How to Clean a Cooking Oil Can

The exact process for cleaning your cooking oil can will depend on its individual shape and features, but by using this basic technique you’ll have your stainless steel oil can looking like new with surprisingly little effort.

• Bottle brush
• Bar Keepers Friend
• Hot water
• Cloth scouring pad

1. Start by wetting the can, inside and out with hot water.
2. Sprinkle the wet surfaces with Bar Keepers Friend.
3. Begin rubbing the oil can with the cloth scouring pad. Remoisten as necessary. Do not allow the Bar Keepers Friend to dry on the surfaces of the can.
4. If there are areas that are difficult to reach by hand, use a bottle brush that will fit inside the can. For narrow spouts, you can use chenille stems (single or in small groups for extra width) for scouring power.
5. Rinse well and allow the can to dry before use. Once the can dries, you’ll be able to see a white powdery residue if you haven’t rinsed well enough. Wipe clean and rinse again if this happens.

• For larger cans, work with one section at a time to ensure the Bar Keepers Friend does not dry on the surface.
• Bar Keepers Friend has a mild abrasive. It will not damage your stainless steel, but if your oil can has any decorative embellishments, it could remove them, especially with scrubbing.
• Any lingering odors should be neutralized with the use of Bar Keepers Friend.
• In milder cases, you can use a wash cloth in lieu of a cloth scouring pad.
• If you still having trouble with the creases, wrap a soft cloth around a dull knife. This will give you an “edge” with your washcloth that will easily fit into those tight spaces. Use it to apply more pressure to the creases using an up and down scrubbing motion.