How to Clean a Sieve

Cleaning a sieve can be a washer-upper's worst nightmare, even 'pros' in the kitchen industry have trouble with these most holey of devices.


Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Washing Up

  1. Image titled Clean a Sieve Step 1
    1
    Prepare the washing water. As with any washing up, begin with a bowl of foamy hot water.
  2. Image titled Clean a Sieve Step 2
    2
    Procure a brush of some sort, in particular one that is designed with washing up in mind.
    Advertisement
  3. 3
    Proceed to 'stab' at the sieve's holes with the bristles of the brush in a 'stippling' motion, dislodging any material stuck in the mesh.
  4. 4
    Rinse. Once most of the material is dislodged, rinse the foam from the sieve with cold water, this will clear any remaining material and make draining and drying simpler.
    5. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Boiling

  1. Image titled Clean a Sieve Step 5
    1
    Clean the sieve roughly by using whatever cleaning tools you regularly use.
  2. 2
    Remove the larger bits and pieces that will come off with a bit of effort.
  3. Image titled Clean a Sieve Step 7
    3
    Take a boiler or a pan. Use one that is big enough to submerge the dirty parts (or most of your sieve).
  4. 4
    Fill the pan or boiler with water get it boiling.
    • Keep in mind to not to use any cleaning agents in the boiling water, as they may ruin the pot or react unexpectedly to heating. Boiling water is enough to sterilize most metals, so just ordinary water will do.
  5. 5
    Submerge the sieve in the boiling water. Take care not to put any plastic parts into the water and be careful not to get scalded.
  6. Image titled Clean a Sieve Step 10
    6
    Let the sieve sit in the boiling water for a little while. Let sit until all traces of food are separated from the sieve.
  7. Image titled Clean a Sieve Step 11
    7
    Take it off. Full metal sieves might get quite hot, so handle with care.
    8. Advertisement

Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do I clean rust from a strainer?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Soak it in vinegar overnight, then wipe it away with a paper towel. This should also work on a shower head or any other metal pieces.
  • Question
    I made juice from red currants using a slow juicer, but a lot of soft pulp followed. I poured it through a sieve and now my sieve is full of pulp in all the holes. What do I do? I tried all of the tips here.
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Try turning it upside down and letting the water run through the bottom so the pulp can push its way out. And it's the same thing if you have a dishwasher. Put it up side down. It really works!
Advertisement

You Might Also Like

How to
Wash Dishes
How to
Clean Dishes Without Soap
Conserve Water when Doing Dishes
How to
Conserve Water when Doing Dishes
How to
Unstick Two Cooking Bowls
Use a Grill Microwave
How to
Use a Grill Microwave
Repair Scratched Stainless Steel
How to
Repair Scratched Stainless Steel
Clean Cheese Cloth
How to
Clean Cheese Cloth
How to
Use a Mortar and Pestle
Season Pampered Chef Stoneware
How to
Season Pampered Chef Stoneware
Dispose of Cooking Oil
How to
Dispose of Cooking Oil
Use a Chafing Dish
How to
Use a Chafing Dish
Use a Broiler
How to
Use a Broiler
Make Soda in a SodaStream Machine
How to
Make Soda in a SodaStream Machine
How to
Use a Basket Steamer
Advertisement

About This Article

Tested by:
wikiHow Test Kitchen
wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 68,884 times.
2 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 7
Updated: March 23, 2021
Views: 68,884
Categories: Care and Use of Cooking Equipment
Advertisement