Welcome to Cleaning Tips

Garbage Disposal Cleaning

When going about your regular kitchen cleaning, you don't want to overlook your garbage disposal. Especially if food is scraped into the disposal when regularly washing the dishes. To clean grease and leftover food from your disposal and sharpen the blades at the same time, sprinkle liberally with baking soda and pour white vinegar over until it bubbles. Let set ten minutes. Rinse with hot water. Put two or three ice cubes in the disposal and grind. Rinse again with hot water. Now your disposal is clean and odor free.

Microwave Oven Cleaning and Deodorizing

During the course of your kitchen cleaning, you'll want to clean the exterior of your microwave oven. You can do this using baking soda and wate which should remove any residue without harming the finish. You may also want to wipe down the outside with vinegar after scrubbing. To thoroughly clean the inside of your microwave oven, add two tablespoons of lemon juice to a cup of water in a microwave safe bowl. Heat the mixture and allow to boil for approximately five minutes. Wipe out the inside with a sponge. For a quick and simple method of cleaning, wet a dishcloth and place in the center of your microwave. Turn on high and allow the cloth to heat for about 30 seconds. The steam that this creates will help loosen any hardened spills and you can use the heated cloth to wipe the inside clean. Be careful, the cloth will be really hot! If you have some difficult stains inside your microwave oven, there are two things you can try to remove them. First, you can cover the sides of your microwave with a cream cleanser, something like VIM. Put a microwave safe container with water in it on the turntable. Microwave it and make plenty of steam. Wipe out the interior with paper towel, and be sure to rinse thoroughly. If this doesn't work, you can take a three cup glass microwavable container, fill with one cup water and one cup white vinegar. Microwave for five minutes uncoverd. Then wipe down with warm sponge. To freshen up and deodorize your microwave, place a bowl of water in the oven and add three or four slices of lemon. Cook on high for thirty seconds. You can also try putting a little vanilla in a bowl, place it in your microwave and turn your oven on High for one minute. Repeat if this doesn't remove the smell after one try.

Homemade Remedy For Clogged Drains

If you have a clogged drain and cannot run out to the store to get a commercial drain product, try this remedy.

1) Remove all water from the sink. You may have to dip it out of the sink with a cup and place it in a bucket.

2) Pour one cup of baking soda down the drain.

3) Follow that with one cup of table salt.

4) Next, pour one half cup of white vinegar down the drain.

5) Allow the drain to set for ten minutes than flush it with two quarts of boiling water.

Do Away With Nasty, Cupboard Odors

The first method you should try to remove odor from your cupboards is to place a box of baking soda inside each cabinet. Baking soda will take care of most odor problems. However, if the baking soda does not alleviate the problem, take everything out of your cabinets and wipe down the inside of your cupboards with a heavy mixture of white vinegar and water.

The vinegar odor will be strong when you are applying it, but when it is dry it will not be noticeable.

The Heinz Solution for Copper Pots

There are plenty of cleaners on the market for cleaning up your copper cookwear- but if you want to save a few bucks, be kind to the environment and don't mind a little elbow grease, then head for the fridge and grab the ketchup! The acids in ketchup will eat tarnish up!

Give your cookware a light coating and wait. (Depending on how tarnished we're talking here, you're looking at 5 minutes all the way up to 30 minutes.) Then rinse and dry!

If you can't wait, add a little salt to the mixture and lightly go over the surface- as not to scratch- with a soft rag. Rinse and dry.

Clogged Sink

If you're not careful when washing the dishes, food particles can get caught in the drain, creating a clog. To clear a clogged sink, pour one half cup of baking soda follwed by one cup of vinegar down the drain. Wait one hour and then chase it with a kettle of boiling water. You can also try putting three Alka Seltzer tablets down your clogged drain, followed buy a cup of white vinegar. Wait a few minutes and then run hot water. If the sink is clogged with grease, pour a cup of salt water and a cup of baking soda into the drain followed by a kettle of boiling water. The grease will usually dissolve immediately and open the drain.

Removing Build-up From Salt and Pepper Shakers

Removing the build-up from wooden salt and pepper shakers is done in much the same way as you would clean glass shakers. Be sure to empty the shakers out and then submerge them in warm soapy water for three to five minutes.

After the salt and pepper shakers have soaked, scrub them gently with a coarse sponge until you've removed all the grime and build-up. Then rinse the shakers and place them in the dish drain to dry.

Once the shakers have dried thoroughly, you can put fresh salt and pepper into the shakers and use them as you normally would!

Coffee Maker Cleaning

Drip type coffee makers should be made a party of your regular kitchen cleaning routine (at least once a month). Dried coffee oils can ruin the taste of even the best blend. In addition, if you have what's considered "hard water", minerals can build up inside your coffee maker. An alternative to commercial coffee cleaners is to run a solution of half white vinegar and half water through the coffee maker to dissolve scale. The heated solution may have to be run through the unit one or more times if buildup is heavy. Thoroughly rinse all parts of the unit. Run plain cold water through a cycle to remove all traces. If you still have your owner's manual, check it as well for instructions specific to your model. The glass pot, filter container and other removeable components can be cleaned when you're washing the dishes.

Pots and Pans Stain Removal

Every now and then you come across a pot or a pan with a stain that can't be removed by routinely washing the dishes. These stains take a little time to remove. Stubborn stains can be removed from non-stick cookware by boiling 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1/2 cup vinegar, and 1 cup of water for ten minutes. Before using the pan again, season it with vegetable oil.

Natural All-Purpose Homemade Cleaner

For an all-purpose non-polluting kitchen cleaning product, add two tablespoons baking soda to one quart of warm water. This mixture should clean almost any surface safely and without any fumes. If some areas are more difficult, simply use plain baking soda in place of a scouring powder, it works just as well, does not contain any chemicals, removes any odors and is far more economical. This mixture can also be used when washing the dishes, causing your plates to shine!

Getting Grease Build-Up Off of a Tiled Kitchen Floor

Stuck on grease is usually a sticky goo-ish type substance that is best dealt with by using a soapy kind of cleanser- namely a degreaser along the lines of 409- and a heavy duty nylon scrubbing pad.

A warning however:
Depending on how heavy the build-up is, it usually requires a little bit of elbow grease to get rid of it. The problem with that is you have to be careful not to ruin the finish of whatever that build-up has latched itself onto. If you're not concerned about the surface, scrub away with a heavy duty nylon pad and degreaser. If the surface is a concern, forgo the scrubbing pad. Spray the area with degreaser (testing a small patch for colorfastness first) and clean with a rag dipped in the hottest water possible. (Gloves may be a good idea here.) Wring out your rag in fresh hot water often- and change rags when necessary.

If the build up is really, really heavy, soak the area in degreaser and scrape off the build-up with a putty knife. Then use the heavy duty scrubbing pad and/or the 'hot rag' method.

Making Brass Handles Shiny

Remove your brass handles from your kitchen cabinets and put them in a small saucepan of ketchup- just enough to cover the handles will do. Bring the temperature to a boil and immediately turn down the heat. When the handles are nice and shiny, take them out and give them a gool polishing!

The acids in ketchup work wonders when it comest to removing tarnish and buildup from metals such as brass and copper!

Metal Range Hood Filter Screen Cleaning

Even though we put it off, we'll probably end up cleaning the range hood during the course of our kitchen cleaning. To clean accumulated dust, grease and grime from the metal filters or screens of your range hood, simply spray with oven cleaner, let sit 15 minutes and put them through a normal wash cycle of your automatic dishwasher. For best results use a soap recommended for washing dishes that are greasy.

Dishwasher Stain Removal

You may think that since your dishwasher uses soap for washing dishes, its inside is spotless. This isn't always the case however, as dishwashers can take on yellow stains. to quickly remove these, first allow your empty machine to fill for a wash. Then add a package of flavored orange crystals (the kind that make instant orange beverages) and allow the wash and rinse cycle to complete. How's that for a kitchen cleaning tip!

Fresh Smelling Dishwasher

When washing the dishes, you want them to look and smell fresh. For a fresh smelling dishwasher, try placing a lemon half in the utensil container. Run your machine through a normal cycle, and your dishes and dishwasher will come out smelling fresh and lemony. Lemon is great for all kinds of ktichen cleaning as it leaves everything smelling wonderful!

Stove Burner Cleaning

The best way to clean stove burners is to gently pull them out of the stove top, and wash with warm, soapy water. Use a gentle detergent such as that used to wash dishes. Do not submerse them or allow the electrical connection to get wet. If there is food or burnt particles stuck to them, use baking soda as a cleanser. Use it as you would a cleansing scrub, or if you have stubborn stains you can make a paste with baking soda and water and let it sit for 30 minutes, then scrub. Be sure to rinse them thoroughly with clear water. Depending on the condition of the burners you may not get them just like new (if they are scratched, worn, etc.), but you should be able to get them thoroughly clean. To prevent buildup and burned on food, wipe burners thoroughly during your regular kitchen cleaning ritual.

Baked On Food Removal

No doubt, the person in your home who handles washing the dishes knows a thing or two about removing baked on food from pans and casserole dishes. Still, this kitchen cleaning tip might be appreciated. If, when washing dishes, one encounters a pot or pan with burned on food, one should put the scrubbing brush away. Instead, place a dryer sheet in the pan, fill it with hot water and let it sit overnight. In the morning it will just need to be sponged clean. Apparantly, the anti-static agents loosen the bond between the food and the pan while the fabric agents soften the baked-on food.

Grease Removal from Kitchen Cabinets

When cleaning kitchen cabinets of touch cooking grease,, there are a few commercial products that are very effective Be sure to read the back label to find the kitchen cleaning product that best suits your needs. You can also try using baking soda for a more environmentally friendly alternative or a mild detergent, such as that you would use to wash your dishes, to cut through grease. You can also try cleaning kitchen cabinet doors by combining a half