I find that bending the spent blossom end away from the stalk works pretty well if I grab low enough to take off the "bee pod" next to the stalk. The spent bloom is often hard to get off without grabbing that stiffer area below it as it is often too soft.
As to removing the entire stalks after blossoming I try to not leave the rhizome with an open wound on top which can hold water and cause future rot. Often I just cut the stalk down to just below the leaves leaving it harder for water to cause problems to the rhizome.
