Cleaned pepper shaker.
Today, I sprinkled my tiny pepper shaker over some food I was preparing. Nothing came out. The holes appeared to be open, and the glass shaker seemed to indicate that there was ground pepper in there. I removed the lid, and discovered that the totally empty pepper shaker sported a black coating of accreted pepper dust on its interior. It would not rub off.
I found a dedicated toothbrush in my kitchen drawer, and scrubbed it with dish detergent. I likewise scrubbed the aluminum cap. The glass now sparkled, and was fully transparent. The cap, despite repeated scrubbing, retained a veneer of intractable kitchen grease, still visible on the threaded rim.
I thought about when I had last cleaned it. Never! I purchased it in 1983. For nearly 40 years, I've just refilled it when empty, and not really noticed that it was becoming opaque. This style of tiny pepper shaker was a common fixture in diners since my childhood. They are still available, though tagged with a "Retro" label. Mine lives on the back of my kitchen stove.
Bob
