Extracting stuck food on pans
DEAR HELOISE >> My wife poached eggs for breakfast the other day. After scraping as much of the egg skin that was willing to leave the stainless-steel pan, I filled it with soapy water to soak overnight. The next morning, I scraped it out with the steel flipper and plastic scouring pad until it looked clean. I rinsed it and set it upside down in the dry rack. Once it was dry, I still saw and felt patches of scorched-on egg in the pan. Further scouring had little effect on this.
So, I scraped off the patches that were on the flat bottom by using a razor blade knife. But that still left patches on the curve and sides. I tried fine sandpaper, but that just seemed to make scratches.
I finally saw a nonpull tab on a soup-can lid waiting for its next trip to the recycling bin in the carport. It turned out to be the perfect tool to get at the curve and sides of the pan. I just held the lid with its curved side toward the pan and scraped up, down and sideways around the curve, adjusting the angle when needed. It was such a handy, effective and cheap tool.
For my aluminum, electric frying pan, I put soapy water in it and turn it back to boil for a bit. After that, everything seems willing to part company with a little persuasion. Love your column!
— Harvey Versteeg (90 in April), Augusta, Maine, and Belleview, Florida
DEAR HELOISE >> I discovered an easy way to get a home-baked pizza out of the oven. Use a flat-sided cookie sheet to slide under it, then lift it out just like the pizza parlors do with their shovels.
— Jan Thompson, Vancouver, Washington
DEAR HELOISE >> There are products that eat the grease found in pipes. If they’re used regularly, there shouldn’t be a problem with grease going down the drain. These products contain enzymes that thrive on grease and oils. They are made for restaurants, so they should work well in homes.
— Falcon Frank, Ventura
DEAR HELOISE >> Everybody we know has spoken badly of raccoons for the last 20-25 years, but raccoons, skunks, possums, squirrels and all kinds of birds visit us every day. Even our cat turned up one day a few weeks later, and she had five of the cutest kittens. We kept one, while three friends took the others.
We buy 12 bags of cat kibble, which last about a month to six weeks depending on how many visitors we get each night. During the summertime, we sit outside with the raccoons and have never been bitten or scratched. They eat it very gently and also love peanut butter cookies, which we keep a good stock of along with other snacks.
Years ago, we had this huge window put in so we could enjoy our outdoor family. We built an 8-foothigh block wall to level our backyard, and we also built an 8-foot-high lattice wall with a 6-by2-foot walkway on top. The squirrels, raccoons and birds love our thick hedges.
— A Reader