How to get resin off of flatware?
July 21, 2024 4:56 PM Subscribe
Because I am an idiot, I boiled the contents of my silverware drawer. Something was in there that wasn’t silverware, and some kind of brown goo melted all over my flatware. Now it has hardened into some kind of resin or shellac. How do I get this off?
I came back from a vacation, found significant mouse evidence in my silverware drawer, freaked out, was too tired to think straight, and dumped the contents of the drawer in a big soup pot of boiling water.
I thought I removed everything that wasn’t boilable (chopsticks, plastic utensils, salt packets, pens, detritus) but I guess I made the wrong call on something, because something melted. Maybe the bulb of a turkey baster. When I tonged the silverware out, there was a brown runny goo over everything that has now hardened into a resin. I don’t care about most of this flatware but I do care about about 20% of it. How do I get this stuff off? And also out of the soup kettle, which is Caphalon and dark gray/black and therefore hard to see the resin? I would also hate to toss the soup kettle, which I use a lot and was expensive.
I am feeling bad about adulting skills right now.
I came back from a vacation, found significant mouse evidence in my silverware drawer, freaked out, was too tired to think straight, and dumped the contents of the drawer in a big soup pot of boiling water.
I thought I removed everything that wasn’t boilable (chopsticks, plastic utensils, salt packets, pens, detritus) but I guess I made the wrong call on something, because something melted. Maybe the bulb of a turkey baster. When I tonged the silverware out, there was a brown runny goo over everything that has now hardened into a resin. I don’t care about most of this flatware but I do care about about 20% of it. How do I get this stuff off? And also out of the soup kettle, which is Caphalon and dark gray/black and therefore hard to see the resin? I would also hate to toss the soup kettle, which I use a lot and was expensive.
I am feeling bad about adulting skills right now.
Buy enough of the cheapest cooking oil you can find to cover all the flatware plus about an inch in your Caphalon pan.
Heat it above the boiling point of water but not to the smoke point of the oil for 5+ minutes, and after it cools, I bet any resin still stuck will peel off easily, including from your pan.
posted by jamjam at 5:13 PM on July 21
Heat it above the boiling point of water but not to the smoke point of the oil for 5+ minutes, and after it cools, I bet any resin still stuck will peel off easily, including from your pan.
posted by jamjam at 5:13 PM on July 21
I am feeling bad about adulting skills right now.
No advice about the resin except that I probably wouldn't be able to trust the pot again, though that might be more about my own issues.
But I think as far as adulting goes this is one of those surreal-feeling things that can basically be expected to happen in one way or another multiple times in a given adult's life. Congrats, one down! An indeterminate number to go.
posted by trig at 5:41 PM on July 21 [11 favorites]
No advice about the resin except that I probably wouldn't be able to trust the pot again, though that might be more about my own issues.
But I think as far as adulting goes this is one of those surreal-feeling things that can basically be expected to happen in one way or another multiple times in a given adult's life. Congrats, one down! An indeterminate number to go.
posted by trig at 5:41 PM on July 21 [11 favorites]
Best answer: Try rubbing alcohol first...if unsuccessful then go to acetone in a well ventilated room. I've used it with cotton balls. The resin likely came from inside the knife handles which usually are filled with a brownish material. Some very high end flatwear is solid silver.
posted by Czjewel at 6:46 PM on July 21
posted by Czjewel at 6:46 PM on July 21
Best answer: Acetone might (or might not) take it off and won’t hurt most (all?) metals, so I’d at least give it a try on the flatware. And if it works, wash thoroughly after! Not sure if it would be ok on your pot.
posted by maleficent at 6:49 PM on July 21
posted by maleficent at 6:49 PM on July 21
It boiled on so I’d try boiling it off. Pot and flatware separately to make dilution easier… fill/cover with water, boil until the resin is liquid or at least soft, help along by scrubbing with long handled tools (get scullery gloves! They’re great anyway), pour the water out. Run a lot of warm water down the pipes after it right away. Repeat.
posted by clew at 8:04 AM on July 22
posted by clew at 8:04 AM on July 22
Best answer: Acetone might (or might not) take it off
Seconding acetone as a first try. You can usually find inexpensive "100% acetone" nail polish remover in the makeup section of most supermarkets.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:57 PM on July 23
Seconding acetone as a first try. You can usually find inexpensive "100% acetone" nail polish remover in the makeup section of most supermarkets.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:57 PM on July 23
Response by poster: Tried all suggestions and acetone was the answer. Thank you everyone.
posted by Ollie at 2:55 AM on August 28
posted by Ollie at 2:55 AM on August 28
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posted by Lyn Never at 5:04 PM on July 21 [4 favorites]