Most cooking utensils are made of stainless steel. Stainless steel eases the task of cooking, does not diminish the food nutrients and does not add an unwanted taste to the cooked food. But cooking doesn’t end with plating and eating. It ends when you wash the dirty utensils.
As simple a task it may be, without the right product and technique, you may find yourself exerting pressure on your hands and spending extra time washing the utensils and in the process reducing the life and quality of your stainless steel cookware.
So, here is your cheat sheet on hassle-free cleaning of your stainless steel cookware:
1. Know the water type:
When it comes to cleaning utensils, the type of water running from your tap is of important consideration. Using room-temperature to lukewarm water can ease the process of cleaning stainless steel utensils. If the tap water is hard (high calcium content), you may notice an unwanted white colour residue developing over the stainless steel utensils.
However, this white residue is not permanent. Pour a mixture of one-part vinegar and three parts of water in the utensil, bring it to boil and keep it aside. Wash the utensil with soap the next morning to remove the white residue.
2. Use the recommended soap:
Using the right soap is very important in order to avoid damaging the stainless steel cookware. As a thumb rule, you must always read the manufacturer’s guide and use only the type of soap that is recommended by the manufacturer.
3. The right type of cleaning pad:
Utensil cleaning pads are generally made of sponge, plastic, nylon or metal threads. While metal can clean most types of stains and can be used with most types of utensils, with stains, burns and food particles stuck on stainless steel utensils that are tough to get out, metal is not the most favoured material for a cleaning pad because it can leave scratches.
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In such tough situations, pour soapy water in such stained or burnt utensil and bring it to boil. After an hour, the stains, burns and food particles will come out effortlessly with soap and nylon cleaning pad. However, with burnt utensils, depending on the extent of the burn, the hot soapy water would be required to sit in the burnt utensil overnight.
4. Wipe it clean:
Whether you wash your stainless steel utensils in a dishwasher or by hand, ensure you wipe the stainless steel utensils dry with a non-abrasive towel to avoid water stains.
5. Keeping it shiny like new:
With regular use and wash, you may notice that your stainless steel utensils are losing its shine. Luckily, losing shine is not a cry for replacement but just a reminder that its time for some extra care. All you must do is cover your utensils in a paste of baking powder and water and wash after a few hours.
So, next time your stainless steel kadai has burnt food stuck to the bottom, remember that scrubbing it with a metal thread scrub till you break your nail is not the solution!
