through the remaining oils and grease. If your baking sheet doesn't fit into the sink completely, rotate it so that all areas soak for the recommended time. After 5 minutes, drain your sink. (Bonus: the Simple Green solution will also clean your drain as you empty the sink.)
5. Scrub the pan. Scrub away any additional carbon or grease residue. If your pan is aluminum, use a scrubbing pad. Scrub a stainless steel baking pan with a scouring pad or steel wool. If your pan is non-stick, use a nylon scrubber or sponge to scrub in circular motions.
6. Wash. Wash and dry as usual.

TIP: Use a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper each time you bake to prevent future stains.