Tips, Tips, and More Tips from June 2003

Caution! We bought an old potato masher with a bright green painted wooden handle. We put it in the dishwasher. Result: a clean masher with a pale blue painted handle. Never wash kitchenware with painted wooden handles in the hot, hot water of a dishwasher.

When cleaning silver, be careful of pieces like candlesticks or hollow knife handles that could hold the remains of chemical cleaner. Use a polish that is made to be used dry and wiped off (such as Goddard’s Long Shine silver polish).