It happens to just about everyone at some point in time. Put something on the stove, walk away and forget about it. You end up with was a sticky mess, and underneath that a burned-on black disaster. You might consider just throwing the pot away. But with a common household ingredient and some elbow grease, you can get your pot looking like new.
Remove any of the food that's left in the pot. Gently try to scrape as much of the black residue off the pot as you can.
Add enough distilled white vinegar to cover the entire bottom of the pot.
Place the pot on the stove and boil the vinegar for five minutes. Let it cool.
Scrub the burned-on food with a scrubbing pad.
Wash the pot as you normally would and rinse thoroughly.