A hard surface cleaning composition for removing cooked-, baked- or burnt-on soils from cookware and tableware, the composition comprising an organoamine solvent and wherein the composition has a liquid surface tension of less than about 24.5 mN/m and a pH, as measured in a 10% solution in distilled water, or least than 10.5. The composition can be used as pre-treatment prior to the dishwashing process. The composition provides excellent removal of polymerized grease from metal and glass substrates.