If your dishes are very greasy, add 0.5 cups of vinegar or lemon juice to the water.
If you need to loosen baked-on food, add some baking soda immediately after using the pot or pan and wait 15 minutes. If you did not have a chance to do so before the pan cooled off, the following solution will help to scrape everything off easily:
- 1 cup water
- 5 drops of cedar essential oil (or other essential oil)
- 3 tbsp baking soda
Boil this solution directly in the dirty pot or pan and allow the mixture to stand for a while.