But they're 90% hole!
January 21, 2013 12:41 PM Subscribe
Kitchen Cleaning Gurus of MiFi: What's the best way to clean 1) oily gunk from between the handle and the netting of my all-metal spider, 2) a colander/strainer? Tips and tricks requested!
Wrinkles: I have no dishwasher. Hand washing only.
Also, re: the spider, an SOS pad was of course my go to, but it doesn't seem to get inbetween where the supports attach to the basket. This pic looks a lot like mine, though my spider's basket is a net or mesh rather than simply rings.
Also, at first I thought the gunk was rust, but upon closer inspection it seems to be a build up of partially plasticised oil.
Wrinkles: I have no dishwasher. Hand washing only.
Also, re: the spider, an SOS pad was of course my go to, but it doesn't seem to get inbetween where the supports attach to the basket. This pic looks a lot like mine, though my spider's basket is a net or mesh rather than simply rings.
Also, at first I thought the gunk was rust, but upon closer inspection it seems to be a build up of partially plasticised oil.
Every kitchen should have some of these scrub brushes.
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:59 PM on January 21, 2013
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:59 PM on January 21, 2013
For the oily gunk on the spider, I recommend dipping an old wet toothbrush into some Barkeeper's Friend and then scrubbing.
posted by hmo at 1:17 PM on January 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by hmo at 1:17 PM on January 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Possible solvents for that sort of crud: rubbing alcohol (let it sit), oil (oil mixes with oil, so...) -- then the old toothbrush as mentioned
posted by kmennie at 1:54 PM on January 21, 2013
posted by kmennie at 1:54 PM on January 21, 2013
If the oil has polymerized (it's sticky or a hard glaze on the surface of the skimmer) ammonia will dissolve it. Put it in a plastic bag with a few splashes and tie it closed for a day or two.
posted by pullayup at 3:06 PM on January 21, 2013
posted by pullayup at 3:06 PM on January 21, 2013
You might want to try baking soda first - mix a paste with hot water and scrub with a brush. I'm constantly amazed at what baking soda can do.
posted by belau at 4:50 AM on January 22, 2013
posted by belau at 4:50 AM on January 22, 2013
Paint is essentially polymerized oil, and paint stripper will do a number on just about any kind of baked on gunk. If you get one of the citrus-based ones and rinse it thoroughly afterwards, it won't leave toxic residue.
But given that polymerized oil on various other kinds of steel cookware is seen as a good thing (seasoning), why bother? Cleaning it back to bare metal is a lot of trouble to go to purely for the aesthetics of the thing, and a bit of seasoning in a steel kitchen tool's nooks and crannies is actually protective against the rust you initially thought you had.
posted by flabdablet at 5:10 AM on January 22, 2013
But given that polymerized oil on various other kinds of steel cookware is seen as a good thing (seasoning), why bother? Cleaning it back to bare metal is a lot of trouble to go to purely for the aesthetics of the thing, and a bit of seasoning in a steel kitchen tool's nooks and crannies is actually protective against the rust you initially thought you had.
posted by flabdablet at 5:10 AM on January 22, 2013
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posted by MuffinMan at 12:47 PM on January 21, 2013