Very often, hot water and a little time will dissolve most of the sugar all on its own, making the clean-up of these sticky pans a breeze. This post has been updated. Originally published December 8, 2009. Don't be so fast to let it all go down the drain.
The best way to remove burnt sugar from a glass stove top is with baking soda and water paste. First, mix two tablespoons of baking soda with enough water to make a thick paste. Spread the paste over the burnt sugar and sit for 5-10 minutes. Then use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe away the baking soda and sugar.
Scrub away sticky residue with soap and water.
Grab a sponge and a few drops of dish soap, then use that to clean off your stovetop or counter. The dish soap will take care of any stickiness left over, so your surface should look brand new again. Rinse your stovetop with a wet rag, then use a clean towel to dry it off.
As the hot water boils, it melts the sugar off your cookware, making them easier to remove. This method is especially effective in removing the thick layer of burnt sugar on the bottom of the pan or pot. Adding vinegar helps to dissolve the sugar faster.
When you add sugar to water, the sugar crystals dissolve and the sugar goes into solution. But you can't dissolve an infinite amount of sugar into a fixed volume of water.
Simply soak a paper towel in lemon juice and place it over the burnt sugar. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then use the paper towel to wipe away the burnt sugar. This method is particularly effective for removing sticky residue.
In water, there are interparticle spaces among the molecules, sugar crystals occupy these spaces when dissolved in water that's why there is hardly any change in the water level in the container in which sugar is dissolved.
Vinegar is a great household product to use and will do a nice job for sure. Just blot the area with a cloth moistened with white vinegar if the stain persists. Apply it to the stain and let it stay for a while. The vinegar will dissolve the stain and make it easy to scrub away.
You might think that since your stomach contains acid, the acetic acid in vinegar will break up or dissolve candy. But acetic acid reacts only with certain kinds of substances—and sugar isn't one of them.
Sugar dissolves faster in hot water than it does in cold water because hot water has more energy than cold water. When water is heated, the molecules gain energy and, thus, move faster.
Sugar dissolves in water because energy is given off when the slightly polar sucrose molecules form intermolecular bonds with the polar water molecules. The weak bonds that form between the solute and the solvent compensate for the energy needed to disrupt the structure of both the pure solute and the solvent.
How It Works: Fill your dirty pan with equal part water and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil and then add 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Remove from heat and let soak for up to 15 minutes. Discard the liquid down your drain and then use a sponge or scouring pad to scrub away any remaining burnt-on bits.
Sucrose is a polar molecule. The polar water molecules attract the negative and positive areas on the polar sucrose molecules which makes sucrose dissolve in water. A nonpolar substance like mineral oil does not dissolve a polar substance like sucrose.
The reason why sugar dissolves at a faster rate in hot water has to do with increased molecular motion. The added energy in the hot water causes water molecules to move faster and sucrose molecules to vibrate faster. This added movement tends to make the bonds between sucrose molecules easier to overcome.
Lastly, how does sugar react with vinegar? Sugar has no response along with white vinegar. Vinegar is a water down answer of acetic acid, and sugar possesses no impact on it.
Measure out a pinch of your favorite sugar or sweetener and stir it into the apple cider vinegar to make your drink taste less sour. Mix the drink until the sugar is completely dissolved.
When you first put the sugar and vinegar in the pan then you can give the mixture a gentle stir. This will help to start dissolving the sugar and stops it forming a clump at the bottom of the pan. Once the pan is on a low heat then it can usually take anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes to dissolve the sugar.