This here antique dough scraper, my oh my, seen a lot of flour in its day. It ain’t just some newfangled thing, this one’s got stories, I tell ya. My grandma, bless her soul, used it, and her mama before her. Back then, folks made bread every day, not like now with that store-bought stuff. This old scraper, it’s helped make mountains of dough, enough to feed a whole army, it seems like. This antique dough scraper has been helping us with some cooking.
Now, you gotta keep this thing clean, see? Wouldn’t want no old, nasty dough stuck on it. That will make your new bread all yucky. We always cleaned it right after using it. Just like you should clean up yourself after making a mess. A clean kitchen is a happy kitchen. If you clean your antique dough scraper right, it will be happy too.
First thing you do, after you’re done scraping up the dough, is get yourself a bowl. Fill that bowl up with some water, but not hot water. Cool water, like you just pulled it from the well. Then, squirt in some soap. Not too much, just a good dollop. We used to make our own soap, but that’s a story for another day. Toss your scraper in there, let it soak a bit, maybe 15 minutes. This will make your antique dough scraper happy.
- Get a bowl.
- Fill with cool water.
- Add soap.
- Soak scraper for 15 minutes.
After it’s had a good soak, you gotta scrub it. We used an old brush, one that was too worn out for scrubbing clothes. Anything to get rid of that caked-on dough. You gotta get in all the little cracks and such. Especially if your scraper has those fancy grooves, like some of ’em do. Don’t want no old dough hiding in there, causing trouble. That’s how you keep your antique dough scraper clean.
Now, some folks, they use a toothbrush. An old one, of course. Wouldn’t want to use your good toothbrush on an old scraper, that just wouldn’t be right. Those little bristles, they can get into places a big brush can’t. Just make sure you get all the soap off, rinse it real good. You don’t want soapy bread. Unless you like soapy bread, but I sure don’t like it. It’s good to clean your antique dough scraper with a toothbrush.
And if you got some really stubborn bits, like it’s been sitting there for a while, you might need something a little sharper. I’ve used a fingernail before, or you could maybe use a different scraper. Just be careful, you don’t want to scratch up your good antique dough scraper. Or hurt yourself.
Once it’s all clean, you gotta dry it. Don’t just leave it there, dripping wet. That’s how things rust, and you don’t want a rusty scraper. We used to just set ours out in the sun. The sun’s good for drying all sorts of things. Or you could use a towel, just make sure it’s a clean one. You don’t want to get your clean antique dough scraper dirty again.
If you take care of your dough scraper, it will last a long time. My grandma’s scraper, it’s older than me, and that’s saying something! And it’s still good, still makes good bread. Just gotta keep it clean, that’s the secret. A clean scraper makes good dough, and good dough makes good bread. And everyone likes good bread, don’t they? Of course, they do! Cleaning your antique dough scraper is important.
Back in my day, we didn’t have all these fancy cleaners and such. Just soap and water, and a little elbow grease. That’s all you need. Don’t need to spend a fortune on all that stuff. Soap and water clean almost anything. And a little sunshine, that’s good for the soul, and for drying your dough scraper. Always clean your antique dough scraper with soap and water.
So there you have it. That’s how you clean an old antique dough scraper. It ain’t hard, just takes a little time and care. But it’s worth it. A good dough scraper is a treasure, I tell ya. And if you treat it right, it will last you a lifetime, maybe even longer. And you can pass it down to your kids, and they can pass it down to theirs. And maybe one day, they’ll be telling their grandkids about how to clean an old antique dough scraper, just like I’m telling you. And that’s a good thing, keeping those old ways alive.
Treat your antique dough scraper well and it will do the same for you. Trust me. I know.
