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kas81057

Melted plastic(bag) on cookware! Easy removal Please

kas81057
16 years ago

i'm in a totally renovated kitchen with all new cooking appliances and cookware.

I did something really stupid; tried emptying oil and grits into compactor forgetting heat temp of pan

The compactor bag melted on the pan and I cannot get it off!!!!!

Tried remelting with little sucess

Been scrubbing away and progress is sooooooooo slow

Any one have some quick/smart ideas?

I feel like such a dummy

Thanks if anyone has something to offer.

Comments (16)

  • rockpig
    16 years ago

    Where on the pan did it melt, hopefully just the bottom? What kind of pan is it, what is it made out of, non-stick-stainless, etc. Probably the best solution is to just keep melting and scraping. If it's on the bottom put it on the burner, put some water in it, turn on your hood and let it sit till it all burns off, eventually it will all burn off. Hope this helps

  • akrogirl
    16 years ago

    A couple of things that have worked for me are:

    1. Soak the pan in drain cleaner plus a little water - works really well!

    2. Apply a paste of enzyme-based, dish washing powder - soak, scrub and repeat until gone, or just give the pot scrub cycle in your dish washer a chance with one of these products.

    Both types of product are designed to attack organics and haven't hurt any of the pans I have used these tricks on so far.

  • kas81057
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks for all the responses and suggestions.

    In desperation this am tried soaking it in a solution of simmer/boiling water and baking soda, a solution I found on a google search. It helped but didn't do it completely.

    The plastic is on the side and bottom(this is almost gone) of 18/10 SS/Copper Kirkland Signature pan.

    I saw elsewhere to try freezing it and when completely frozen chipping it off so it is in the freezer cooling. I will try your suggestions if that fails and if it works will also post that solution for other clumsy cooks like myself:I'm afraid to heat it so that the plastic then may melt on the new cooktop's cast iron grates.

    I guess it was just a bad night for me; after that disaster my DS announced thru tears that he had just broken up with his GF of almost 4 years; that was far worse than the pan.

    Still is actually and started off this AM getting a baking pan stuck in my undermounted sink, yes it slipped down and was wedged. Fortunately it didn't send me back into tears but just had me chuckling. I did finally get it out before anyone esle in the house and woke up to see my latest dumb move.
    :Thanks again, will let you know if freezer trick works.

  • Fori
    16 years ago

    The joys of breaking in a new kitchen! Good luck! :)

  • cpovey
    16 years ago

    I am not familiar with compactor bags, but assume it is a plastic bag of some sort? If so, an organic solvent of some sort, like acetone or benzene should dissolve the plastic. Most hardware stores carry some. All plastics can be dissolved in an organic solvent-it's just a matter of finding the correct one.

    Do be careful, as some are toxic and most are highly flammable. read and follow instruction on the container.

  • kas81057
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    thank you cpovey, will try that first thing if the icing treatment does not work (and if I can find the stuff)

  • gneegirl
    16 years ago

    There is a product that my sister uses to remove wax, that you can get from a beauty supply place. She is an aesthetician and recommended it when I made a really dumb move - blowing out a candle with a huge pool of melted was. OK, so you know where the melted wax ended up - ON EVERYTING! I have a painted, white dining room table and that stuff really helped. It didn't ruin the finish either. Also, when my sister moved, her wax machine, full of melted wax, spilled onto everything - walls, floors, papers, furniture; you get the idea. She was able to use that stuff to remove the wax without any problems from everything but the papers. Let me go find the bottle to check the name - OK, it's Sure Clean by GiGi. I've used it for "melted plastic", and it worked for me.

    Also, I just called my very smart ex-husband to see what he thought. We had tree sap all over my car and he used alcohol to remove it. It didn't ruin the clearcoat finish. He said to tell you to use a hair dryer to warm up the plastic and then use rubbing alcohol to remove it. He said anything like that should work - just don't use any acid based product. I asked the dumb question on whether the alcohol would ruin the finish on your pan. The response - No, that's why they call it stainless steel!! Is he that smart, or me that dumb - OMG!!

    Anyway, hope you get results from at least one of all of our great suggestions. I've done the same thing many times with the plastic bags that bread comes in. LOL.

    gng

    Good luck - hope it helps.

  • ci_lantro
    16 years ago

    You can use a razor blade to scrape it off but be wary of leaving scratches.

  • rgillman
    16 years ago

    Uh - peanut butter? Citra-solve concentrate?

  • eteinne
    16 years ago

    Hi!
    I did something like this years ago. It was not a compactor bag but a Baggie. I had someone helping me in the kitchen for a holiday party. Never again! I hired a pro. service the next year and that was even worse and for $400 it was a waste for someone to do the dishes!

    This is how I resolved my mess. I took my worst cookie sheet and lined it with foil. I turned it upside down and placed it on the cookie sheet and turned on the broiler. The plastic melts in 30 or 40 seconds. I am not familiar with this cook-ware but I do assume that it has a metal handle. If you have a monitored alarm system do call them ahead of time and tell them to disregard the smoke alarm. I did not and had 4 fire trucks show up. LOL I used was a Stainless Steel scrubbie type of thing. It was Chore-Boy but in SS. I tried this time and time again but te secret was to boil this sponge in boiling water. The temps. have to be the same as if they ae not the plastic starts to cool and you still have the Yuck factor. Use gloves and a pot holder. I think I took the last of it off with Meneral Spirits. This worked for me. I am happy to kn that there are other people out there which do this type of thing! LOL

    Good luck!

  • kas81057
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    just wanted to update
    there is still plastic on the pan
    i froze the pan, no good
    i boiled the pan in water and razor bladed it best i could
    and I scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed

    i finally said stop obsessing over this and the pan remains as it was

    will try a few of the other suggestions and see what happens

    funny to see this post at the blog since it has been quite some time and i almost forgot about the plastic being there

  • Mostafa Mamdouh
    7 years ago

    Hi Kas... i know this is too late (8 years late) but here is what worked for me... i was grilling burgers yesterday on a pan and idiotically placed the hot pan on nylon roll... i take no credit for this idea since it was suggested by the wifey... spray the bottom of the pan (affected area) with WD 40 then boil some water. Pour the water in a large container and add vinegar... place the bottom of the pan on the water like its floating... leave it overnight and voila; bubbles will start forming between the pan and the plastic... i held onto one of these bubbles and pulled the whole nylon as one piece.

  • Susan Todd
    7 years ago

    Mostafa - you ROCK!! Took out my crock pot liner after cooking in it, underneath a plastic bag that had melted between liner and outer shell.

    :(

    not sure how it got in there, and I use the crock pot all the time! We tried to sprayin Goo-gone first, and let it sit for a while- no luck, not even budged!!

    $50 to buy the same one I have, and my husband was headed out to get a new one, when I saw your post. We decided why not give it a try- first.

    Sprayed in aerosol WD-40, then boiled 2 cups of water added 1/4 cup- about- of vinegar. Smelled horrid, and unhealthy- So we just put it outside. A day later- a big piece pulled out. My husband used steel wool to scrub inside for a while and got some pieces up (bad idea!! You MUST wear gloves!!!) and then we let it sit.

    Next day- I pulled out the last pieces and washed the inside. No smell, no plastic!!! Haven't cooked with it yet, but I works! And saved me $50!!!! fantastic!!

    I will report back if it Doesn't cook without chemical or plastic smell- otherwise- than you so much!!!!!

  • Susan Todd
    7 years ago

    100% clean- it practically looks new! Don't' forget WEAR water proof gloves!!! And throw out the steel wool!

  • Leah Green
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Many people are advising using "drain cleaner, "wd40"...

    Oh my G_d!

    Please never using any of the discustingly toxic deadly items on ANYTHING you would use for food!

    No matter how many times you clean or afterwards, that is completely insane.

    I don't even use store bought cleaners on my tub, tolite, floors or counters. Not the litter box either!

    There are so many homeopathic safe methods for everything these days that there is no excuse for backflasing to the 60's dangerously deadly outdated solutions.

    I realize I am going off onto another subject, but on my floors & counters I only use apple cider vinagar. It kills bacteria and the smell is gone very quicly. Use it for the litter box too. The sink & tub & tolite, I use baking soda.

    Not only do those cleaners cause cancer when people and pets walk on them, breathing them too...hello!

    Cleanser is not allowed in my home!

    No oven cleaner either!

    Drain cleaner? Just an attemp at the air being filled with deadly particals.

    Not unlike weed killer & fertilizer.

    Ughh! I could scream just thinking about those things.

    If baking soda and or the freezer methods don't work, I'd rather throw the pan away than go the toxic deadly versions.