Learning Challenge - Day 3

I was going to post today about the iPad training I started last night, but since I only got through the first 3 episodes, I'll hold off and post a more comprehensive summary of what I learned later in the week.

Instead, today's post is about cleaning. I subscribe to a few newsletters from realsimple.com and yesterday I got one that I couldn't ignore: 19 Surprising Kitchen Cleaning Tips

I won't list all 19 (you can visit the link above to view them all), but will highlight the ones I found most useful. I have yet to try some of these, but if you have, please comment and let me know how it worked for you!

1. Cheese Stuck to a Grater: To make grater cleanup a breeze, spritz with nonstick cooking spray before grating cheese and the residue will wipe right off.
2. Stains on Plastic Storage Containers: Tomato sauce and other acidic foods leave stains on plastic that even the dishwasher won't remove. Set those plastic pieces out in the sun to naturally bleach the stains away. (Rub lemon juice on especially stubborn spots first. Baking soda also works well in bleaching color out of plastic, and it helps get rid of strong odors.)
3. Refrigerator Spills: For liquids such as pickle juice and milk, simply place a microfiber cloth on the spill and wipe it up. Even better, the microfibers are slightly abrasive, so if the jam jar has left a ring on the refrigerator shelf, wet the cloth with warm water and gently scrub the jam away. To get rid of meat and poultry juices, use paper towels soaked with a diluted solution of bleach and water, since juices from meats can carry bacterial contaminants that can remain trapped in cloth dish towels and microfiber towels.
4. Stains Burned onto Casserole Pans: Fill the pan with warm water, add a fresh dryer sheet to the bottom of the pan, and let soak for 15 minutes. Wash and rinse thoroughly. Alternatively, fill the pan with hot water, add a handful of baking soda, and soak for the same amount of time. Scrub with the abrasive side of a scrubber sponge, rinse, and then wash.
5. Cooked-on Egg: Add a bit of water to the skillet and return it to the heat for a few minutes. This will loosen the egg and allow you to wipe out the pan effortlessly.

Here are two from the article I can vouch for:

1. Residue on the Exterior of a Pot: Clean aluminum (without color or decorative finish), copper bottoms, stainless steel, or glass using a paste made from Bar Keepers Friend, a powdered cleaning agent (from $6, barkeepersfriend.com), and water. Wet the surface first and scrub with a soft, damp cloth. Do not leave the paste on for longer than a minute. Rinse and reapply if necessary.
2. A Messy Barbecue Grill Rack: As soon as the last burger comes off the grill, brush down the rack with a stiff, long-handled brush and close the lid. The dying coals will continue to burn off anything that remains on the grill, and it will be well seasoned for next time. If you have a gas grill, leave the heat on for a few minutes after brushing. If you brush the rack down after every use when it is still hot, there's no need to remove it for cleaning.