I don't know if this has been discussed before or not, but for me the worst part of making a cake is cleaning up afterwards. 
Especially the tips. 
Getting all the frosting out before trying to clean them is the hardest part because then I can throw them in the dishwasher. Now, before anybody says to use the tip bag for cleaning them - I've tried it and was not impressed. Hot water works the best but it gets too hot to hold a metal tip for long. I've tried soaking them and sometimes this works well but then the tips are extra greasy from sitting in the water.
Well tonight I found a new method by accident. I had made pasta earlier and the small strainer was still in the sink from straining it. I ended up with my tips in it and then ran hot water on them while swishing around and the frosting came right out. It made cleanup so much easier!! 
I was just wondering if any one else had any "tips" to share for quicker cleaning up after the fun part is done?
I have the tip cleaner brush...I think its $2 Wilton brand. It works great!!
I just fill a mixing bowl with hot water and a squirt of Dawn as I start the decorating process ... then I throw everything in there (including tips) as I finish with it, and it soaks. Then when completely done, I drain that bowl and put everything into the dishwasher. I've never had a problem getting all the icing out of the tips that way...
I microwave them or boil them in a small sauce pan with some water and a little bit of dawn.
If you put in microwave make sure you have a good 1/2 to 1" of water over the TOP of your metal.
Either way i clean them, once boiled for awhile then I dump into a small mesh strainer and rinse with hot water. Then rinse with cold so I can handle them.
HTH
Leily
I have two wilton cooling racks which look like a grid, with wires criss-crossing to make squares. The squares are just the right size to set my tips in, point down. With the rack laying across my sink, I fill the middle 1/3 of one rack, putting a tip in every other hole/square. Then I clamp the other rack on top, using big bulldog clips. Then, using my sink sprayer, I rinse the tips with water as hot as will come from the tap, to rinse out almost all of the grease/buttercream. Then I stick the whole thing in my dishwasher. The tips come out sparkling clean.
I learned this on cake central and wouldn't go any other way again:
Put the tips (they could be full of icing and still come out clean) in a microwavable bowl or cup.
Cover them with water. Add about two drops of dishwashing liquid.
Microwave on high for two minutes.
another tip: Leave that hot bowl in the microwave for several minutes and the steam will make your microwave oven easy to wipe down clean!
I always throw all of my tips in a little saucepan and boil them. Once boiling, I drain the water, refill the pan, and boil again. I usually do this about three times, and then I use the tip brush to simply wipe out the inside of the tips. It works great!
I usually throw my tips in a bowl with hot water, dish washing liquid and add some vinegar. This helps to take the greasy oily feel off of the tips. I will do this to my ka bowl it really helps to get that clean. I dont leave them soaking to long or it will strip the tips. I hope this helps. MC
I learned this on cake central and wouldn't go any other way again:
Put the tips (they could be full of icing and still come out clean) in a microwavable bowl or cup.
Cover them with water. Add about two drops of dishwashing liquid.
Microwave on high for two minutes.
another tip: Leave that hot bowl in the microwave for several minutes and the steam will make your microwave oven easy to wipe down clean!
The first time I did this, my hubby flipped out because I put metal in the microwave, but when he discovered that the micro gets cleaned at the same time, he was pretty happy with me!! 
[/quote]my hubby flipped out because I put metal in the microwave,[/quote]
It is not a problem at all as long as the tips are covered completely in water.
I dont leave them soaking to long or it will strip the tips.
Moviechick: Is this what must have caused the "blackening" on some of my tips?
i have also been told that if you leave them soak in any dishwashing liquid with citrus (lemon) it will blacken them. i am definitely going to try the microwave thing too (when hubby isn't around, he'd freak! LOL)
my hubby flipped out because I put metal in the microwave,[/quote]
It is not a problem at all as long as the tips are covered completely in water.[/quote]
Once I explained that it also cleaned the micro, he said, "whatever babe!"
lol.... like i said, i will try it the first time when he is at work! LOL LOL LOL
TheVienneaus,
If you leave your tips in vinegar water toooo long they will turn black. I usually leave them in about 5 min then another 5 mins swishing them around with my finger the rinse...lots of rising.
MC
I also have some greyish ones - must have been the Lemon Joy!
I don't use vinegar for soaking tips; so I'm thinking like cowdex that it must be something citrus I've used in the past. I usually use Dawn now.
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