Box Graters Are A Pain To Clean, Until You Use This Simple One-Step Method

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Box graters are a versatile, easy-to-use kitchen tool that every true cheese lover needs. There are so many unique ways to use your box grater to make everyday cooking tasks easier, from grating cheese to shredding cabbage and carrots. Yet many people find themselves ignoring the box grater sitting conspicuously on their kitchen shelf or counter because they know that after using it, they will have to clean it. 

Cleaning your box grater doesn't have to be a nightmare. Once you know how to use this simple, one-step cleaning method, you'll use this kitchen tool much more often. The easiest trick is to soak it in warm water immediately after using it. You can fill your sink with warm, soapy water, or soak the box grater in a bowl of water. 

While this might seem like overkill, it will definitely take less time than trying to scrub hardened cheese off of the blades later. If you don't feel like soaking your box grater, run it under warm water immediately after using it to remove food particles and residue. You can also use these methods for cleaning other cheese graters, including flat graters, rotary cheese graters, microplanes, and zesters.

If your box grater is dishwasher safe, you can put it on the top rack to wash it. Otherwise, you can use a soft kitchen brush or a toothbrush to remove residue from the grater. Clean in the direction of the blades so that you don't cut yourself.

If your grater has become rusty, there are two common pantry items that you can use to clean it: Vinegar and baking soda. Let the grater soak in a bowl containing equal parts white vinegar and warm water. After about 15 minutes, remove the grater and sprinkle it with baking soda. Then use a toothbrush to carefully scrub off all rust spots.

To remove sticky or gooey residue from your grater, you can clean it with a lemon and some salt. Put a few tablespoons of salt in a bowl and cut a lemon in half. Dip half of the cut lemon into the salt and rub it over the blades of the grater. Let the lemon juice sit on the blades for about five minutes and then rinse the grater under hot water and wash it with mild dish soap. You can also create a paste of baking soda and water and use a towel or cloth to rub the paste over the box grater to remove residue. If this doesn't work, you can use a kitchen degreaser like Goo Gone to safely remove stubborn grease and sticky residue from metal box graters.