Cleaning the Gunk off of Cookie Sheets

I have gotten some e-mails and comments from others about suggestions on things they use for getting after some of those hard to clean items. One item was Bar Keepers Friend.

I have fiends who use this and swear by it too. While I was walking down the cleaning isle at the store the other day I spotted it and decided to pick some up to try. The last few main cooking/baking dishes that are left to clean right now are the cookie sheets. 

Um...gross! Does anyone else have cookie sheets that look like this or is it just me?

To help the process along I decided to soak the cookie sheet in hot soapy water like I had done with the glass baking dishes and pots. Using the same technique, I poured Bar Keepers Friend on the cookie sheet and went to town. The cookie sheet was getting really scuffed so I turned the sponge around used the soft side but that did no good. Can you see in the photo how the the sheet has gone dull and scuffed? Well, that is not what I wanted. When I run my fingers over this spot I can totally feel a difference in the finish of the sheet. I am now worried that I ruined it.

Back to the new 'go to'...baking soda and a sponge. This was working just as well at getting the gunk off the cookie sheet but was not leaving it all scuffed up.

To try and help this cleaning process go a bit faster I decided to soak the cookie sheet in hot, soapy water and poured some vinegar in the water as well. After soaking for about an hour I went back at it. So much better! Remember, it is better to use the baking soda as a paste. Ring out the sponge as much as possible, pour the baking soda on the sheet then go to town. The corners are still a bit tough so I did end up using the scrubbing side of the sponge to get the last bit of stubborn gunk off.

With all this cleaning going on in my kitchen I just might be more excited to cook. {After the baby is born}