Here's How To Finally Get Your Filthy Flour Sifter Clean Again

While sifting flour is crucial for creating light and airy baked goods, caring for and maintaining flour sifters can be a real pain. This has to do with the wire mesh essential to the design of these common kitchen devices, as this mesh can become clogged with flour and other ingredients over time. Fortunately, the process of cleaning a sifter is relatively straightforward, although you may need to tweak the steps to accommodate your sifter's specific design. To keep the tool in good shape, always tap out any remaining flour after using it. To minimize mess, do this over your kitchen garbage can to catch any lingering flour residue.

If you have a simple bowl sifter, you can use a clean, dry kitchen towel to gently rub inside and outside of the tool. With mechanical sifters, accessing the interior may be more difficult due to the compact size. In this case, you can use a brush to clean the mesh inside the device. A toothbrush will suffice if you don't have any suitable cleaning tools, but make sure you use a new toothbrush that's solely dedicated to cleaning.

Although your flour sifter might not make the list of the grossest things in your kitchen (a list that definitely includes garbage disposals, cutting boards, and dish sponges), the oft-used tool can still become hopelessly soiled. If the routine cleaning doesn't do the trick, which might be the case for sifters with stuck-on, congealed flour, there are other cleaning methods you can try. Toothpicks, which you probably already have sitting around in your home somewhere, are ideal for this purpose, as they can loosen stuck-on bits without damaging the fine mesh. Instead of toothpicks, you can also used compressed air, which is often used to remove dust from delicate electronics and other hard-to-reach areas.

As for washing your flour sifter, some claim that it's not necessary (and that the use of water can lead to the formation of rust on the metal components). If you do choose to wash yours, avoid the dishwasher in favor of handwashing the kitchen tool in the sink, as you want to limit its contact with the water. In many cases, a quick rinse under a running faucet will be sufficient. Afterwards, leave the sifter in a well-ventilated area to ensure that it dries thoroughly. Sifting flour is an essential step when making baked goods, and with these tips, you can rest easy knowing your handy kitchen tool is clean and ready to use.