Kitchen Tidbits

Helpful Hints for the Kitchen

• Stains on Plastic Containers-If you have ever reheated tomato-based food in the microwave in a plastic container, then I am sure you have plastic containers with permanent 'red' stains/rings on them. To prevent this from happening, spray the container with cooking spray before adding the food, so the food cannot be absorbed into the plastic.
• Keeping Sponges Clean(and free of musty smells)-Throw your kitchen sponge into the dishwasher where the larger utensil compartment is, and wash it when you run your dishwasher. This will keep the sponge clean and free of that musty sponge 'smell'. If you cannot live without your sponge that long, just keep 2 and rotate them.
• Water Spots on Dishes-When hand washing your dishes, add a little vinegar to the water, so when the dishes dry, you won't have water spots on them. You can also add vinegar to your dishwasher for the same purpose if you don't want to use a commercial water spot preventative.
• Best All-Purpose Cleaner-Dish Soap. Yes, I said dish soap! The soap you use to wash your dishes can also be used as a general all purpose cleaner in the kitchen. It's great for soaking stove burners, and is usually pretty effective at removing grease. Add a few drops to water in the sink, or mix in a spray bottle.
• Quicker Microwave Cleaning-Before cleaning the inside of the microwave, put a small glass of water inside and turn the microwave on. You can use the setting for 'beverage' on the microwave. About a minute or so is all you need. The steam from the water being heated will loosen all the stuck-on particles, making for easier cleaning. Just sponge off....