If you own black appliances, you’re in for a world of hurt. The same goes for other dark-colored appliances such as stoves, ovens, and refrigerators. Black attracts moisture, so regardless of the material, your appliance will show up as streaks when it’s running. When it comes to keeping your cabinets, countertops, and other kitchen surfaces looking great, there’s not much you can do to prevent streaks and spots from appearing. Fortunately, there are a number of easy ways to keep your appliances, especially if they’re dark in color, from showing up.
The solution is simple: clean it!
Always use clean, damp cloths while cleaning black appliances
Cleaning your black appliances with a mild, soapy cloth will get your stains out, but a water-based cleanser won’t get the residue that’s left behind. If you want to be extra thorough, use a damp, clean cloth to remove stubborn stains instead of aQ water-based cleanser.
If you have a problem with staining or bleaches coming out while you’re cooking, you may want to pick up a stain remover specifically designed for black appliances.
These products are specially formulated to get the blood out of stains and bleaches, so they’re safe to use on your appliances.
You don’t have to scrub and scrub to get rid of streaks on your black appliances. While they may look bad, they’re not actually that difficult to keep looking great. Here are some great tips on how to clean black appliances without streaks.
Tamp down the heat before starting
Stirring the contents of your oven before you go in will help remove more heat from the inside of your oven, which will make your baked goods come out evenly browned. If you’re doing this in an unheated kitchen, you may want to consider moving your oven to a different part of the house or using a Broiler ( Inquisitive cooks, don’t you? ) instead.
Don’t over-dry
When you over dry, you’re basically extending the baking process by baking the goods too hard. Ovens do a great job of cooking at a low temperature, but they’re not great at soaking up moisture. As a result, your baked goods end up with dried-up, cracked-open baked goods.
If you want your baked goods to be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, you want to allow the goods to “wet-brick” before cooling. You do this by allowing the oven to “bake in” for a longer time, which will result in softer, less crunchy baked goods.
Keep your black appliance moving
Even after you’ve baked an item, your oven may still be hot enough to cause your baked goods to get darker spots. If this is the case, it’s good practice to move your baked goods around in the oven to cool them down.
If you keep your oven door cracked a few degrees, you’ll allow air to flow inside the oven, which helps to keep your baked goods from getting too dark. Consider using an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is hot enough.
Don’t use scented oils
If you own a black stove or oven, you may want to avoid using oils and other scented products as they may end up darkening your appliance. You may want to try using olive oil or coconut oil instead.
The same goes for creams, gels, and other beauty products. If you’re worried that lifting and brushing your hair with a product that contains chemicals will end up darkening your hair, you may want to try using a gentler shampoo instead.
Don’t use hot water
You may have heard that using hot water on black appliances will lighten the color, but that’s not the case. Using hot water will simply dry your black appliances out, which will result in dull, lifeless-looking appliances.
Coldwater running through your black appliances can help to remove the excess moisture, leaving your black appliances dryer and more reflective.
Conclusion
Your black appliances deserve to be sparkling clean, and these tips are easy ways to keep them looking great. From how to clean black appliances without streaks to how to keep your cabinets, countertops, and other kitchen surfaces looking great, the sky’s the limit when it comes to keeping your appliances looking great.