Kitchen cleaning is a daily activity that requires particular attention, most of all when you have pans and pots of different types. Ideally you should wash the trays, by hand or in the dishwasher, immediately after using them to avoid the formation of crusts difficult to remove and bad smells. But how can you really make them shine and prevent oxidation on aluminium ones? Follow our advice below, because the love and the care for the kitchen is also represented by effective cleaning.
First of all we have to make a distinction: an iron pan must be treated differently from a non-stick pan, just like a stainless steel pan has to be treated differently from an aluminium one. Each material has its own specificity.
For example, an iron pan – excellent for fried meat – must never come into contact with water and therefore it must be cleaned by hand. We suggest you to:
1. Eliminate grease and oil residues with one or more sheets of kitchen paper;
2. Sprinkle it with a handful of coarse salt;
3. Heating the pot using a moderate flame;
4. Stir the surface with a cake slice and remove the crusts. Then dry it with a towel or a sheet of kitchen paper.
A non-stick pan, instead, has no problems with water but it has to stay away from abrasive sponges or iron sponges. To clean it thoroughly, we recommend that you act very gently on its surface in order not to damage it, following these steps:
1. Prepare a creamy solution with baking soda and white wine vinegar;
2. Sprinkle it on the pan and leave it on; if necessary soften with a few drops of washing-up liquid and lemon;
3. Rinse with plenty of hot water;
4. Dry with a cloth or a sheet of kitchen paper.
For the care of a stainless steel pan, we recommend the same cleaning procedure as for a non-stick pan, but with less washing up liquid. In case of stubborn dirt, boil a little bit of water to remove the deposits from the bottom.
Special attention should be paid to the aluminum pan. It should not be inserted in the dishwasher: to wash it, just use a soft sponge, hot water, and a solution of baking soda and detergent cream. This trick will help to prevent oxidation, which is the common enemy of all aluminum pans.
A final tip to protect your pots is not to stack them one on top of the other but to separate them with a sheet of kitchen paper when they are placed inside the wall units, in the cupboards or on the shelves of your kitchen.
There are no more secrets on pots and pans: with these simple and practical suggestions to add to your daily routine, they’ll return to shine!