more ways
TO CLEAN COOKING CALAMITIES
2 3
You ground some spices in
the coffee grinder, and now
your morning brew reeks of
last night’s dinner.
FIX Grind a handful of odor-absorbing Cheerios
for 30 seconds, says Mary Findley, co-author of
The Complete Idiot’s Guideto Cleaning. Or place
a small charcoal briquette (any kind will do) in
the grinder and cover the appliance with a paper
bag. The charcoal’s porous surface will swallow
smell-causing agents overnight.
You burned the
rice, and now
there’s a layer
of scorched
grains covering
the bottom
of the pot.
FIX Skip the scouring:
Fill the pan with hot
water, then toss in a
fabric-softening dryer
sheet and let it sit
overnight. The softening
agents will loosen up the
rice so it pours right out,
says Linda Cobb, author
of Talking Dirty withthe
Queen of Clean.
DRYER SHEET AND JAM BY BURCU AVSAR; FOOD ST YLING BY STEPHANA BOT TOM; PROP S TYLING BY CINDY
DIPRIMA. COFFEE GRINDER BY LEVI BROWN; FOOD ST YLING BY VIC TORIA GRANOF; PROP ST YLING BY RICHIE
OWINGS FOR HALLEY RESOURCES. POT, ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; PAN, GET TY IMAGES.
4
No amount
of buffing will
lift burnt-on food off
your cast-iron pan.
FIX Coat the pan with a thick layer of
vegetable oil and let it loosen the food
overnight, then mop up the mess and any
excess oil with paper towels or a clean cloth.
For quicker cleanup, fill the pan with water,
bring it to a boil, simmer for 15 minutes,
then drain, coaxing off any stubborn
food with a wooden spoon or
silicone spatula. Reseason
with cooking oil.
check out
CLASSIC
CLEANERS
WE LOVE
Try these old-school
gems—Grandma used
’em for a reason.
Bar Keepers Friend
Named for its ability
to make bars’ brass
rail fixtures shine, this
powder can polish
cooktops, cookware and
appliances, and leave
cookie sheets lustrous.
($3 for 12 ounces, at
drugstores)
Bon Ami
This is Joey Green’s
go-to for kitchen messes
like countertop stains
and scrape marks on
china. ($1.29for
14 ounces, at grocery
stores and drugstores)
20 Mule Team Borax
This mineral-based
cleanser works magic on
appliances and dishes. It
even disinfects garbage
disposals. ($4.79for76
ounces, at grocery stores
and drugstores)
5
tip
GIVE ODOR THE CHOP
Your pressure cooker popped
open and sloshed strawberry
jam all over the ceiling.
FIX Soak a towel in hot, sudsy water, then
drape it over a broom head, rubber-banding
it at the handle. “Mop” the mess. Once it’s off,
remove soapy residue with a towel soaked in
plain water.
To get the lingering
scent of onion out of
your cutting board,
Green swears by
Colman’s mustard
powder: Just sprinkle
it on a wet board and
rub in with a sponge
before washing as
normal, he says.
