DIY: Bring back the shine to your stainless steel pots

With all the highs and lows of the year, celebration remains the most common element for many during the festive season.

With celebration come parties, which mostly involve a lot of cooking, especially if you are the host.

If you are hosting and don’t have a catering company or haven’t ordered a meal or platters, it usually means straight to the pots for you.

It usually isn’t much of a hassle, especially for those who love cooking, but many will agree that it is normally the cleaning up that bothers people.

While your friends and family members might help you tidy the house and maybe the kitchen after a great party, there is one thing that often remains after it all… the pots.

Okay, they might help wash the pots, but even so, are you not bothered by the grey colour that usually remains in the inside and bottom of the stainless-steel pots?

Have you ever wondered how you can restore the “brand-new” shine to your pots?

There is a method, and it requires nothing more than common items that are usually part of your monthly shopping list.

You will need:
• vinegar
• a soft sponge
• Handy Andy.

Depending on how old the greyish colour is or whether the pot was burnt, you might need a bit of patience as well.
Here are four easy steps to help restore the shine to stainless-steel pots.

Step One:

Pour a teaspoon of vinegar and Handy Andy into the water before washing your pot.

Step Two:

Once you have washed your pot, pour out the water and add two teaspoons of vinegar and Handy Andy into the pot and use the sponge to gently rub the pot inside and out.

Step Three:

After rubbing, leave the pot for about 5–10 minutes with the mixture inside and then gently rub again.

Step Four:

Rinse the pot and the lid in clean water and dry with a clean cloth.
If the greyish colour remains, repeat the steps, but let the mixture stay in the pot for longer and rub again gently.

You don’t have to wait until December to do this. Make it a daily habit and you will love the shine in your pots. The benefit of doing this every time you use your pots is that you won’t have to leave the mixture to soak for too long.

If the pot was burnt while cooking and has the black at the bottom, then this is what you can do:

Step One:

Remove the leftovers and wash your pot as normal.

Step Two:

Rinse and dry your pot.

Step Three:

Pour about four teaspoons of vinegar into the pot and leave to soak for about two hours. Depending on the size of the pot and how badly the pot was burnt, you might need to add more teaspoons of the vinegar to ensure the bottom base is completely covered. Once you have added the vinegar, close the pot and leave to soak; if it was badly burnt, leave it to soak overnight and wash it the next day.

The next morning you should see the black stuff either floating in the vinegar or being easier to remove.
Use the vinegar and Handy Andy mixture to wash your pot and, hopefully, smile at the shine.