Real maple syrup is so incredibly tasty. This versatile condiment can be used to finish up a dish, bind together baked goods, and can just about be eaten on its own - yum! At Ben's Sugar Shack, we recognize that, to many, the only real downside of using real maple syrup is the chance for a sticky mess; today, we're teaching our readers how to quickly and easily clean it up.
How We Clean Up Maple Syrup Messes
All in all, we keep a pretty tidy shop at Ben's Sugar Shack, but working with maple syrup is bound to lead to a drop, spill, or smear eventually. So, you could more or less say we're experts at cleaning up syrup spills. While we don't expect your home and our Shack to have access to the same equipment, here are some shrunken-down versions of our remedies for various surfaces:
On Something Small
If you're worried about a syrup mess on something small and hard, like a plate, then all you really need to do is soak your syrupy things in some very hot and soapy water for a while, then simply wipe them clean. It won't (or shouldn't) take much effort to clean off your soakable surfaces if you use temperature to your advantage. You can also consider freezing and scraping, although usually a hot water soak is just all-around easier.
Floors, Counters, Shelves
The next likely place you'll encounter a spill is on the permanent surfaces in your kitchen that may hold or contain a syrup spill, leak, smear, etc. For floors, counters, and shelves, we advise you use one of the following methods:
- Sponge/cloth with very hot (as hot as you can handle) soapy water that is repeatedly pressed (not wiped) onto the spill until it is loose enough to easily wipe up.
- Spatulas or paint scrapers used to scrape or otherwise squeegee off most or all of the spill. This method isn't perfect, but it can get a bulk of the spill up quickly for large messes.
- Table salt or flour placed over the spill can buy you some time and stop the spread. Given enough time, you will come back to a hardened surface that can be mostly scraped off with a little effort.
- Sticky-proof products are far from food surface safe, but can make quick work out of small or spread-out syrup spills. Ask for them at your local hardware store and be sure to follow all manufacturer instructions carefully and re-sanitize the post-sticky surface immediately.
On You
Getting syrup off skin is a simple matter of wiping the skin with a warm, soapy rag or doing the same basic thing under a faucet or in the shower. We definitely wouldn't recommend using a product from the hardware store on skin. If you get syrup on clothing, use warm soapy water on the spill or smear before putting the clothes in with the laundry, so that you don't spread any syrup to the other clothes in the washing machine.
Real Maple Syrup is Worth the Hassle
At the end of the day, there is still plenty of reason to use real maple syrup for your family's meals. It's just so tasty! The occasional stickiness isn't all that much of a hassle, thanks to warm water and soap, plus it can be kind of fun for those meals together! If you're looking for a maple syrup that truly tastes worth the risk of a warm washcloth on your cheeks, then look no further than the 100% New Hampshire maple syrup at Ben's Sugar Shack!