Forget TV suppers and dinners on the go – when someone has taken the time to prepare a meal, it’s only right that you take the time to sit down and enjoy it. Sharing meal times with friends and family is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and with just a few simple measures, you can elevate your everyday eating experiences to Michelin star standard.
When it comes to impressing guests, any house-proud host will know the importance of knowing how to clean cutlery – no matter how good your cooking is, if you are serving it with a grubby knife and fork there’s bound to be complaints. Music, wine, and hospitality may be essential to an enjoyable dinner party, but remember, we eat with our eyes and clean cutlery and appealing presentation should not be reserved for the likes of royalty alone.
Although natural remedies are great for cleaning stainless steel cutlery, specially formulated products are your best option. A good washing up liquid will remove dirt and restore a stylish sheen to your best cutlery! For other stainless steel items such as taps and sinks, use a specialist cleaner such as Jif Stainless Steel Spray – it degreases in an instant!
How to Clean Stainless Steel Cutlery
The iron alloy that comprises stainless steel may be difficult to stain, but it’s not resistant to fingerprints – cleaning stainless steel cutlery is therefore no more avoidable than any other knife, fork, or spoon.
First clean your cutlery in hot water and washing up liquid. It’s important to remove excess food as quickly as possible after eating as the salt and acids will cause gradual damage.
Hand dry with a clean, non-abrasive Jif cloth to remove any water spots. The quicker you dry your cutlery, the better, as the open air will cause unwanted natural drying marks.
Natural cleaning solutions such as vinegar, cider, lemon juice, olive oil and soda water all work wonderfully on removing stains from stainless steel. To polish with vinegar or cider, buff your cutlery in a circular motion with a soft damp cloth lightly dampened with cider or undiluted white vinegar. If using soda water, rinse the cutlery in the liquid and dry immediately with a dry non-abrasive cloth. Lemon juice and olive oil can both be applied with a soft dry cloth, gently rubbing away at the stain.
Cleaning Silver Cutlery
Cleaning silver cutlery might seem old fashioned, but it’s just as important now as it ever was. Silver damages easily and so you’ll need to clean it carefully. Dishwashers might save us time, but when it comes to silver, they are not your friend – always clean your silver by hand and dry immediately to prevent water stains.
Remove food remains as soon as possible and rinse off any excess grime or residue in warm soapy water. Always use a soft non-abrasive cloth to dry off the silver cutlery, removing any light tarnish with specialist silver metal polishing cloths or anti-tarnish strips. Finally – to keep clean cutlery in condition for longer – store your silver in cotton bags or wraps.