You somehow managed to salvage dinner, despite the smoke. Now you’re left with a blackened skillet and a greasy stovetop. You could set the problem aside to soak overnight (and hope someone else finishes the job). Or you can turn to some common ingredients that will solve the problem a little more quickly — or prevent the mess in the first place.

If something isn’t coming off a pan, you have options. You can sprinkle it with baking soda, add some water, and let it sit for a while, recommends Fran McCullough, who tests — and cleans up after — hundreds of recipes a year as a cookbook author and coeditor of the Best American Recipes series (Houghton Mifflin, $26 each, www.amazon.com). Baking soda is safe for virtually all materials.

To release charred food from a stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet, sprinkle the pan with kosher or coarse salt, add enough water to make a paste, then break out the elbow grease. “Salt is an abrasive, but it’s not too abrasive,” says Denise Mason, customer-relations manager at Lodge Manufacturing Company, the oldest American cast-iron maker. Don’t use salt on a nonstick skillet, though; it may scratch the surface.

A method that works on stainless-steel and nonstick skillets is simmering a solution of at least 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to every 1 cup of water in the pan over medium-low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon as if you were deglazing.

To remove splatters or built-up grease from an enamel stovetop, make a paste of baking soda and water, then rub gently with a damp cloth. (Don’t use this mixture on stainless-steel stovetops, which require specific commercial products to prevent scratching.)

To avoid roasting-pan and baking-sheet calamities, McCullough uses a Silpat, a reusable nonstick liner that withstands temperatures up to almost 500º F. You can also line the pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper instead. But don’t line a broiler pan with parchment paper — it could catch fire.

To loosen hardened bits of last night’s midnight snack from the microwave walls, nuke 1 cup of water and a few lemon slices for about 3 minutes, then let it all sit for at least 3 more minutes. The moisture should soften the food. Wipe the walls clean.