# Can I sand the coating off a non-stick pan (and have a usable pan at the end)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-sand-the-coating-off-a-non-stick-pan-and-have-a-usable-pan-at-the-end/822110>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 28, 2018, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-sand-the-coating-off-a-non-stick-pan-and-have-a-usable-pan-at-the-end/822110 "2018-09-28T13:19:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2018, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-sand-the-coating-off-a-non-stick-pan-and-have-a-usable-pan-at-the-end/822110/21 "2018-10-07T22:50:06Z")

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> [@wolfman](#):
>
> Barkeepers friend is barely abrasive. It’s cleans and polishes by acid, Oxalic acid, which is a medium-strong acid, at least compared to most kitchen stuff. It you are leaving the paste thick enough to work as an abrasive, it’s pretty strong in that formation.

The same oxalic acid that’s in spinach and the oxalis plant?

Huh. Learned a thing.

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**Author:** ![race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/race_to_the_bottom)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-sand-the-coating-off-a-non-stick-pan-and-have-a-usable-pan-at-the-end/822110/22 "2018-10-09T21:30:24Z")

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The powered chalk used to snap a chalk line makes a good mild abrasive. Get the white stuff; you don’t want blue or red chalk. I use it as I would Ajax to clean a fiberglass shower stall. I have done vigorous scrubbing in an inconspicuous spot, and it will not scratch. I think it is the active ingredient in Soft Scrub, which I don’t use because it makes everything smells like ersatz lemon.

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**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2018, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-sand-the-coating-off-a-non-stick-pan-and-have-a-usable-pan-at-the-end/822110/23 "2018-10-09T22:24:58Z")

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> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> Shoot, I’d get some brillo pads and just scrub. Use some elbow grease. It might work.

This. Or give the pan to one of my boys to cook with for a day or two.

(Honestly, I don’t have a steel utensil in the house, but they manage to gash up any nonstick pan they get their greasy little hands on.)

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