Dirtiest Pyrex dishes ever. Are they salvageable?

[LemonViolet]

OK NO JUDGING AT THE STATE OF THESE PLEASE!!!

I found these languishing at the back of the pan cupboard when I went to put away a lovely new pan and it didn’t fit. Not used for aeons and from an old life really when I was a student-style clueless slob well past the age that I should have known better!!!

This is very old, very thick dried grease-grime, solidified on. I don’t want these dishes now as I have some beautiful colourful Le Creuset stoneware that I am unhealthily obsessed with carefully clean after each use. Clearly I didn’t take care of these in the same way.

If they were in decent condition then I’ll donate them, otherwise it’s landfill and guilt sadly. Is there a way to save these does anyone think? They’re beyond a squirt of oven cleaner and a scrub with a sponge I think.

Sometimes foodbanks are in need of pots/pans/plates so that would be a lovely place to donate to.

Put them in a bucket of boiling water for now so they're ready to work on tomorrow. Honestly even that will make a big difference as it will melt off a layer of grease and let you know what's left to scrub.

I agree that a bucket of boiling water and Fairy liquid overnight should give measurable improvements. Am I weird for thinking this would actually be quite fun?

Biological washing powder in a sink full of hot water and soak them overnight or longer... Worked a treat on a similar dish we found under the cupboard once don't ask

Soak them in Biological washing powder and very hot water, as pp have said.

Or make a paste of the BWP and Fairy liquid, slather that on and leave for several hours before rinsing off.

@Giggorata

Soda crystals generally help and I wondered about biological washing liquid, which I actually use for defleshing skulls for taxidermy.

As a last resort, I'd think about caustic soda (v dangerous, but effective) or drain cleaning products that contain caustic soda.

Whaaaaaat?????

Sometimes foodbanks are in need of pots/pans/plates so that would be a lovely place to donate to.

Once cleaned, you mean ?

Biological washing powder. Failing that, oven cleaner, the type you spray on & leave for a while then wipe off. Maybe give it a few goes. I wouldn't personally use anything physically abrasive, you'll scratch them.

I'm sorry I would need to give them the Last Rites and chuck them in the bin.

Biological washing powder is amazing stuff! Soak overnight, it'll take off most things.

I wouldn't heat up too much though, the enzymes are designed to work at a particular temperature range and much more than hand-hot might actually reduce how well it works - it'll tell you the range on the box.

Yep, bio laundry powder and a day or two to soak.

Also, my first dishwasher did in fact renovate a number of my stainless steel oven trays. It was quite incredible: the black just flaked off. Not all dishwasher tabs are equal in this respect, mind you.

Neat washing up liquid and a toothbrush also do amazing things to cooking grease.

I've no idea why it has to be neat, but it does. Ideally leave on for few minutes.

@0blio

I can't imagine getting them completely clean by hand. Ask someone with a dishwasher to do them for you, they should come out like new. (All casserole dishes used to look like those back in the days before dishwashers)

errr...no.

Dishwashers are actually crap at getting off burnt on stains.

As to 'all casserole dishes used to look like that', really, again, no.

All casserole dishes need is an over night soak and then they scrub clean.

I am not judging the OP, but my parents/grandparents pyrex didn't look like that , they washed it up.

Try barkeepers friend and a scourer.

Use Elbow Grease. I bought some dishes in a similar state from a car boot and they were clean in just 2 hours.

Soup dragons got there first but one of these:

www.amazon.co.uk/1-x-Minky-Hob-Scraper/dp/B07WSXVKFD/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=3G7P8MTO0UXO0&keywords=hob+scraper&sprefix=hob+sc%2Caps%2C78&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1642343015&sr=8-3

Put some water and pink stuff paste on, let it sit teeny minutes, take the scraper to it. I guarantee results.

The scraper will also generally revolutionise your life as well.

@Giggorata

Soda crystals generally help and I wondered about biological washing liquid, which I actually use for defleshing skulls for taxidermy.

As a last resort, I'd think about caustic soda (v dangerous, but effective) or drain cleaning products that contain caustic soda.

I second this, but you must be extremely careful.

Sodium hydroxide or caustic soda is extremely good at reducing grease and fats to 'soap' (saponification), the trouble is, it will do immense damage to your skin if you get it on you.

Wearing waterproof gloves, fill a big bucket or basin (got to be plastic) with tepid to warm water, carefully add the NaOH, ensuring it's dissolved before adding more and then put the Pyrex dishes into the mixture.

Cover the basin and forget about it for a couple of days.

ENSURE NO CHILDREN, PETS or WILDLIFE come near it.

After a few days, empty the basin under a slow running cold tap and rinse everything thoroughly.

If you can't ensure the safety of children and pets, don't do this. It's very dangerous.

I have no advice. I am just here for the after pictures!

I'd try soaking with washing powder, always works on my cookware.

I love cleaning things like this. Send them to me !

I'd get a box of oven pride and cover them in that, leave overnight. A light scrub the next day will get it all off.

If you don't want to use oven pride get some household ammonia. Cover the inside in paper towel and spray the towel with the ammonia. Do it outside and leave overnight, it'll all come off.

Err bits of my kitchen looked like that (broken extractor hood) and elbow grease spray made a literal mockery of it. That, pink paste and Brillo pads will fix literally anything

Oven pride under £5 including postage on eBay .

Back in the 80's my flat mate and I used to soak greasy oven shelves in the bath on a tea towel with a hefty amount of biological easing powder.

There did used to be a smokey- brown colour Pyrex in the 60's? You could brazen it out.

Of the suggestions on this thread the one that definitely won't work is bleach - that'll just change the burnt on goo from black to white but won't remove it.

It's worked for me on many occasions. Thick Domestos, lots of it. Boiling water. Immerse and soak for a couple of hours, then scrub with scouring brush and rinse. Like new.

I must know how this story ends.