Scotch-brite pads can still leave stuff behind if they have any metal in them, so stick with the non-metallic ones. The real trick is wiping the bare aluminum down with Alodine or a good zinc chromate primer before you bolt anything on.

Man, that burnt sugar smell is something else. My buddy had a similar thing happen with a washer he picked up from an auction. He thought someone melted a bunch of gummy bears in there, but it turned out to be some kind of fabric softener that had gone bad and baked onto the drum. He spent an entire afternoon scrubbing it with vinegar and baking soda before it finally gave up. The smell stuck around for like two weeks every time he ran a load though. Did you try running a hot cycle with citric acid after you cleaned it? That’s the only thing that finally killed the odor for him.

Honestly, that flip chart sounds like a band-aid for a bigger problem. If you need a laminated guide to get people to follow basic steps, then maybe the real issue is that you're doing the work for them. Volunteers who need a visual reminder to write down a name and count cans are probably gonna zone out on the chart too. Let them figure it out, that's how they learn. You're just creating more stuff to store and manage, and next thing you know you're the laminating queen instead of the coordinator.