Utensils Care

When two glasses are stuck together, fill the top one with cold water and dip the bottom one in hot water

Scratches in glassware will disappear if polished with toothpaste. Tackle slightly deeper blemishes with brass polish or jeweler's polishing powder.

Wooden spoons are best for stirring or scraping in the modern kitchen. As they don't get hot and won't scratch non-stick coatings. Soak new ones in white vinegar overnight to prevent them absorbing food smells.

Cutting boards: to get rid of onion, garlic or fish smells, cut a lemon or lime in half and rub the board. Or use a baking soda and water paste.

Don't throw away an old lemon. Cut it in half, put some salt on its surface, and apply it to your copper pot they will shine like new.

To make stainless steel shine, rub it with lemon peel, or, soak them in club soda, wait till the fizz is gone, and then rinse and dry.

Don't throw away the residue left after pressing out water from soaked tamarind. Add little salt and use to scrub copper utensils and brassware to bring a shine. Them wash them thoroughly with detergent and water .

Cooking sour food (tamarind/lemon based) food in non-stick ware reduces its durability and the coating is likely to peel off sooner.

Deodorize cutting board and knife- Rub them with a sliced lemon or lime. This tip is especially helpful for removing strong smells like that of onion or garlic. Rub it with a paste of baking soda and water.

Add a few rice grains in the salt shaker to prevent it from becoming lumpy in humid climate.

Cut an onion into half. Rub it on the insides of your new utensil. Heat a little and add some oil. The utensils will not burn easily.

Put two to three cloves in the container or jar of sugar to keep the ants at bay.

Remove lime deposits from tea kettle- Fill it with equal parts of vinegar and water. Bring to a boil and allow to stand overnight.

Cleaning your grater after shredding cheese? Try grating a raw potato after the cheese. The potato clears the gummy cheese out of the holes.

Brighten aluminium utensils- Mix 1 quarts water and 4 tablespoons cream of tartar, vinegar, or acid foods and boil for 10 minutes. Rinse & scour lightly with a steel-wool soap pad. Rinse again.

Clean copper pots- Sprinkle them with lemon juice, then with salt, and rub with the cut side of a halved lemon.

Clean greasy pans- Rub used lemon halves dipped in salt over greasy pans.

Shine pots and pans- While pots are still warm, add a little vinegar, sprinkle salt, rub with a sponge, and rinse.

Deodorize pots and pans- Wash them in salt water or in hot soapy water plus a dash of ammonia.

Better way to wash dishes- Add a tablespoon of baking soda to your soapy water. It softens your hands while cutting through grease.

Better way to wash vessels- Add a handful of common salt to the washing powder to clean them.

Stuck glassware- Put cold water in the inner glassware and dip the whole set in hot water. They should come apart.

Clean "sticky" omelette pan- Pour a small mound of salt in it and scrub it with a paper towel moistened with cooking oil. Wipe it out with a clean paper towel. (This is the best way to clean a wok as well.)

Solution for burnt pots and pans- Soak burnt pans in a solution of ammonia and water, for an hour. Clean with used lemon & then with soap & water.

Remove stains from plasticware- Soak for 20 minutes in a gallon of warm water plus 1 cup of bleach. Wipe dry and then wash normally.

Deodorize bottles- Fill bottle half-full of water and add 1 tablespoon of mustard or baking soda. Shake well and allow to stand for about 1 hour.

Clean black cooker- Boil a piece of tamarind or lemon peel in the cooker.

Prevent vessel discoloration- Vessels in which potatoes are boiled tend to get discolored. To prevent this, remove potatoes after they have boiled. Add a lemon, an onion, and some water to the vessel. Boil for a few minutes. Drain and wash.