Tips To Clean Aluminum Utensils

You own quite a lot of metal utensils apart from the steel ware and earthen pots that keep your house complete and full. Keeping the utensils clean and giving them a long life is indeed a task. You would see that the metal plates that accompany you to your home require special care and attention, and when given that they don’t intend to wash off easily.

Most people carry with them silver plates and cups. This silver ware has a special place indeed which is not stolen by any other metal. Normally the silver ware comes out on special occasions for dining and other purposes.

Tips To Clean Aluminum Utensils

While silver ware enjoys a distinct importance in the lives of the people, the other metal that has a specific importance in the way it is dealt with in homes is aluminum. Even aluminum has come across as an important metal for cookware and dinner sets. You would possess a lot of aluminum dishes too as part of your utensil rack.

Cleaning aluminum is a major affair. While the aluminum is lying on the shelf or is being used, chances of aluminum oxide building up along the cook ware are high. You would find hints of corrosion along the sides and parts of the cookware. Here are some ways you can clean aluminum utensils without really affecting it majorly.

Remove the Stains
The first step while cleaning aluminum utensils is to remove the stains, if any. One of the easiest methods to clean the stains that are stuck to your aluminum vessels would be to keep them in a solution made of vinegar and boiling water. To prepare this solution mix 2 tbsp vinegar to every quart of water you will need for the cleaning process. Now boil this mixture and keep adding aluminum vessels you wish to clean to this water. Allow it to boil for a total of 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove it from the flame and let it cool. See if the stains have been removed. In case, the stains are still there, use a non-abrasive scrub pad to rub over the stains. Steel wool and scouring powders should be avoided as they can cause permanent stains.

No Dishwashers
The quick tip to avoid spoiling your precious aluminum dishes or cook ware is that you should wash them with your hands. Quick drying with a hand towel should immediately follow the wash. Avoid using dishwasher for cleaning aluminum utensils. The reason being when you continuously wash aluminum vessels in dishwasher, after a period of time they will start appearing aged and dull.

Look out for Temperature Changes
Aluminum as a metal has always been sensitive to changes in temperature. This applies to the aluminum utensils as well. This attribute makes it a popular kind of utensil for cooking but not for cleaning. It becomes a little choosy when it comes to cleaning during this change in temperature. Don’t wash utensils when they are hot. First let them cool down else the hot metal will begin warping. Make sure that aluminum is not too cold i.e. anything less than 500 is considered to be cold and that is not good when it comes to cleaning the aluminum utensils.

Freshening the Utensils
When you cook foods like tomatoes in your aluminum utensils, they start becoming dull and appear aged with time. It’s time to make the dull appearance wade off, and here’s a way to do it. Use cream of tartar mixed with water, and bring to boil your utensils in this mixture for a period of 10 minutes. This will definitely freshen them up.

Story first published: Friday, April 18, 2014, 19:38 [IST]
Read more about: cleaning