The stove was left on too long, the food was ruined and that heirloom cast-iron pot, the one that your grandmother received from her grandmother, is black, burnt and foul smelling. Dinner is gone but the pot can be cleaned and the smoke smell can be removed using household cleansers combined with a good soaking and a lot of patience.
Instructions
1. Coat the inside of the burnt pot and let it sit outside overnight. The baking soda absorbs odors.
2. Pour enough white vinegar into the pot to form a foaming paste with the baking soda.
3. Scrub the burnt food residue with scouring pads and the vinegar/baking soda paste.
4. Soak the pot in warm water overnight with a thick foam of dishwashing soap.
5. Scour the pot again, rinse and fill with water.
6. Place the pot on a stove and bring the water to a boil to loosen the remaining, burnt-on crust, if any. Repeat the steps until the pot is clean and the smell is gone.
Tags: baking soda, with baking, with baking soda