How to Clean a Glass Casserole Dish (Easy Pyrex Tricks)

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Enjoying a comforting casserole in glass bakeware is all warmth and deliciousness until you end up with a pan full of stubborn, stuck-on food. From baked-on grease to saucy food residue, knowing how to remove stubborn stains and effectively clean a glass casserole dish makes home cooking (and cleaning) much more enjoyable.

Glass pans are beautiful (especially those wonderful vintage pieces!), non-toxic, and tend to last for many years when cared for properly. They’re an invaluable asset to have in your kitchen. And with the right tricks, you can keep them looking clean no matter how many delicious meals you make!

Choosing a Cleaning Method

There are a number of methods for cleaning stubborn spots off of a Pyrex casserole pan and other types of glass dishes. We’ve had great success with the simplest methods of soaking glass cookware in water and dish soap, adding a little elbow grease with non-abrasive sponges and spatulas, and using safe cleaners like baking soda. I’ll go through the whole process below!

In the meantime, though, it’s helpful to keep in mind that while there are a number of other methods for cleaning pesky stains off of your stubborn dirty dish, not all of them are exactly “food safe” or chemical free. If you’re going for non-toxic and don’t enjoy possibly ingesting harsh chemicals, here are a few methods you might want to avoid:

Oven cleaner. Conventional oven cleaners typically contain dangerous chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and butoxydiglycol. Although they’re literally made to break down grease and food stains, they can cause damage to the skin when touched with bare hands. It’s no secret that inhaling the fumes can be dangerous. Fortunately, when it’s diluted, it’s much safer (which is why people generally don’t get sick when using oven cleaner). Still, poisonous chemicals on my casserole dish does not sound like my kind of fun!
Bar Keepers Friend. According to the EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning, Bar Keepers Friend earns an “F”. The company itself advises against letting it touch your bare hands. The oxalic acid is not only toxic to skin, but should also not be inhaled. Although you can technically use this cleaning solution on glass Pyrex (as long as its diluted and rinsed well afterward), if you’re going for non-toxic, this is not your best bet.
Dishwasher tablets. A damp dishwasher tablet mixed with water can be an effective method for cleaning many things. Unfortunately, many dishwasher detergent tablets contain endocrine disruptors and have alkaline chemicals. This can cause them to damage skin when touched with bare hands. If you go with this method, make sure you rinse any remaining residue thoroughly.
Dryer sheets. Another sometimes effective method is to fill up your empty dish with hot water and an unused dryer sheet and let it soak for about 15 minutes to loosen stuck-on food. Unfortunately, dryer sheets are FULL of chemicals that are linked to all sorts of cancers, nervous system disorders, and other health problems. Sadly, dryer sheets are full of carcinogens, toxins, and hazardous chemicals. While you likely won’t notice any immediate effects from using them, don’t go this route if you’re trying to stay away from dangerous chemicals.

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How to Clean a Glass Casserole Dish

Now that you know what not to do, let’s dive in to the best way to safely clean burnt-on food and stains off your glass baking dish with the least effort!

What you’ll need:

Warm water
Dish soap
Soft sponge
Baking soda

Here’s my glass casserole dish after our family enjoyed a pan of lasagna!

Tip: It’s best to use soft cleaning materials such as a plastic nylon sponge in order to avoid damaging your pan. Tougher materials like steel wool, a metal spatula, or an abrasive sponge can leave anything from scuff marks to deep scratches. Not only does this not *look* nice, but scratches in your pan can also make it more prone to shattering.

Step 1: Wash Your Pan Quickly (but not too quickly)

The best way to avoid difficult, stuck-on food is to not let your pan sit for too long. If you can give it a good scrub within an hour or so after baking in it, most of the time, the food will come out much more easily!

And if you can’t wash it right away, fill it up with soapy water until you can get to it. This will keep the food from hardening on as much.

Tip: Remember that glass Pyrex dishes should not be exposed to extreme temperature changes. After baking, always let your glass pan come to room temperature before getting it wet. The temperature change can break or weaken the glass. As soon as it comes to room temperature (it will probably be there by the time you’re finished enjoying your food), give it a wash!

Step 2: Give it a Long Soak

If it’s hours later and your pan has been sitting out getting crusty, the first step is to let the dish soak. Fill it up with hot soapy water and let it sit overnight if you can!

Step 3: Scrub

At this point, you’ll likely be able to scrub it clean with a regular dish sponge and some soap. Soaking often does wonders for those glass pans!

glass casserole dish with stuck on grease

As you can see, a good soak and scrub with regular dish soap got most of the stuck-on food off of this glass dish. But, there are still some burnt-on grease spots around the edges and in the crevices.

Step 4: Baking Soda to the Rescue

If a regular, soapy wash doesn’t work, it’s time to bring out the big guns. Baking soda works for cleaning almost everything!

The best way to use baking soda for cleaning clear glass pans is to make a slurry of one part baking soda and one part water. Then, rub it over your dish and scrub! It’s best to do this in the sink to avoid making a big mess.

scrubbing a glass casserole dish with baking soda mix

I use a non-scratch Scotch-Brite pad to scrub mine. You might need to put in a bit of elbow grease. But the baking soda mixture should take care of the rest!

All clean!

Where to Buy Glass Casserole Dishes

Pyrex and Anchor Hocking are some of the biggest and most trusted brands for glass casserole dishes. I’ve never had a problem with any of my Pyrex glass dishes! Just make sure to familiarize yourself with the care instructions. It’s important to not expose your glass to sudden temperature changes. In addition, avoid putting it on a direct heat source (such as a stovetop of toaster oven). And stay away from heating empty dishes.

If you’re not ready to invest in a new glass dish yet, thrift stores are a great place to find deals on glass baking dishes. Sometimes you can even find beautiful vintage Pyrex dishes! Knowing how to scrub stuck-on grease and food from the sides and bottom of the dish definitely comes in handy when you find that beautiful, inexpensive glass dish at the thrift store but don’t want the yellow grease stains to go with it. 😉

Also, depending on the thrift stores near you, sometimes you can find high-quality glass dishes for the same price (or just a little more) than a disposable pan! I’ve often found good-quality pans for just a couple of dollars. These make great options for giving to friends if you enjoy taking meals to people. They’re also a great alternative to disposable pans for freezing and storing your own casseroles.