Degreasing Plastic

[Andy Kev.]

I've got a kettle which has a black plastic lid. I lodged for a few weeks at a mate's house while changing flats. I stupidly placed the kettle near the hot plates of his oven and as he is an enthusiastic fryer of all food, it ended up caked with a layer of more or less hard baked fat.

Getting it off the glass body of the kettle was relatively easy as you would imagine. However, the matte plastic lid (which is not flat) is proving to be a bit more of a challenge. I could put in hours of elbow grease but it occurred to me that somebody might know of a substance which would deal with it quickly.

Any suggestions?

 

[Robert]

My kitchen degreasing is pretty simple. Oil on the worktops comes off with strong washing up liquid and hot water. Oil on the floor gets washing soda shaken onto it then mopped back off.

If our kettle lid was oily I'd try washing up liquid mixed with citric acid powder so it cleans and descales. I get the citric from amazon.

 

[Pete Maddex]

White sprit/meths both will disolve grease, and some plastics so test first.

Pete

 

[AndyP]

Chuck it in the dishwasher perhaps.

Assuming the lid is detachable.

 

[Malc2098]

I've used sugar soap for serious degreasing in the kitchen, especially the metal cooker hood filters. Works a treat when you soak them in a solution.

I would think the SS sprays you can buy would clean your lid OK.

 

[droogs]

lemon or pinapple juice are very good at breaking down saturated fats.

 

[spb]

My method is to take one of those washing up sponges with the scouring pad on the back. With it damp but not soaking, apply washing up liquid directly to the pad, squeeze it a few times, then use that to scrub the plastic, alternating with running it under the hot tap. It'll look and feel utterly horrible at first, but after a couple of iterations it should clean right up.

 

[Cabinetman]

Most cooking oil is a product from the Devil. I only use coconut oil or beef dripping.
Also a plastic kettle wouldn’t be allowed in my kitchen to start with.

 

[Woodbloke]

I only use coconut oil or beef dripping.

Full of saturated fat; we us organic Avocado Oil (very high 'smoke temp') and a small bottle lasts at least two months, probably more, and that includes doing 'roast' taters/chips etc in the air fryer - Rob

 

[Cabinetman]

Air fryer? Dear God, you can’t do a proper chip in anything other than beef dripping.
You’ll be telling me butter isn’t good for me next!

 

[Woodbloke]

Air fryer? Dear God, you can’t do a proper chip in anything other than beef dripping.
You’ll be telling me butter isn’t good for me next!

Butter isn't good for you either; horrid nasty stuff full of artery clogging sat fat :lol: In an air fryer you can cook a load of chips, enough for two people, using a teaspoonful (or less) of oil; maybe just a few drops - Rob

 

[Andy Kev.]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have to nip round to the supermarket to get some kitchen stuff anyway, what with having just moved into the flat and all and then get down to it. The thing about the oil/fat having turned into what looks like a layer of a matte finish is that I find it stomach churning. If I do get it clean, I will relegate the kettle to the workshop (once I've got that set up) and get a new one for the kitchen.

 

[novocaine]

vodka.

 

[Alf]

vodka.

Makes sense. Take enough before starting the job and then you won't notice how revolting it is.

 

[Mike G]

....Butter isn't good for you either; horrid nasty stuff full of artery clogging sat fat.....

Nope. A Swedish long-term study has found that eating dairy fat is associated with a lower risk of heart disease:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/22/...lar-disease-intl-scli-wellness-scn/index.html

https://www.studyfinds.org/dairy-fat-prevent-heart-attack/

As for "horrid".........sorry, I can't help you. You're just wrong.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Air fryer? Dear God, you can’t do a proper chip in anything other than beef dripping.
You’ll be telling me butter isn’t good for me next!

Butter isn't good for you either; horrid nasty stuff full of artery clogging sat fat :lol: In an air fryer you can cook a load of chips, enough for two people, using a teaspoonful (or less) of oil; maybe just a few drops - Rob

I thought the tide had turned on this; saturated fats are no longer evil, but polyunsaturated fats are heading that way and the main bogeyman is sugar. But you can never trust dietary advice, it blows with the wind.

A strong alkali is my material of choice. When we moved in I de-greased the kitchen with a solution of sodium hydroxide, which was once upon a time sold as a dairy cleaning agent (the tin I had was that old). Amazing effect, but take care. It can also strip paint. And harm the skin and eyes.

 

[Lons]

Isopropyl / rubbing alcohol might help, I use it for general cleaning in the workshop especially degreasing and have done so on plastics without any harm but you would need to do a test first perhaps on the underside, the kettle lid is likely ABS or a modified version I suspect.
IPA is cheap and useful especially as it's diluted with water for most jobs.

 

[Raymedullary]

....Butter isn't good for you either; horrid nasty stuff full of artery clogging sat fat.....

Nope. A Swedish long-term study has found that eating dairy fat is associated with a lower risk of heart disease:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/22/...lar-disease-intl-scli-wellness-scn/index.html

https://www.studyfinds.org/dairy-fat-prevent-heart-attack/

As for "horrid".........sorry, I can't help you. You're just wrong.

Not exactly the most convincing OR scientific studies there!
There is no question that saturated fats are a major contributor to high Cholesterol and blocked arteries.
Yes, its all about quantity but to hail saturated fat as a preventative in any way/combination is quackery.

 

[Mike G]

......Not exactly the most convincing OR scientific studies there!

I presume you went to the original paper, Ray, and didn't just critique it on the media reports I linked to.

https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003763

There is no question that saturated fats are a major contributor to high Cholesterol and blocked arteries.Yes, its all about quantity but to hail saturated fat as a preventative in any way/combination is quackery.

"There is no question." That's pretty absolutist, and doesn't take into account this study, and many others (there's a meta analysis in the paper, as you'll know from reading it), which don't support your assertion. And just think about this for a while: eskimoes living on a diet high in seal fat and with no access to vegetables don't have an increased risk of heart disease. There's a lot of stuff in this field which has been taken for granted for donkeys years which isn't supported by evidence.

 

[Raymedullary]

Yes its very interesting. However generally studies of this type become somewhat selective of data/conditions and the line between the author describing research and to put it bluntly proving a desired point is often thin. Quoting extremes is problematic when it comes to creating a meaningful conclusion (the oft quoted Eskimo seal fat one is a good example). So taken in the round and for the vast majority of the population, an excess of animal/saturated fats over a long period has been proved to be detrimental to health. In conclusion it would be very difficult or near impossible to base a so called healthy intake based on the study (although it could be argued that that was not its intent). I did enjoy reading the findings however.
There far more (and some would say more credible) studies conducted showing how for instance LDL has been significantly reduced by the reduction of animal/saturated dietary fat. As well as a whole host of other conditions.
But once again thank you for posting.

 

[Mike G]

.......for the vast majority of the population, an excess of animal/saturated fats over a long period has been proved to be detrimental to health..........

Without citing a study or providing any corroboration, this is just an assertion. And of course we're going to need a little help with quantifying "an excess". That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence (Carl Sagan, wasn't it?).

 

[Alasdair]

Isopropyl / rubbing alcohol might help, I use it for general cleaning in the workshop especially degreasing and have done so on plastics without any harm but you would need to do a test first perhaps on the underside, the kettle lid is likely ABS or a modified version I suspect.
IPA is cheap and useful especially as it's diluted with water for most jobs.

I second alcohol, my mate Davy was making vodka that was so good it even cleared your memory

 

[Mike G]

Yes its very interesting. However generally studies of this type become somewhat selective of data/conditions and the line between the author describing research and to put it bluntly proving a desired point is often thin......

This does need addressing. This is published in a peer reviewed journal. The review process is done by experts in the field who are all experienced and published scientists. That's just the way things work. Being selective of data/ conditions, as you put it, wouldn't get past any reviewer. Proving a desired point is a career-ending fraud. These are big accusations you have levelled, and again you've provided no evidence.

That is not to say that this study is right. There are plenty of papers which have been published over the years which have proved to be wrong or flawed. The publishing side of the process isn't perfect. However, that isn't the end of the checks and balances in the system, because what happens after publication is that others go out and test the results. They set up their own tests to check the findings, and will then publish those to be read alonside the original study. Scientists, in my experience, take some delight in showing other studies to be wrong or flawed.

"Science" isn't something you can read in one place, or ever look up the definitive version, so whether the Swedish study becomes the generally accepted position will depend on whether its findings are supported by others in due course. Some people, however, have already made up their minds and will only see evidence which supports their view.

 

[Woodbloke]

....Butter isn't good for you either; horrid nasty stuff full of artery clogging sat fat.....

Nope. A Swedish long-term study has found that eating dairy fat is associated with a lower risk of heart disease:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/22/...lar-disease-intl-scli-wellness-scn/index.html

https://www.studyfinds.org/dairy-fat-prevent-heart-attack/

As for "horrid".........sorry, I can't help you. You're just wrong.

Mike, you've interpreted my light hearted remarks in totally the wrong way. As for 'horrid', that's my opinion and I'm not wrong, your opinion is different.

As for your help, I don't need it and when I do (which I somehow doubt) I'll ask for it - Rob

 

[Cabinetman]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have to nip round to the supermarket to get some kitchen stuff anyway, what with having just moved into the flat and all and then get down to it. The thing about the oil/fat having turned into what looks like a layer of a matte finish is that I find it stomach churning. If I do get it clean, I will relegate the kettle to the workshop (once I've got that set up) and get a new one for the kitchen.

Before you buy a new one I suggest you do 5mins on “plastic kettles bad for your health” not saying the reports are that scientific, but why risk it. Ian

 

[Andy Kev.]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have to nip round to the supermarket to get some kitchen stuff anyway, what with having just moved into the flat and all and then get down to it. The thing about the oil/fat having turned into what looks like a layer of a matte finish is that I find it stomach churning. If I do get it clean, I will relegate the kettle to the workshop (once I've got that set up) and get a new one for the kitchen.

Before you buy a new one I suggest you do 5mins on “plastic kettles bad for your health” not saying the reports are that scientific, but why risk it. Ian

Luckily there’s no need to because while the lid is plastic, the body is glass. The latter was, as you would expect, very easy to get spotlessly clean.

 

[Lurker]

Assuming that we are talking about electric kettles, can you still buy non plastic ones?

 

[Cabinetman]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have to nip round to the supermarket to get some kitchen stuff anyway, what with having just moved into the flat and all and then get down to it. The thing about the oil/fat having turned into what looks like a layer of a matte finish is that I find it stomach churning. If I do get it clean, I will relegate the kettle to the workshop (once I've got that set up) and get a new one for the kitchen.

Before you buy a new one I suggest you do 5mins on “plastic kettles bad for your health” not saying the reports are that scientific, but why risk it. Ian

Luckily there’s no need to because while the lid is plastic, the body is glass. The latter was, as you would expect, very easy to get spotlessly clean.

Well that’s good! Must say that finding a kettle that is all non- plastic isn’t so easy but they do exist, a lot have a plastic window for water level.
People are starting to wake up and think about plastics and chemicals in the home a lot more now thank goodness.

 

[Mike G]

........Mike, you've interpreted my light hearted remarks in totally the wrong way. As for 'horrid', that's my opinion and I'm not wrong, your opinion is different.

As for your help, I don't need it and when I do (which I somehow doubt) I'll ask for it - Rob

:lol: :lol: And you've interperted my light hearted comments in entirely the wrong way. I knew yours were light hearted. Now, imagine I was standing next to you in the pub when you said butter was yucky and going to kill me, or something, and then read my reply again in the same spirit in which you gave yours. You'll find we were actually enjoying some friendly banter together.

 

[Woodbloke]

:lol: :lol: And you've interperted my light hearted comments in entirely the wrong way. I knew yours were light hearted. Now, imagine I was standing next to you in the pub when you said butter was yucky and going to kill me, or something, and then read my reply again in the same spirit in which you gave yours. You'll find we were actually enjoying some friendly banter together.

The vagaries of a conversation on t'interweb :eusa-whistle: Not the first time it's happened and won't be the last - Rob

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

"Science" isn't something you can read in one place, or ever look up the definitive version

Mike, that is a swingeing comment. I put it to you, Ohm's Law, Young's Modulus, Avogadro's Number, etc ARE definitive and (outside quantum physics) hold for every practical application.

That is not to say that this study is right. There are plenty of papers which have been published over the years which have proved to be wrong or flawed. The publishing side of the process isn't perfect. However, that isn't the end of the checks and balances in the system, because what happens after publication is that others go out and test the results. They set up their own tests to check the findings, and will then publish those to be read alongside the original study.

Absolutely. One of the most striking things about this paper was the detail buried in the meta-analysis. Simply put, they acknowledged the difficulties of direct comparison to other studies, such as ones depicting the accepted norm re cholesterol/heart disease:

"Our study-level meta-analysis has known limitations such as potential for increased heterogeneity due to differences in study design (e.g., covariate selection) and limited number of studies evaluating certain outcomes"

Science, at its 'cutting edge', which this is, is often not an attempt to definitively state and formulate, it can just be a report or "Study" on an interesting conundrum, which this is.

"Scientists, in my experience, take some delight in showing other studies to be wrong or flawed."

Seriously? You must have had the bad luck to encounter some quite unrepresentative cranky ones. They build on each other's work. That's what symposia are for.

 

[RogerS]

......
As for your help, I don't need it and when I do (which I somehow doubt) I'll ask for it - Rob

I think that that is a little bit unnecessarily terse, Rob.

 

[Mike G]

"Science" isn't something you can read in one place, or ever look up the definitive version

Mike, that is a swingeing comment. I put it to you, Ohm's Law, Young's Modulus, Avogadro's Number, etc ARE definitive and (outside quantum physics) hold for every practical application.

I was talking more generally. There are obviously set Laws and theories which can be read in one publication. I was more talking about the general thrust of, say, physics, or zoology, or astronomy, or whatever. There isn't one publication which holds all of the known truths and the current best work on a subject. You can't declare "this is science because it's written here", and, by implication, "that isn't science because it's not written here".

"Scientists, in my experience, take some delight in showing other studies to be wrong or flawed."

Seriously? You must have had the bad luck to encounter some quite unrepresentative cranky ones. They build on each other's work. That's what symposia are for.

Oh yes, absolutely. They love that stuff, and science works well at these gatherings apparently (so my daughter tells me). It's a human enterprise, after all, and we're a social animal. Other people's work can reinforce yours, and obviously scientists want that. However, if your research project happens to disprove something that's been accepted wisdom for a while, that can be career defining. It's not personal, it's just human nature combined with the realities of science funding. Imagine, for instance, the enormous life-changing benefits to the scientist or institution concerned if, say, someone were to show beyond doubt that CO2 doesn't retain heat in the atmosphere. The scientist/s concerned would without doubt be grinning from ear to ear when they announced their findings. (This would overturn endless studies which show the opposite, obviously. There are plenty of people trying, of course, and there's likely good reason why they've not had any success. The beauty of it is, the more these people try and fail, the stronger the original science becomes).

 

[Mike G]

......
As for your help, I don't need it and when I do (which I somehow doubt) I'll ask for it - Rob

I think that that is a little bit unnecessarily terse, Rob.

Relax, Roger. We're fine.

 

[Chris152]

"Scientists, in my experience, take some delight in showing other studies to be wrong or flawed."

Seriously? You must have had the bad luck to encounter some quite unrepresentative cranky ones. They build on each other's work. That's what symposia are for.

As an outsider, I'm not so sure - isn't being falsifiable one of the necessary characteristics of science? And testing for/ finding fault with others' theses is part of the task of all disciplines. They're put out there to be tested, and careers are built by those who can find fault as well as offering new knowledge to replace faulty arguments.
My tuppence.

 

[Raymedullary]

Vinegar. And according to Michael Caine it dissolved all the fat he consumed from his love of fish and chips. I don't think he ever wrote a paper on it though.

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

Oh yes, absolutely...... the stronger the original science becomes).

Gotcha Mike. I will be the first to congratulate the scientist who can prove Sinatra could sing....

 

[Woodbloke]

......
As for your help, I don't need it and when I do (which I somehow doubt) I'll ask for it - Rob

I think that that is a little bit unnecessarily terse, Rob.

Relax, Roger. We're fine.

Yep. Had a bit of a crap day when I penned that little missive: I thought I might have contacted the dreaded Covid lurgi as I've recently had a fairly tight chest and have been struggling for me bref on occasions, but I think it's just one of the innumerable bugs currently doing the rounds. Feeling absolutely fine otherwise with no other symptoms.

Apologies anyway Mike - Rob