What Is the Best Way to Clean a Box Grater?

Faith Durand
Faith DurandSVP of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
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published Apr 15, 2010
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Q: I was zesting a lemon with a box grater and noticed that on one side of the grater there was some leftover cheese from who knows when (gross, I know). I guess I didn’t wash it properly or was too lazy to pick at it. I can’t just scrub with a sponge for obvious reasons.

Do you have any easy/efficient ways to thoroughly clean all the holes in a grater?

Sent by Debbie

Editor: We’ve had that exact same experience, Debbie, we confess! Here are a couple things that seem to help. First off, we always wash the grater immediately. At least run it under warm water — anything to keep the cheese from hardening. Then, we like to use a stiff brush for cleaning things like this. We use one of these dishwashing brushes from Full Circle Home, which really seems to help get rid of the last bits of cheese and other detritus.

Readers, any tips for effectively cleaning a box grater?

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Related:

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(Image: Oxmoor House/Cooking Light)

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