How to Clean Melted Sugar

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: August 29, 2022 References Tested

Using melted sugar in a recipe is tons of fun, and it adds a hint of warm sweetness that can’t be beat. However, cleaning sugar off of pots, utensils, and your stove isn’t so fun, especially if it’s dried out. Thankfully, there are a few ways you can clean melted sugar off of your tools and your surfaces to leave your kitchen looking brand new again. Try to clean up melted sugar as fast as possible to make it easier to scrub off.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Scrubbing Cookware and Utensils

1
Fill the pot or pan with hot water. Grab your sugar-coated pot or pan and take it to the sink. Turn the faucet to the hottest temperature it can go, then fill your vessel up with hot water until it covers the line of sugar at the top of the pot or pan.^{[1]
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- If your pan is fairly deep, you may have to use a lot of water.
2
Put any utensils covered in sugar in the water too. If you used spoons, knives, or spatulas in your recipe and they have sticky sugar on them too, you can submerge them in the water. Make sure they are heat-safe, and avoid putting plastic utensils into your pot or pan.^{[2]
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- Metal utensils are heat-safe, so they’ll be fine in the water.
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3
Turn the stove on high heat until the water boils. Set the pot or pan on your stovetop and put it on high heat. Wait until you see large bubbles rising to the top of the water so you know that it’s boiling.^{[3]
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- Keep an eye on the stovetop to make sure your pot doesn’t boil over. If it does, turn down the heat right away.
4
Turn down the heat and simmer the water for 5 to 10 minutes. Set your stovetop to medium or low until you see small bubbles rising to the top of the water. Leave the pot or pan on the stove for 5 to 10 minutes so the sugar can loosen and dissolve.^{[4]
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- The heated water should take care of all of the sugar in the pot or pan, even the areas that are really stuck on.
5
Dump out the water, then rinse the pot and utensils. Turn off the stove and put on a pair of oven mitts. Carefully carry your pot or pan over to the sink, then dump out the hot water. Use warm water to rinse out the pot and all of the utensils.^{[5]
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- Use caution when you pour out the water, as it will be super hot.
- There may be some slight residue left over on your pot or utensils.
6
Use soap to wipe away any leftover residue. Grab a sponge and 2 to 3 drops of dish soap, then use that to scrub out the pot or pan and your utensils. You shouldn’t have to work very hard, since the water will have dissolved most of the sugar.^{[6]
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7
Rinse off the soap with warm water and let the cookware air dry. Once you’ve scrubbed all of the leftover sugar residue from your utensils and cookware, use lukewarm water to rinse them off thoroughly. Spread them all out on a towel to let them dry on the countertop for 1 to 2 hours.^{[7]
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- Make sure your cookware is fully dry before you store it to avoid mold or mildew.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Wiping down Stovetops and Countertops

1
Take off any removable parts and soak them in hot water. If you got melted sugar on your stovetop, you may be able to remove the top of the burners. Wait until they cool down completely, then carry them over to the sink and submerge them in hot water.^{[8]
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- Once the parts have soaked for about 10 minutes, you can rinse them in warm water and use a sponge with some dish soap to clean off any residue left over.
2
Dampen a few towels with hot water. Grab some washcloths or tea towels and run them under the hottest water that your sink can produce. Squeeze out the excess water so that they aren’t dripping.^{[9]
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- You can also use boiling water from a tea kettle or teapot, but use caution and don’t pour the water onto your hands.
3
Lay the towels over the melted sugar for about 5 minutes. Spread the damp towels out over the entire area where the sugar spilled. Wait for about 5 minutes to let the heat soften up the sugar and dissolve it a little bit.^{[10]
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- If your towels cool down, add more warm water from the sink.
4
Pry the sugar up with a knife or a spatula. Take the towels off the sugar and grab a butter knife or a metal spatula. Gently pry your utensil underneath the edge of the sugar and scrape it upwards. Continue scraping the sugar until you’ve removed the biggest chunks.^{[11]
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- This may take a while, as sugar is hard to unstick once it’s dry.
- If the sugar gets too hard, put more damp towels over it for about 5 minutes, then try again.
- If you have a glass stovetop, a stainless steel stovetop, or a natural stone countertop, make sure to keep your spatula or knife completely straight so you don’t gouge the surface.
5
Scrub away sticky residue with soap and water. Grab a sponge and a few drops of dish soap, then use that to clean off your stovetop or counter. The dish soap will take care of any stickiness left over, so your surface should look brand new again. Rinse your stovetop with a wet rag, then use a clean towel to dry it off.^{[12]
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- Dish soap won’t help against large chunks of dried sugar, so it’s important to get the big spots off before you come in with your sponge.
- If you have a glass stovetop, spray some glass cleaner all over the stove and wipe it off with a clean towel to avoid streaks.

Warnings

Always wait until your stovetop cools down before you clean it.

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Use caution when using boiling water, and try not to get it on your skin.

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