JOIN USI am sure you are a good entertainer and a popular host who serves up lip-smacking dishes; your guests may also be singing praises about your plating skills; the kitchen too comes across as spic and span and aesthetically appealing.
However, in your zeal to impress, are you neglecting some essential areas, which may appear unimportant? Do your pots, pans, cutlery and other kitchen tools reveal a different story about you? Do you ignore their upkeep, as they appear insignificant? Do you just hide them away from your guests, lest they embarrass you?
Picture a beautiful kitchen with grease-stained pots and pans; a dull, tarnished and lime-scaled pressure cooker; blunt, lifeless and discoloured knives and peelers; smelly chopping boards — all these may well turn out to be the faux pas that can taint your reputation as a good homemaker. No need to worry though; it is easy to bring things under control.
The first thing to remember is that good cooking starts with good cleaning habits. A quick daily cleaning routine is essential not only for a tidy appearance, but also from the hygiene point of view. The bonus of this habit is that your tools, appliances and cookware last you a long time, cutting costs on frequent replacement. Here are a few quick and easy maintenance tips for the oft-neglected areas in most kitchens.
Knives & chopping tools
Most knives and chopping tools available nowadays are of high quality and manufacturers give a lifetime warranty on them. However, this does not mean that they are maintenance-free. In order to make them last a lifetime, it is important to use, store and clean them well. Else, they lose their purpose and can be storehouses of germs causing us harm. Here are some maintenance tips:
Do not use glass, ceramic or granite tops to chop. They drastically bring down the lifespan of the knives. Wooden boards are best. Nowadays good quality fibreboards are available, which are suitable too.
After the chopping, wash all cutleries well. Pay attention to the joints, handles and serrations. Soaking them is not advisable as the life of the stainless steel blade comes down. Instead, use a hard-bristled toothbrush.
After use, wipe dry and store them in a tray, rack, a knife block or a knife magnet to make them last longer.
Boards and sheets
A smelly, stained chopping board is an eyesore. These too require immediate cleaning for hygienic cooking. The knives leave cuts on the surface, which harbour germs and decay the food matter stuck in them. Here is what you can do:
After all the chopping is over, scrub the board down and drain the water. Wooden boards need seasoning with a little vegetable oil after washing and thoroughly drying them. Let it absorb the oil. Then, gently wipe off the surface with a clean dry cloth before
storing it away.
From time to time, make sure you spray some vinegar on the board to kill bacteria.
Ingredients such as garlic, fish etc. leave strong odours on the chopping board that are hard to remove. For this, rub some salt or bicarbonate soda and leave it to dry for a few minutes. Then, wash thoroughly with warm water and soap.
Always store the board in a dried condition and in a place free of moisture. Else, you will notice mould growing on it.
Pots and pans
Grease-stained pots and pans appear ugly and unclean. Unsightly spots and brownish discolouring are common problems with stainless steel cookware. They do not go away with regular cleaning. The underside of non-stick pans especially accumulate these stains, which are hard to remove. Pressure cookers, which are so essential to our cooking, often develop scale and brownish layers inside. Using metal scrubbers bring down the life of the cooker.
Follow these tips to make life simpler:
The best way to avoid the formation of these stains is to cook on optimum heat and to wash the stains immediately after use.
Another effective method to wash off mineral deposits and lime scaling in pots and pans (especially cookers) is to use lemons peels or tamarind pulp. Boil one or two cups of water and add the peels. Let it soak for an hour or two. For stubborn deposits, soak overnight. Then, scrub as usual and see the stains just vanish!
Wash cast-iron pans and skillets with a bit of tamarind. Brass pots regain their sparkle with a scrub of rock salt and tamarind; copper vessels too benefit from this scrub. After the wash, wipe them dry. Rub a dash of oil on the cast-ironware.
For heavy grease stains or burnt oil stains, make a paste of baking soda and water and smear it well over the affected area. Let it dry for an hour. Then, wash it off with firm hand scrubbing the usual way.
For non-stick pans, grease stains accumulate on the underside of the pans. Soak the affected area in a tub of vinegar. Leave for three to four hours. Rub off the stains with a vigorous hand.
So, go ahead and take a close look at all the items in your kitchen. If you have
noticed any of these neglected areas in your kitchen, then before replacing or discarding stuff or reaching out for harsh chemical cleaners, give these tips a try. They are
environment-friendly and easy to do too.