Kitchen Essential

All cutlery should be washed as soon as possible in warm soapy water. Salt, vinegar, lemon juice and egg can pit and blacken cutlery. Water will mark it too, although only temporarily. If you want it to look good, it should be dried and lightly buffed by hand — even if it is machine washed.

Stainless steel

Don’t use a silver dip on stainless steel, it will turn it dull grey. There are special stainless steel polishes.

Silver and silver plate

Sterling silver and plate should be kept in a baize-lined box or drawer so that the pieces do not get scratched or rubbed. Storage for silver not in use should be airtight. Remove egg tarnish from silver spoons with table salt.

Handles

Cutlery with handles in natural materials such as wood, horn, mother of pearl, ivory, and some plastics cannot be put in the dishwasher and should not be soaked in water. Immersion in hot or even cool water may not only spoil the look of the handle but soften the adhesive fixing it on. Wash such knives by holding the handle and drying immediately, or place them in a heavy, stable jar, handles uppermost and above the waterline until you are ready to wash or dry them.

Kitchen knives

If you buy professional cooks’ knives — and it is worth it — you need to lavish a bit of professional care on them.

Carbon steel knives should be dried or wiped clean immediately after use. Lightly grease with edible oil before putting away unless they are in constant use. Vinegar, fruit, onions, even raw potato will stain carbon steel if knives are not wiped immediately. If stains do occur, remove them with an abrasive pad, wet-and-dry emery paper or something similar.

Stainless steel blades can also be marked by salt, lemon juice, etc., so wash and dry quickly after use.

Do not immerse knives — especially wooden-handled ones — in water and do not put in the dishwasher. Apart from spoiling the handles, it is not safe to wash very sharp blades other than by holding them by the handle.

Storing

Properly planned storage saves time, temper, labour and breakages. Keep pieces in constant use readily accessible.

Use plate racks inside cupboards if you can. If not, stack plates of the same size only, so that you never have to take a plate from the bottom of a pile. If plates are richly decorated, put tissues or pieces of kitchen paper between plates. If you don’t, you will scratch them.

Don’t store pottery at too high or too low a level. Things that are difficult to get at are more likely to get broken.

Breakages

Eating off cracked tableware isn’t very hygenic. It doesn’t look very good either. Obviously it is better to replace broken pieces, but if you can’t, some breakages can be successfully mended with an epoxy resin. Handles are a cinch to stick back; multiple fractures require time, patience and skill.

Washing up

If dishes are left to soak, leave in clear water. Use hand-hot liquid detergent suds for washing. Don’t use soap powder or boiling water. In time the pattern will be ruined. Spring-clean china regularly. Use a soft nail brush or washing-up brush to clean round handles, etc. Remove tannin stains with a damp cloth dipped in bicarbonate of soda or borax. Vinegar and water followed by brisk rubbing will remove hard water scum.

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