When talking about the kitchen, the dominant themes are usually food and recipes. But the importance of hygiene does not always come to light. Not only is it essential to keep food well cared for, but it is also very important to know how to take care of the different kitchen utensils.

It is worth keeping in mind that, depending on the materials, the recommendations change. That is, the care of wooden plates is not the same as that of glass elements or steel utensils.

Steel kitchen utensils: how to preserve them?

A situation that you have surely experienced is food stuck in your steel pot. It is a great utensil that allows you to cook at high temperatures without damaging it. But you also have to be careful not to scratch it or prevent food from sticking.

Beyond talking about pots, pans, or steel pans, care, and maintenance are the same.

  • Be sure to use a stove with a diameter of less than or equal to the pots. This will help you when cleaning it (especially if it is a gas stove) and your recipes will be better.
  • Try to clean the pans as soon as they are no longer hot, to prevent the food from staying there for a long time and sticking. In addition, this can also damage the layer that protects it.
  • Never pour cold water into pans that are still hot.
  • Wash them with mild soap or detergent, using a soft sponge to avoid scratching them.
  • Also clean them on the outside, not only on the inside, so that stains do not appear.
  • Dry them with a tissue when you finish washing them to prevent stains from forming.
  • Try to cook with medium or low heat. If you’re going to do this on high heat, make sure you know what you’re doing, as this causes fats and oil to stick to the surface quickly.
  • Never cut food inside the pots, you risk scratching them.

How do I remove the food that is stuck?

Before you lose your temper and start scratching your pans, let them soak in hot water and detergent for a few hours. If there is still embedded food after this, try using a harder (but not metal) brush or sponge to remove it.

If there are still food residues stuck, bring water with vinegar to a boil in the pan. Leave it there for five minutes and wash it again.

What do we do with burn stains?

It’s one thing to remove stuck-on food, but it’s another to clean burns. The best idea is to make a paste with vinegar and baking soda.

Mix a cup of vinegar with a tablespoon of baking soda, until it is like a cream. Spread it all over the pan and let it sit for 15 minutes. Take the sponge, soak it with vinegar, and clean it.

Dish care

A mountain of dishes at home, full of grease and with food residues stuck to it, looks like an image from a culinary horror movie. The scariest thing is that it happens frequently since we spend most of our time in our homes due to the pandemic.

On the other hand, a lot of water is also used in this process. There are still many doubts about the benefits of a dishwasher. Here we solve some of them so that your dishes are always sparkling and you know how to take care of them.

Use hot water

Coldwater doesn’t kill all the bacteria that may be on dishes, and it doesn’t help remove stuck-on food either. On the other hand, if you wash them with hot water, these remains will soften and will be easier to clean.

In fact, in an interview with the newspaper La Vanguardia, Professor Cristina Cusí from the Higher School of Hospitality in Barcelona ​​stated that the ideal way to eliminate bacteria is to use water at 80°C.

To achieve this, it is best to have a dishwasher, although it can also be done using good gloves and being very careful.

Look at the fat first

A very common mistake is to wash all the dishes at the same time, without thinking about the type of dirt. For example, if you have a plate with meat fat and one in which you served the salad, once you are washing them, the first will end up greasing the second.

You must look at the dishes with fat, to remove it first with a napkin or a cloth.

Wash on the spot

It has happened to all of us. We finish eating at night, whether, with family or a gathering of friends, we take the dishes back to the kitchen and decide to wash them the next day. When the sun rises again, we get up to wash and the remains of the food are hard, dry, and stuck together.

That is why it is advisable to clean the dishes after using them. It is much easier to remove food and fat. If it is impossible to do so, at least we have to soak them with a little detergent.

In this way, the next day the task will be much easier and you will not have the risk of scratching the dishes.

Change your old sponges!

Whether it’s traditional sponges or metal ones, these objects are the perfect place for bacteria to accumulate. And if you want your dishes and other utensils to look new and to be sanitized, it is not the best idea to wash them with sponges that you have had for months.

Don’t use a bucket to rinse

In some homes, it is not uncommon that after washing the dishes with soap or detergent, they are rinsed in a bucket or any other container with water. Although this helps save money, in terms of cleaning it is not the best idea, since dirt accumulates.

How to care for wooden kitchen utensils?

Due to their material, wooden plates have some additional considerations. Wash them by hand instead of using the dishwasher first, and always wipe them down with a wipe when you’re done, to dry them off and avoid moisture that could affect the wood.

Also be careful with the sun, because if you leave them exposed for a long time they can cause stains or a color change that makes them look more worn.

Finally, once they are dry, add a little olive oil and rub gently. This helps protect the wood from moisture.

Wash wooden materials

Never put them in the dishwasher, as the high temperatures can damage the wood. Also avoid detergents that are very strong, instead, rub half a lemon or use its juice.

The ideal is to wash them with hot water, so use gloves to avoid burning yourself. In any case, it is very normal for wooden kitchen utensils to look worn and old over time, but to return them to their best days there are a couple of tricks.

  • Vinegar: fill a container with vinegar and leave your kitchen instruments submerged for half an hour. Then wash them with hot water and dry them.
  • Boiling water: Bring water to a boil and then pour it into a jar or any other container that is completely clean. Place the utensil in the water, in a short time you will see the accumulated dirt coming off. We recommend leaving it for about 20 minutes and then drying it very well.

Finally, as with the dishes, you can use a little olive oil once they are dry to protect them from moisture. This applies ladles to cutting boards made of wood.

Help with silicone utensils

They are very common in confectionery and, due to the variety of colors, they offer, for cooking with children. Silicone utensils are easy to clean and keep in good condition, either by hand or in the dishwasher.

  • Clean by hand: use hot water and a soft sponge to avoid scratches. Be careful when leaving them soaking in soap or detergent, you will not want them to end up with that smell and, much less, taste.
  • In the dishwasher: silicone utensils do not have problems with the high temperatures of a dishwasher, but it is essential that you clean up any food remains that are stuck before taking them to wash.
  • How to remove bad odors: It is common for this to happen with silicone utensils. To kick off those scents, soak them in water with baking soda, then wash them off.

Beware of glassware

Some events deserve to bring out the good tableware and give us luxury at lunchtime. But since the glassware is not usually used daily, it is probably a little dusty and dull.

The solution is very simple. First, put a towel or rag at the base of the kitchen sink, if you happen to slip something, the last thing you want is for it to break. Then clean the glassware with a soft sponge, which will not leave scratches, and two tablespoons of vinegar. Rub them with hot water and soap, and they will be like new.