Cleaning spiles

[old fashioned]

I got a bucket of spiles - some brand new and some used. They were in with hooks so there is rust on some. I was going to boil, chlorine wash, scrub and rinse. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks.

[maple flats]

Are the spiles metal or plastic?

[old fashioned]

The spiles are metal

[VT_K9]

I would soak them in vinegar for a few hours first. The vinegar will help loosen a lot of material.

[maple flats]

If they are galvanized I'd just show them as an example of what was used before they understood the lead issue. If aluminum or SS clean them.

[Michael Greer]

Hot water and dish detergent like you're doing a stack of nasty pots and pans. You can get a brush that fits your spiles from your maple supplier that will remove any residue. Rinse everything really, really well because soap will leave a bad flavor. When they're all well rinsed, put them on a cookie sheet and into a low oven to sterilize and dry them. Anything that looks bad after cleaning and drying is trash.