Cleaning non stick grill pans

I had such a pan and managed to take flakes of the non-stick lining off when I sprayed it with Fairy Power! I'm not sure that anything that will remove the messiness will leave the lining intact. Maybe just lots of soaking and gentle scrubbing?

If you don't mind risking the loss of non-stick surface, I would suggest Oven Pride, using the included bag meant for shelves. I always add my enamel baking trays, which come out like new with no rubbing, they just need a rinse.

For burned-on stuff, I fill the pan with water and add a dishwashing tablet, bring it to the boil and leave to soak. This should loosen the charred substance which can then be scrubbed off. I recommend an all-surface scourer from Lakeland Wash-up-Wiz which is virtually indestructible and I wash mine in the dishwasher.

PS Lakeland does not pay me commission

I use the Oven Pride bags and they bring racks and grill pans up like brand new.

Much the same as anno except I use enzyme washing powder. Is it even possible to keep a non stick surface on a griddle pan? I've never managed it for more than a day or two.

I have a nice one that's kept its surface for several years - Tefal, I think.

Yes, oven pride is great for racks etc (Mr P swears by it!) but for non stick stuff I would first try either good old fashioned soda crystals and hot water, or as Learnergran says, biological washing powder. With either option I would use very hot water and leave to soak for a good while, even overnight. (I know that means coming down to a horrid scummy greasy mess next day!)

Another vote here for soda crystals and very hot water.

I have a really handy smallish Le Creuset griddle pan with stripes. It's totally not non-stick coated, never was. It's simply heavy gauge cast iron and you have to seal it by heating it and rubbing a bit of cooking oil in with a paper towel. Do the same thing every time you wash it, but basically only wash it when you really have to. It's brilliant, if you keep an eye on it it cooks wonderfully. Stripes and all. Then if you deglaze the pan with some decent red wine it produces a great jus. The Tefal etc pans never do this because there are no residual caramelised bits to make into a jus.

btw I was told in France always to cook with a slurp of the wine you're intending to drink. Only mean, idiot Brits have a concept of something called "cooking wine" ie too nasty to drink!

Yes, if it's good enough to drink it's good enough to cook with

Wow, thank you all so much. I'm going to print this off and work through the answers. Somehow I knew soda crystals would come into it (I have tried biological washing powder) I've actually discovered I've got four of these pans - the last one was of the cast iron variety and that's still ok. if heavy It's the others, which weren't cheap and supposedly non stick and now look like have survived various fires that I'm tackling.

Thanks again everyone

sel try boiling with vinegar and water

Ah london vinegar! It does so much. I remember reading a tip for using vinegar and salt to clean really manky copper and brass. Got the staff on it at once Glad you looked up 'prig' ain't it the truth?