Archive for the 'metals' Category

How to Clean Steel

Published by eric on November 12, 2009 in metals. 0 Comments

Steel is an extremely important part of our everyday lives. We’re surrounded by the stuff. We’ve got steel pots, steel pans, steel appliances, steel cars, steel grills, steel sculptures, steel this, steel that, and holy crap. It’s everywhere. And it’s dirty. For most situations, cleaning steel is pretty easy. The only problem is that if you don’t know how to clean steel properly you can cause damage to, or even destroy whatever steel you sought to clean. This is especially true of carbon steel items like many blades and cast iron. You even need to be careful when cleaning steel of other alloyic compositions such as stainless steel. In most cases, cleaning steel of the stainless variety is pretty easy, however, if you’re not careful, you can easily scratch or mar it. So, if you’re looking to know how to clean steel (not to be confused with how to clean steal) properly, please, take a little time to read this article.

How to Clean Metal

Published by abjerk on November 5, 2009 in metals. 0 Comments

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If you want to learn how to clean metal, first you must identify what kind of metal you’ll be cleaning. There are many different types and each has its quirks. Stainless steel can be stained. Cast iron cookware hates soap and sometimes requires seasoning. Brass and copper form a protective tarnish, and removing this may remove value. Silver can be cleaned using a nifty chemistry trick. Clean, shiny gold can get you laid, robbed, or both. As you can see, metal cleaning isn’t a one-size-fits-all affair. Read my latest article on how to clean metal for straight-forward advice, eco-friendly strategies, green metal cleaning products, and fun facts that can later be used to wow friends.

How to Clean Copper

Published by abjerk on September 16, 2009 in metals. 0 Comments

      Cleaning copper is rather dirty

Among metals, copper is vastly underrated, and it’s Abraham Lincoln’s fault. Pennies are made from copper, and you can’t buy anything with them. Bending down to pick up a dropped penny is thought to be a bad investment. That’s why you find them everywhere, and all of that reflects badly on copper. Cooks, electricians, plumbers, collectors, sculptors, and persons of taste know otherwise. Copper boasts a skill set unmatched by almost any metal. It conducts heat and electricity. It is extremely malleable. It even ages well. When it is new, copper - one of three non-silver metals - is mesmerizing. That is why I wanted to learn how to clean copper. I had an old copper pot that was tarnished and stained. Many collectors prefer that dark, caramel tarnish to the bright peach glow of clean copper, but not I. I wanted a decoration to dazzle my guests with. “Look how it glimmers!” they will say, and I will humbly agree. Not wanting to damage my pot, I researched thoroughly. In the end I settled on using a cheap, homemade copper cleaner and polisher, and it surpassed my expectations. Read my latest article on how to clean copper so you too can uncover the true majesty of this underrated metal.

How to Clean Cast Iron

Published by abjerk on September 16, 2009 in metals. 0 Comments

      clean cast iron is dirty by most standards.

I was standing in the cooking aisle of a department store holding a pre-seasoned cast iron skillet. I stared at it, felt its impressive heft, and hit it against another pot. A dull thud, like a bell buried underground. “Coma, at the very least,” I thought, replaying the images of countess cartoons and “D-” film fall guys getting their skulls emptied. Believing it may come in handy either in the kitchen or in self-defense, I bought it. That is the moment I became part of the cast iron cookware community. It is a community. No other utensil or cookware type has such a vocal, enthusiastic fan base. The fanatics insist that food - any food - just tastes better with cast iron. Indeed, I learned that cast iron isn’t some novel throwback. Because of the metal’s unique properties, its uses range from campfires to professional kitchens and everywhere in between. But before I could work magic in the kitchen, I had to learn how to clean cast iron. What I found sold me for life: you really don’t have to clean cast iron. You get rid of excess food, but it never goes in the washer. It doesn’t require soap. You want oil and grease to fill into the pores of the metal. It adds flavor to your next meal and character to your cast iron. While it sounds pretty easy, there are some pitfalls to avoid and strategies that save time. Read my latest article to learn how to clean cast iron, as well as season, store, and care for this versatile metal.

How to Clean Chrome

Published by eric on August 16, 2009 in metals. 0 Comments

My initial inspiration for wanting to write an article on how to clean chrome came from my father. Dad drives a Harley. With a Harley, comes chrome. With chrome comes dirt. And as with any Harley rider, my old man treats that bike with more love, adoration, and respect than anything else in his life (sorry to break it to you Ma). And so, cleaning chrome is something that is near and dear to his heart. So after thinking about his suggestion for awhile, I began to look around. Chrome is everywhere. Not just on motorcycles. I’ve got chrome faucets, my brother has chrome rims, the handle on my oven door is even chrome plated. Chrome is just a great way to liven up every day things. That is, until, it gets dirty. So, with that in mind, I set out to learn how to clean chrome steel. Turns out, chrome cleaning can be very, very easy. But you do have to be careful. Improper chrome care and chrome polishing can seriously damage the stuff. So, without further ado, I present you with: How to Clean Chrome.

How to Clean Aluminum

Published by eric on February 22, 2009 in metals. 0 Comments

I’m pretty sure everyone is intimately familiar with aluminum. You can barely toss a cat across the room without having it hit something that’s made from it. I think, because it’s so common, that it’s often times not even thought of or given any attention. It’s just always there. My favorite use for it is naturally bee….uhh…..soda cans. A very close second, however, is cookware. Aluminum is very well known for it’s ability to conduct and transfer heat. And it’s inexpensive. Yay! But, just because aluminum cookware is somewhat inexpensive doesn’t mean it should be neglected. Even things that don’t cost an arm and a leg get expensive if you’re constantly replacing them. With that in mind, I put together this article on how to clean aluminum. Now don’t get me wrong, this article is not only for aluminum cookware. The advise given here can be used on any bare aluminum surface. So if you’ve got some aluminum that you’re looking to clean but don’t know the best way to go about it, look no further. Have a gander at my article on How to Clean Aluminum.

How to Clean Brass

Published by eric on January 26, 2009 in metals. 0 Comments

Now that’s one dirty piece of brass. Ha! That’s funny if you’re me. Anyway, Nils, a good friend of mine and a fellow contributor to the websites, had this dirty ass brass cat statue thing. I’d been staring at this jaguar/leopard/panther for years before I finally felt compelled to do a little something about its appearance. I had cleaned brass before so I knew it wouldn’t be difficult or take much time or money. What I didn’t know was how many ways there were to do it. It’s unbelievable. And they’re all easy. Since cleaning that little cat statue I’ve been feeling compelled to spend six straight days going to garage sales and antique shops looking for grimy little brass things that other people have deemed worthless and giving them a little face lift. It’s actually kind of fun to clean brass. Especially when the object you started with is really tarnished and the final product looks like something completely different. I’m not saying the brass cat was that bad, but it did need some attention. If you’re curious to see how it turned out, check out this article on How to Clean Brass.

How to Clean Gold

Published by Amber on July 9, 2008 in metals. 0 Comments

I recently received an engagement ring made, as tradition would have it, of diamonds in a gold band. After the initial excitement of the proposal, I experienced a few ridiculous moments during which I was afraid to actually wear the ring because I knew wearing it would quickly spoil the perfectly smooth shine of the new gold. Dust and oils from my skin would get on it, and it would get dull. I’m wearing it anyway, of course, and I can see it gradually collecting a little bit of dirt and oil. But I’m not worried anymore, because I know that cleaning gold can be a quick, easy, and inexpensive process. My latest article, appropriately titled How to Clean Gold, shows exactly how to do it. Take a look.

How to Clean Stainless Steel

Published by Amber on January 28, 2008 in metals. 0 Comments

Stainless steel is a huge trend in kitchen decorating and cookware right now, and it’s obvious why: it’s durable and hygienic on the practical side and neutral, shiny, and sleekly attractive from an aesthetic standpoint. Or, at least, it’s all of those things until it gets smeared with fingerprints, dulled with grease, and spotted with bits of food. The truth is, cleaning stainless steel is very easy (yet another reason to fill your kitchen with it), but many of us simply don’t know how. That’s where my latest article comes in. It shows how to clean stainless steel quickly and easily with common, all-natural household products. So now you know.

How to Clean Silver

Published by Amber on November 14, 2007 in metals. 0 Comments

It’s that time of year again. Time to pull the good silver out of the box to set your holiday table, only to discover that your once-sparkling forks are black with tarnish. Since tarnished silver doesn’t impress your guests—it’s ugly and tastes funny—and it’s a waste of good silverware to hide it back in the box and use the stainless steel everyday stuff, you’re probably going to want to clean your silver. Except that you don’t really want to, because cleaning silver is difficult and time-consuming, right? Actually, it doesn’t have to be. I can show you how to clean silver in ways that are quick and painless. Also, as always, the methods you’ll see here are easy on the environment.