Maintaining what you own can be the best way to save dollars on a daily basis. Like all good frugal living, it does take planning and commitment. Here are few kitchen items that, with a little tender loving care, will both last longer and do the job better.
1. Wooden Cutting Boards: Use a little mineral oil when the wood begins to look dried out. Never use a wooden cutting board with raw meat or at least make sure you have separate boards for raw meat and vegetables. Juices seep into the wood and breed bacteria. See HERE for more in-depth cutting board care.
2. Knives: Sharpen after use. Dull blades cause the knife to slip and have a greater risk of cutting the user. DON'T put anything you want to stay sharp in the dishwasher which dulls blades. Don't ask me why but it does.
3. Refrigerator: Where applicable, watch for filter light to come on. Replace quickly to eliminate unwanted elements in water, like charcoal from the filter itself.
4. Oven: Make sure to clean oven at least once a month to prevent burnt-on food debris from building up. Many ovens now have a self-cleaning option that burns the food to ashes.
5. Wooden Spoons: Do not put wood in your dishwasher. The wood will disintegrate faster and you could get splinters in your food.
6. Plates with Gold or Silver Edging: Fancy plates require fancy care. Metal edged dishware shouldn't be put in the dishwasher or microwave.
7. Stoneware: Another item to add to the growing "DO NOT PUT IN THE DISHWASHER" category. Stones build up a non-stick coating over their life through fatty foods and non-stick spray. Using any soap will not only wash away the important build-up but will also cause the soap to seep into the pores of the stoneware, only to come out into the food when heated. You really don't want soap in your food. Ugly results in the intestinal tract.
8. Stainless Steel Appliances: Keep clean and free of fingerprints and water drops for the slick look you bought them for. Wash with soap and water. Polish with a stainless steel cleaner and buff dry.
So, from your own experience, what are other tools I am forgetting and what do you do to keep them in tip top shape? Comment here or see our forum on Blissfully Domestic.ning.
Original Blissfully Domestic Post
Sarah blogs regularily at Genesis Moments, is a featured storyteller at Story of My Life, and offers beauty product reviews at Chic-Critique.
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I very much enjoyed your dissertation on kitchen tools and share your ideas. In fact, I devoted a whole small chapter to the subject, Kitchen tools to keep, kitchen tools to trash, in my recently published book:
“Tried and True Recipes from a Caterer’s Kitchen—Secrets of Making Great Foods” (www.eloquentbooks.com/TriedandTrueRecipes.html) http://www.howfoodswork.blogspot.com
Check it out!