Let’s face it, spoons, tongs and the like are awkward to clean. I’ve become a master at spraying water nearly everywhere from the kitchen sink when I’m cleaning them off. Half the time in my household, I just let them “soak” because I get frustrated at trying to clean off the cheese, sauce, cake, or whatever else we’ve created in the kitchen. Don’t ask me why it’s taken me so long to figure out that coconut oil is the answer to my problems.

Don't let clean up make you coconuts!

Most recently, during our trip to Expo East, we had a mess on our hands while we were sampling Keep It Real Food Co.’s black bean brownie (so good, by the way). But because they are so gooey and delicious, the knife wanted to save some of it for itself. After we cut enough for the sample trays, we were left with a mess on the knife and no place to clean it off.

This is when my stroke of genius set in and I put coconut oil on the knife to get the stuck-on brownie off the knife. Of course, it worked like a charm! Then, the next time BEFORE we cut into the brownies we put the coconut oil on the knife. This made it so much easier to slice and dice!

So before you make some delicious Mac and Cheese, put some coconut oil on the spoon beforehand to help it slide right off and make clean up a breeze. Along the same lines, if you’re baking a cake or cookies, don’t forget to coat the pan or baking sheet with coconut oil. I promise, you’ll thank me later instead of getting a workout with your arms while you’re scrubbing out a mess.

Do you have any other coconut oil “lifehacks”?

-Michelle