Butter doesn't clean off of silverware very easy. Every time I finish buttering bread, I'm left with a knife covered in butter which needs to be cleaned. I can't just run it under the sink unless I wait for the hot water to work its way through the house. I don't want to waste a whole paper towel for the job.
So far I've been ripping corners off of paper towels to clean the knife without being wasteful. Is there a better way to clean butter off of a knife?
If I only used the knife for buttering bread, I clean the knife on the crust of the bread. This way (almost) all butter will be removed from the knife.
Are you drinking tea or diluted coffee with that bread? If so, pour some excess boiling water over the knife and the butter will wash off immediately.
You can try using a bit of flour. It helps clean grease off of most things, and it can also be used to shine stainless steel. Also consider using a rag to wipe off dirty dishes. A rag has an advantage over paper towels in that it can be reused and washed.
Leave the knife with the rest of your dirty dishes, so you can clean them all in one big batch. That's much more efficient in both time and energy than cleaning them one at a time.
We have a dual basin sink. On one side I will leave a small amount of water with anti-bacterial dish detergent. Leave a sponge in the water for when you need it. This sponge can be used for cleaning up anything that isn't too oily or dirty, and won't smell due to the anti-bacterial agent in the soap.
Alternatively, you can use a microfibre cloth ie. Enjo. As long as the butter is still cold, it will wipe off easily.
