Aluminum Utensils - Special Cleaning
Brighten aluminum utensils by cooking acid foods such as tomatoes, apples, or rhubarb or by boiling 1 to 2 teaspoons cream of tartar per quart of water OR 2 tablespoons vinegar per quart of water for 10 minutes in the pan.
Prevent discoloration in the bottoms of double boilers or egg poachers by adding 1 teaspoon vinegar or 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar to the water in the bottom pan.
Remove stains from outside of aluminum pans with silver polish, or mild, nonabrasive cleaner. Soap-filled steel wool pads scratch the outside surface, so use only when removing burned-on food or grease is more important to you than the scratched pan.
Remove hard water mineral deposits (lime scale) from tea kettles where they have become crusted, boiling equal parts of vinegar and water for several minutes and letting stand an hour or so. The process may have to be repeated in severe cases. Rinse with plain water before using teakettle.
Burned-on Food or Grease
Fill pan with hot water and let stand 1 hour. Scrape off as much food as possible with a dull item such as a wooden spoon or half of clothespin, or plastic spatula or plastic sponge. Complete removal with soap-filled steel wool pad. For grease build-up, soak in very hot water with detergent; then scour with soap-filled steel wool pad.
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