Cleaning Your Dishwasher

Your dishwasher may not be the first place you think to clean but over time it builds up with food deposits, grime and much more. Dishwashers need regular routine cleaning just like every large, frequently used appliance in your home. After awhile, they can become a problem with appearance and odor. A routine dishwasher cleaning is a good habit and should be included with your regular spring cleaning routine.

How to Clean Your Dishwasher and Remove Odor

1. Using a small brush or an old toothbrush dipped in warm soapy water, go around the door of the dishwasher taking care to get into the grooves and crevices of the rubber seal. You may need to use a soft abrasive cleanser, such as Soft Scrub® to remove the dried and baked on grime.

2. Pull the bottom rack out and examine the drain area. Wipe around it to be sure there are no hard chunks that can plug the drain, cause damage to the pump or scratch dishes.

3. Using a clean wet sponge or a rag, wipe the cleaning solution from the gasket and the door.

4. Place a dishwasher-safe cup filled with plain white vinegar on the top rack of the dishwasher. Using the hottest water available, run the dishwasher through a cycle - except for the cup of vinegar, the dishwasher needs to be empty.

5. Baking soda is also effective at freshening and brightening your dishwasher. Just sprinkle a cupful around the bottom of the tub and run it through a short but complete cycle using the hottest water. Baking soda can help to remove any stains.

Cleaning Upholstery

Cleaning spills on furniture cushions can seem tricky, but there are some basic tips to getting them clean that anyone can put to use quickly. One of the most important points is knowing what caused the stain, and what type of fabric the stain is on.

Cold water should be used on all types of stains other than enzyme based stains such as blood. Using hot water on other types of stains can actually cause more harm than good.

Quick Tips

Clean off the food or other debris from the affected area. If the mess is already dried you can vacuum the area to remove any excess food, etc.
Clean the area with either a commercial upholstery cleaner or natural cleaners.
Let the area dry.

Green Upholstery Cleaners

One of the best is white vinegar. Mixed with water, the vinegar not only picks up the stain, but also disinfects. It works great on wine stains.
Another effective cleaning agent is salt. Pour it over the stain and let dry. Scrape it off and wash with cold water. Finish by vacuuming and you should have a like-new cushion.

Cornstarch is another excellent way of removing oil and grease stains. Pour it over the affected area and let it dry. Vacuum it off and you should have a nice clean surface.

Add 1/4 c. laundry detergent or liquid dish detergent to 1 c. warm water. Blend with an electric mixer; whip the mixture until the suds look like whipped cream (it will be dry and form peaks). Take a damp cloth and rub the mixture into the stained area. Rinse out the cloth and gently wipe off the surface.

Source: www.wisegeek.com

Handling Crystal Stemware

Fine crystal stemware immediately adds a touch of class and elegance to any dinner table, and leaves your dinner party guests long admiring your fine taste. There is no doubt crystal and other fine stemware pieces are beautiful; but they are also are extremely fragile and delicate. With every wash and rinse, they must be handled with care in order to keep them looking as beautiful as the day you first got them—and first showed them off to your friends and family members.

With a little patience, and a little preparation, you can keep your fine pieces of stemware looking their best long into the future. And it’s not too hard. Here's how you do it.

Cleaning must be done carefully, preferably one piece at a time. Remember, the less you handle the piece the better, as most damage occurs when cleaning and moving. It’s also a best practice to wash crystal stemware by hand.

• Line the bottom of your sink with a dish towel or paper towels as a buffer in case one is dropped.

• Using a very small amount of mild dish soap, a soft cloth and warm (not hot) water, gently wash each glass individually. You only need a drop of soap smaller than a dime to get three to four glasses clean.

• Rinse each piece thoroughly in a separate bowl of warm water (temperature changes can cause breakage and hot water can fade hand-painted pieces).

• Dry with a cotton or lint free towel while the glass is still warm. Be careful not turn the stemware against the stem while drying, as the weakest part of the glass is where the stem connects to the bowl.

• Place right side up to cool before storing.

• Store crystal stemware in either a stemware storage box (available online, or at most home goods retailers) or hang in a glass-rack.

A couple more tips:

• For glasses that are particularly tough to clean, hold over a pot of boiling water, allowing the stemware to fog up from the steam. Then take a soft, clean, lint-free cloth and gently wipe.

• To prevent hard water spots from leaving their mark, add a couple of drops of vinegar to the cloth or sponge when cleaning.

• If you must use a dishwasher, be extremely careful, especially if the crystal is hand-blown. Make sure the glasses are secure and that they do not touch each other. Always wash on a “short” and delicate cycle.

Sources: http://www.allthingscrystal.com

http://www.gearys.com

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Cleaning Up—The Do’s and Don’ts when Tackling a Messy Kids Room

Keeping your kids room clean is almost as hard as getting them to clean it in the first place, but for a number of health and safety reasons, it’s an important chore to add to your weekly cleaning routine—and better yet, teach your children to do themselves as part of their weekly cleaning responsibilities.

When children are young, often the biggest obstacle between you and a clean room is their toys. On holidays, for birthdays, when grandparents visit, for good behavior, it seems as though kids are always accumulating new toys—but where do you put them all! And what do you do with all
of their old toys? With a little organization, creativity and discipline, you can not only clean up that messy kid’s room, but also teach your kids that clean-up can be fun and rewarding. Follow this great to-do list—and pay careful attention to the -don’t list—and be on your way to a clean and organized home.

Do:

• De-organize. To get your bearings and know exactly what you’re working with, start by setting out all the toys on the floor.

• Categorize. Group toys by type (board games, books, stuffed animals) and then by size.

• Donate or toss. Anything that is not played with or that your kids have outgrown, donate to a local charity. Anything that is broken or missing pieces, throw away.

• Purchase storage containers. Best practice is to purchase a variety of sizes and styles depending on the size of the room. For small spaces, stackable containers, or containers that slide under the bed are great options. Bookshelves, baskets, shoe organizers and shoe boxes also come in handy. Neatly put toys away in each container.

• Get your kids involved. Have your kids help you pick out their containers, then together, decorate them with stickers, paint and labels, so that the content of each container is easily identifiable by their artwork.

• Be encouraging. Make cleaning up fun, by turning it into a game and playing it with them—who can clean up the floor fastest, of stack the books in order of size.

Don’t.

• Get caught off guard. Messy toys, such as markers and paint, play dough and other major mess causing toys, should be kept on higher shelves, out of reach.

• Forget the small stuff. Barbie shoes, action figure accessories, Lego, marbles and other small toys can be organized in their own clear plastic jars and Tupperware containers with tightly fitting lids. Not only will this help prevents pieces from being lost, it is also reduces the choking hazard if your supervision is needed when playing with those toys.

• Be all play and no work. Schoolwork and materials used for completing school work should be kept neatly organized as well. It’s a good idea to designate as small work area in their room, to encourage quiet time and focusing on their on their work.



Sources: www.home-organization.suite101.com

www.realsimple.com

Removing Grease from Your Kitchen Cabinets

Keeping your kitchen cabinets clean and free of the grease and grime that can accumulate from everyday cooking is must in order to preserve their quality and keep them looking their best. But grease can be a tough opponent, and its removal often requires the use of chemicals that can damage the finish of your wood cabinetry, not to mention a lot of scrubbing, which can be equally as harmful to delicate or porous surfaces.

The reason grease is so tough to eliminate is that its water resistant, so cleaning with your average water-based cleaners usually won't even scratch the surface. But after time, built up grease can cause a foul odor and leave your surfaces feeling gritty and slimy.

Follow these easy home recipes to remove the grease without causing damage to your wood, or breaking your back—or your bank, since you probably already have them hidden somewhere behind those greasy cabinets doors. As always when working with any new cleaning product on the surfaces of your home, a best practice is to perform a small test on an area out of view before treating the entire surface.

Recipe 1 – Vinegar and Baking Soda
Vinegar and baking soda will not only remove the grease, it will also adsorb the odor grease causes.

You'll need:
o A spray bottle
o A rag or paper towels
o White vinegar
o Baking soda
o Hot water

1. Start by pouring the vinegar into the spray bottle, and misting the cabinets.
2. Let sit for a minute, then wipe it off, removing all of the dirt and some of the grease.
3. Next, wet a new rag or paper towel and sprinkle it with the baking soda.
4. Scrub the grease spots with the baking soda covered rag. Baking soda is abrasive enough to cut through the grease, but won't scratch the cabinet's surface.
5. After your finished, once again spray the cabinets with your vinegar and wipe down.
6. Finally, wipe the cabinets down with warm water to remove any vinegar or baking soda residue.

Recipe 2 – Dishwashing Detergent
Dishwashing detergent has powerful grease-cutting properties, yet is gentle enough that it is safe on skin and surfaces.

You'll need:
o Dishwashing detergent
o Two rags
o Hot water
o A bucket
o Wax based furniture polish

1. Start by mixing enough dishwashing detergent with hot water in your bucket to create a very soapy, sudsy mixture.
2. Dip your rag in only the foam and gently wipe the surface.
3. Rinse the area thoroughly with a separate rag, wet with clean warm water.
4. To avoid leaving a residue or dull finish, polish with your furniture polish.


Sources: www.howstuffworks.com

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