How to clean kitchen knives

Probably the most important thing that you cannot begin your cooking without is a knife. After repeated use on a daily basis, knives tend to get blunt and if not used regularly, they get accumulated with rust. Apart from keeping it rust free, your kitchen knives have to be kept bacteria free. In fact it is very easy to clean your kitchen knives without hassles and in no time. Be it bread knife, regular knife used for cutting, your pocket knife, or even a tin opener, with the following instructions, you can conveniently clean any such kitchen accessory to keep them going longer.

Complexity level: Basic

Time required: 10-15 minutes

Resources required:

  1. Lubricant
  2. Nylon-backed scrub sponges
  3. Dishtowels
  4. Knives
  5. Knife oil
  6. Cotton cloth
  7. Dry towel

Instructions:

1. Cleaning with greaser and lubricant:

Take the knife you want to clean and apply the required lubricant (break free) to the entire knife or to the dirty places of the knife. Wait for a minute, or if the dirt is not too heavy, then with the help of a toothbrush, or any brush with hard bristles, scrub the difficult strains to clean places. Wipe the excess dirty oil off with a clean towel. Now apply a drop or a few drops of cooking oil to the knife. This method is good if the dirt on your knives is not too heavy.

2. The boiling water method:

This method can be used to clean your knife if it has no plastic parts or you can keep the plastic away from the boiling water. Drop the knife in boiling water carefully for about 45 minutes. Now remove and place it on a dry towel. Be careful, the blades will remain very hot. Most of the dirt should go away while in the hot water but if you still see dirt on them, use a brush to remove it. Wipe off when done and apply drops of cooking oil for cleaning.

3. The dishwasher method

This is the least recommended one, but if you are short of time or just busy with other tasks, this will help. Use them like any other cutlery in the dishwasher. Just make sure that the detergent you use is mild. Skip the drying part and instead, remove them manually and clean dry with a towel. Apply a few drops of cooking oil and store.

Frequently asked questions:

What exactly is rust and how can it be cleaned?

Rust is a substance that you can mostly see on unused metal and iron. This is reddish brown in color and you should not use knives with rust as they can be harmful. If not cleaned thoroughly, the rust will contaminate the food you are cutting with it. However, there are easy ways to clean it. It can be cleaned with oil. If the rust is heavier, oil will not suffice and you have to use Metal Brite. This is known to be very helpful in removing deeper rust.

Quick tips:

  1. If you are cleaning large knives that are hard to hold with your hand, place them on a table and wipe them clean holding the handle.
  2. The manual cleaning method is highly recommended compared to others.
  3. Use tongs while removing knives in the hot water method.

Things to watch out for:

  1. Be careful with sharp knives.
  2. Make sure you do not end up spilling hot water on yourself.
  3. Try and avoid the dishwasher method. Although smaller knives are okay to be cleaned by this method, larger ones can be damaged by each other.
  4. Take the knives out of the dishwasher immediately. Leaving them in it any longer will cause rust.

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