Dealing with melted plastic is a mess. Especially if the plastic got melted on your favorite roaster pan. Well, we can relate to your trouble. The situation is quite frustrating, right?
If yes, then you might be wondering how to remove melted plastic from the roaster pan?
Freeze the pan and remove the plastic by scratching it with a butter knife. Or you can melt the plastic with your hairdryer. Lastly, you can use baking soda, rubbing alcohol or acetone to remove the melted plastic.
However, if you have some time, just dive right into our in-depth guide of 4 alternative ways.
What Happens When You Get Melted Plastic Stuck on Your Pan?
You just put the roaster pan out of the oven with the fresh-baked turkey. Unfortunately, a plastic wrap ended up melting on the pan. Such a mood spoiler right?
Well, the scenario is even worse. You’re surrounded by the toxic smell which just doesn’t seem to go away. With each breath you inhale, the smell gets stuck in your head. And ugh! Now you have a headache. To add to it, the fume is damaging the whole nervous system and causing suffocation.
You might be in distress with all this information. Well, if you have some time, then no need to worry, we’re here to help you out.
Just scroll down and you’ll be good to go!
How to Remove Plastic from The Bottom of A Pan?
I bet you have been looking for the best solution to help on how to remove melted plastic from the pan. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with 4 different ways you can get rid of melted plastic from your roaster pan.
Keep reading until you find the best one for yourself!
Things You’ll Need
It’s always better to be prepared while you’re trying to solve something on your own. But choosing the right tools is a hassle. Hence, we’ve curated a list of tools for you that’ll come in handy when you get plastic stuck on your pan:
- Baking soda / Rubbing alcohol / Acetone
- Clean cloth
- Scrubby sponge
- Butter knife
- Hair dryer
- Measuring cup
Wait, before you dig in, just know that you will only need tools that suit your method.
Freeze the Roaster Pan
It’s quite tough to deal with melted plastic, then why not solidify it? If you have patience and time, then this is the method for you.
So, what you need to do is simply put the roaster pan in the freezer and let it sit there overnight.
Now, just bring the pan out of the freezer. You’ll see that the plastic has solidified. So, it’s time to pick your butter knife and scratch the hardened plastic to remove it entirely. Just like how you can remove candle wax from the sink after it hardens.
Melt The Plastic with A Hairdryer
If you’re in a rush and trying to remove it immediately, then this method will help you out.
Now dive into the step by step guide!
Step 1 of 2: Use your Hairdryer
We know that you haven’t got all day, so just take your hairdryer and switch it to the warm airflow. It’ll help the plastic to melt even more.
Step 2 of 2: Wipe it Out
Now that the plastic is warmed up, you can just wipe it off with a clean damp cloth. If all of the plastic doesn’t come off at the first attempt then repeat the steps until there’s no more plastic left.
Use Baking Soda
Now that you’re here then we’re assuming that freezing and melting didn’t work out for you. So, we’ve got something out of the pan for you. Now, answer this, do you want to be a chemist?
Well, if the answer’s yes, then buddy you’re in for a surprise. So, let’s see how we can get rid of that plastic while bringing out that inner chemist of yours!
Step 1 of 2: Make your Own Chemical Solution
To make your own DIY solution, the first agent you’ll need is baking soda to remove melted plastic.
Baking soda is quite a popular agent for cleansing. Even if you’re trying to get window clings to stick or to remove the melted plastic liner from the pan, baking soda has got your back.
Add ½ cup of water and mix with 1 cup of baking soda. Then pour the mixture into the pan. And let it sit for 20 minutes.
Step 2 of 2: Rub The Surface with Scrubber
After waiting for 20 minutes, it’s time for the great reveal.
Check to see if the plastic has softened. If yes, then rub the sponge scrubber gently to remove any remaining residue.
If not, then wait for another 20 minutes. The time might vary depending on the size of the roaster pan. A typical medium-sized roaster usually takes 20-25 minutes for the solution to work.
A quick tip is to not boil water because unlike stuck plastic cups, plastic liners or melted plastic doesn’t come off easily with boiling water.
Apply Rubbing Alcohol or Acetone
If you don’t wanna rely on baking soda and are wondering how to remove melted plastic from the roaster pan, you can use rubbing alcohol instead.
For that, all you have to do is put rubbing alcohol on a cloth and cover the area for 20 minutes. Now, it’s time to rub and remove. Voila!!! You’ll see that the melted plastic has come off.
For a heavy bottom roaster pan, acetone can be used. All you need to do is spray it on the affected pan area and wait for 15 minutes. Then just wipe it off.
You know that acetone is a strong agent and it can react with a lot of stuff that you don’t wanna mess with, so read the instructions properly before using.
FAQs
Question: How do you remove dried melted plastic?
Answer: To remove dried melted plastic, you can use a hammer that is lighter than the pan and lightly pat from the other side. So that the dried plastic comes off.
Question: What to do if the plastic melted on the outside of the pan?
Answer: In this case, place the pan upside down. Cover the affected pan area with a cloth. Then heat up your iron and rub above the cloth. This way the plastic will melt and become easily wipe-able.
Question: Can melted plastic fumes be harmful?
Answer: Melted plastic emits toxins like dioxin. The toxins mix with the air which pollutes the whole environment and is severely harmful to human health. What you can do is place it under your sink’s disc tap and let cold water run on it. This will decrease the amount of fume.
Bottom Line
It’s not a piece of cake to remove melted plastic from a pan without any prior knowledge. But by now you have become an expert on how to remove melted plastic from a roaster pan. Big applause for you pal!
Please let us know which method worked for you by commenting.
Just keep the pointers in mind. Have a good day!