Kitchen Dishes, Pots & Pans - Page 1

• Jar deoderizer
  2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45ml) vinegar
  
  Reusing glass jars with screw-on caps is economical and earth-friendly. They can come in handy for homemade gifts, craft projects, and storing other foods. What you don't want to reuse, however, is the lingering scent of the original contents. TO get rid of unwanted smells, pour 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45ml) vinegar in to the bottom of the empty jar. Place the lid on top and swish the vinegar around. Let it sit for an hour, then wash as usual. If the scent is especially strong, let the vinegar sit overnight.    

• grease cutter
  Vinegar is an excellent grease cutter. Boil out fat fryers every week with vinegar and water. This is very cost effective and safe, with no harsh chemicals or risk of fire. It works well on extractor hoods, too. 

• Pots and pans with baked-on deposit (Note: not nonstick)
  For really burned-on grease and grime you can try the full assault. Remove what burned-on food you can, then pour a layer of baking soda onto the bottom of the pan and use just enough water to moisten the soda. Let stand until the next day, then scrub clean. 

• Copper pot scrub
  1/2 lemon
  1 tablespoon (18g) salt
  
  To remove tarnish and restore the lustrous shine to copper cookware, use the cut side of a lemon as a handy scrubber. Simply sprinkle the cut side of the lemon half with the salt and rub over tarnished spots. The gentle acid from the lemon and abrasive power of salt will erase years of tarnish quickly and easily. Rinse thoroughly with water and dry with a soft cloth. 

• Pots / Pans with baked-on deposit (Note: not nonstick) No. 4
  Stuck on messes can be cleaned up by using a mix of one spoonful of salt with two of baking soda and mix with a little lemon juice. Spread this over the offending area and let dry. Rub off with a scouring pad. 

• cheese grater cleaner
  1/2 lemon
  
  Cheese graters are wonderful contraptions to have on hand if you love the taste of freshly grated cheese, but cleaning them afterwards is another matter. All of those small sharp edges tend to chew up your sponge or knuckles, or both! However, if you cut a lemon in half and rub the cut side on either side of the cheese grater after each use, the natural citric acid will cut right through the cheese that's left clinging to the metal. Rinse thoroughly with hot water and you're done! 

• plastic food storage cleaner
  1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
  1 tablespoon (14g) baking soda
  
  Tomato-based leftovers can stain plastic storage containers, especially if there's a bit of oil involved (think lasagna or chili). What's worse, these stains have a tendency to impart lingering food odors into other foods, interfering with their flavor. To give your plastic-ware a good, non-toxic scrub down, start by mixing equal parts baking soda and lemon juice in the stained container. Scrub gently with a nylon-coated sponge to release the stains, but do not immediately rinse our the container; instead, fill with water and let sit overnight for maximum freshness. 

• soaking badly stained pots and pans
  Soak non-aluminum, food-stained pots and pans in full-strength white vinegar for 30 minutes. Rinse in hot, soapy water. 

• nonstick cookware cleaner
  2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice
  1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
  
  Sometimes a simple wash in hot, sudsy water doesn't remove all the foul that's left on a nonstick pan, especially if it's been used for frying. Eventually, thin layers of leftover oil will build up and become a gummy residue, causing food to stick when cooking. To ensure that your nonstick cookware stays truly clean, make a habit of regularly cleaning it with a bit of lemon and baking soda. Pour the lemon juice into the bottom of a just-cleaned pan and add the baking soda. Use a nylon-coated sponge to gently scrub. Rinse thoroughly with hot water.  

• coffee and tea stain remover
  1 lemon wedge
  boiling water
  
  After years of use it's only natural that your favorite coffee mugs and teacups might start showing a few stains as a sign of their age. Put the lemon in the bottom, and fill with boiling water (leave the lemon in the cup if you like). Soak overnight. In the morning, the stains should be visibly lightened.