Can I Clean With Old Cream Of Tartar?

Cream of tartar is one of those ingredients that nosotros all accept in our cupboards, but rarely use to its full potential. That'south probably because about people don't realize just how many useful things you lot can do with foam of tartar, both in the kitchen and beyond!

Simply I promise to alter that with today's post, because I'm going to teach y'all everything you lot need to know about cream of tartar. By the end of this postal service, you'll not only take a much improve agreement of what cream of tartar actually is and what it does, merely you'll know plenty of practical means to employ information technology too! :-)

What Is Cream Of Tartar?

Permit's start with a question that we've all asked ourselves at some point: "What is cream of tartar?" Cream of tartar, or potassium bitartrate, is an acidic white pulverization that is ofttimes used as a stabilizing ingredient in baking (especially in meringues!), and as a cleaning amanuensis for brass and other metals. (It's quite useful for cleaning other things too, every bit yous'll learn a little later in this postal service!)

Interestingly, potassium bitartrate is formed every bit a byproduct during the winemaking process, when the natural tartaric acid in grapes crystallizes during fermentation. After being filtered out of the vino, those crystals are purified and processed into the white, odorless powder that nosotros all know as cream of tartar.

The acidity of foam of tartar really comes in handy when it's used an ingredient in baking. It can aid stabilize ingredients that tend to lose air bubbling afterwards being whipped, such as egg whites and cream, and it tin add volume and thickness to desserts and baked goods.

As long as you store cream of tartar in a cool, dry out location, information technology should stay fresh virtually indefinitely. (When in doubt, use your eyes and nose—if it's white and powdery and smells tangy or acidic, it should be fine to use!)

Substitutes For Cream Of Tartar

If you're working on a recipe that calls for cream of tartar and don't happen to take any on hand, don't worry! In that location are a couple of different things y'all can use as a substitute for cream of tartar, depending on what you have lying around in your kitchen.

Lemon juice and white vinegar are both acidic enough to work nicely as a foam of tartar substitute, but y'all'll want to utilize well-nigh twice every bit much of them. For example, if your recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of foam of tartar, you could utilize 1 teaspoon of either lemon juice or white vinegar as a substitute.

But equally I mentioned above, cream of tartar isn't merely useful for baking! Next, nosotros're going to explore 13 surprising uses for cream of tartar, both in the kitchen and elsewhere around the house!

13 Practical Ways To Utilize Cream Of Tartar

1. Deter Ants

Use cream of tartar to deter ants from their gathering places on your driveway or sidewalks. All yous take to do is sprinkle a chip of the powder around the areas where they besiege.

2. Stain Remover

Add plenty lemon juice to a small dish of cream of tartar to make a paste, so apply the paste to clothing or carpet stains. Let information technology sit for an hr or 2, then either machine launder the item or blot the item clean with a damp material. (This works particularly well on ink stains!)

3. All-Purpose Kitchen Cleaner

Make a paste of cream of tartar and a fleck of white vinegar to brand a great all-purpose kitchen cleaner. Use it to clean burner pans, grout lines, ovens, sinks, and even to remove mold and mildew. Shop the mixture in a squeeze bottle for easy application.

iv. Erase Neckband Stains

Makeup, lotion, sunscreen, and other products frequently leave behind oily residues on shirt collars. To remove those oily stains, dampen the collar area with water, then sprinkle some cream of tartar over the expanse. Rub the powder into the stain with an old toothbrush, and so launder the shirt as usual.

five. Restore Scratched Dishes

Brand a paste of foam of tartar and water and use it to scrub away scratches or stains on your dishes. But use the paste, scrub with your fingers or a sponge, and rinse with water.

(Annotation: I typically prefer to use Bar Keepers Friend for this job, but if you were in a pinch and happened to have some cream of tartar in your cupboard, I think this tip could really come up in handy!)

6. Coffee Pot Cleaner

Clean stains and old coffee residue out of your coffee pot past sprinkling cream of tartar within. Add boiling water to fill the pot, permit the water cool to room temperature, and so rinse well.

vii. Make Baking Pulverisation

Brand your own baking powder at home is every bit simple equally mixing 1 part baking soda with 2 parts cream of tartar. As an added bonus, the resulting baking powder is fully gluten free, different some brands you'll notice in stores.

8. Shine Stainless Steel

Clean and shine your stainless steel appliances! Add 1 cup of white vinegar and 1/four cup of foam of tartar to a small bowl and mix well. Dip a sponge into the mixture, scrub your stainless steel, then wipe clean with a damp cloth. Vitrify with a dry out microfiber cloth until it reaches your desired shininess! ;-)

9. Remove Rust

Y'all tin can remove rust from metal by mixing up ane teaspoon of cream of tartar, one/4 cup baking soda, and but enough hydrogen peroxide to form a paste. Use the mixture to a rust spot, permit it sit for 30 minutes, then wipe the surface clean.

10. Make clean Up Copper

Clean and brighten copper pots and pans with a mixture of two tablespoons of cream of tartar and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Rub the mixture onto the copper surface, then wipe clean with a damp cloth.

eleven. Stabilizing Egg Whites (AKA "Meringue Must-Have!")

When making meringue, add together 1/eight teaspoon of cream of tartar for every ii egg whites in your recipe. The acrid from the cream of tartar helps to stabilize the egg whites and add volume to the finished product.

12. Pretreat Whites

Keep your white clothes and linens actress bright with this simple soak! Fill your sink or a saucepan with lukewarm water, and add 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar for every quart of water you're using. Soak your whites in this solution for a half 60 minutes or so before laundering them as usual.

13. Toilet Touchups

Could your toilet basin use a quick touchup? Sprinkle foam of tartar around the inside of the toilet basin, then requite it a quick scrub with your toilet brush. Affluent to rinse.

Do you lot have whatever favorite tips and tricks for using cream of tartar?