TIP #1 Maintaining a Splatter-Free Microwave
Would you serve your mom something you’ve just reheated in a dirty microwave? We didn’t think so. To remove stubborn splatter stains from the oven, just heat a microwave-safe bowl full of tap water on high for 10 minutes. (Make sure to use a bowl large enough to contain the water as it boils, and allow a few minutes for the bowl and remaining water to cool before removal as it will be very hot.) The steam loosens dried food particles so they can be wiped away with ease.
TIP #2 Removing Tea Stains
If you brew a fresh pot of tea every morning, you know that tannin stains build up quickly on ceramics. But there’s an easy way to make them presentable again. Simply cut a fresh lemon in quarters and use the fruit as a scrubber, gently squeezing its juice into a stained coffee mug or teapot. For extra cleaning power, first dip the lemon in kosher salt, which acts as an abrasive. Follow with a wash in hot soapy water.
TIP #3 Beating Beet Stains
When cut, beets stain everything they touch, including hands and cutting boards. To help remove these stains, sprinkle the stained area with salt, rinse, and then scrub with soap. The salt crystals help lift the beet juices away.
About the Author: America's Test Kitchen
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There’s an easy way to clean tea and coffee stains. Bleach. Put a splash of bleach and some hot water into the vessel (cup, teapot, whatever) and let it sit until clean. Rinse well, including some soap and water. Done.
There’s also the college-freshman method for cleaning tea & coffee stains out of mugs – toothpaste. It’s a bit minty-fresh, but it works.
Use the all purpose mild cleanser most of us have in the kitchen, baking soda. A little on a damp sponge takes them right off.
steel wool works quickly, with or without soap. And for beet stains, keep hands moist and wash as soon as you can. Surgical gloves are great for slipping off the skin of boiled beets, without stains, and there’s no confusion between right and left hand gloves