Kitchen
Clean out the fridge quickly and painlessly
Do you avoid cleaning out your fridge because it seems like a huge headache that should take you hours to tackle? With a little organization and preparation, your fridge can be clean and shiny in 20 minutes flat. Collect a bucket of warm, soapy water, a sponge, a toothbrush, and some cleaning rags. Empty your fridge entirely of all food and removable bins. Wipe everything down and don’t forget to clean seams and crevices before replacing food in an organized fashion. More…
Clean gunk off the gas or glass stove top with baking soda, lemon juice and white vinegar
If you have ever lifted the burner drip pans on your stove and discovered a cooked-on greasy mess, this tip is for you. Same goes if you were asking how to clean a glass stove top? It can take hours to scrub off baked-on oils and food, but using a paste of baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice with a scrubbing sponge vastly reduces the amount of scrubbing and effort required to make your stove-top sparkle. More…
A clean coffee maker freshens and improves the taste of your coffee
Does your coffee maker produce stale, bitter-tasting coffee? When was the last time you cleaned it? Oils left behind by coffee grounds turn rancid and smelly, affecting the taste of future brews, but cleaning out old coffee residue is simple. Don’t forget to use any leftover coffee grounds at home or in your garden. Plants love coffee grounds. Run a solution of equal parts vinegar and water through half a brew cycle (turn off or unplug machine halfway through the cycle) and let the solution sit in the machine for an hour. Turn the machine back in to finish the cycle and then run another full cycle with fresh water. More…
Scrub-free way to stove burners
Stove burners can be impossible to clean, even with diligent scrubbing.
But, a ÂĽ cup of ammonia in a large zip-lock bag will dissolve that impossible grease overnight (best left outside to avoid unpleasant ammonia fumes), leaving your stove burners easy to wipe clean with a sponge. More…
Keep that stainless-steel clean and shiny with olive oil
Stainless steel polish is pricey and full of chemicals. But olive oil offers a simple, inexpensive way to clean and polish your stainless-steel appliances, removing food stains, watermarks, and fingerprints. Wipe down your appliance with a wet cloth to remove dried on food. Then use about one tablespoon of olive oil with a soft cloth to buff away fingerprints and streaks. More…
Steam clean your microwave
Nobody likes to clean a dirty microwave. When cooked-on food is spattered everywhere, it seems like an impossible scrubbing nightmare. But, with a little water and some lemon juice you can steam-clean the grime right off. Heat lemon water for five minutes and everything should wipe clean with a sponge. More…
Remove labels with OxiClean
Whether you are trying to remove stuck-on price tags from teacups or old labels from jelly jars you plan to reuse—a scoop of OxiClean in a sink of warm water creates a labor-free bath to soak items with tough-to-remove labels. Come back after thirty minutes and your cups and jars will be label-free! More…
Remove coffee and tea stains from mugs with salted citrus peel
Coffee and tea drinkers alike will appreciate this top for removing stains from mugs and cups. If you spilled some coffee on your carpet, it is easy to clean if you know how to remove coffee stains from carpet. And if you want to clean up any stains from coffee mugs, even after a trip through the dishwasher, some stains just do not come out. Using a pinch of salt and a piece of lemon or orange peel, you can rub stains right off, then rinse clean. More…
Polish copper and brass with salt, vinegar, and flour
Banish expensive and toxic tarnish remover and metal polish from your cleaning supply closet. Remove tarnish and polish copper and brass with a simple paste salt(1/2 cup), vinegar (2/3 cup), and flour (2/3 cup) mixed together in a glass bowl. Thoroughly cover items that need polishing and let the mixture sit overnight. Rinse off dried goop and you’re done—no endless rubbing needed! More…
Clean your coffee grinder with rice
If your coffee grinder does double duty grinding coffee as well as spices, you’ll love this simple cleaning method for removing leftover debris, oils, and odors. All you need is about half a cup of uncooked rice. Fill the grinder with rice and turn it on for about 30 seconds. The rice absorbs anything left in the grinder and helps clear it out when you empty the ground rice into the trash. More…
Disinfect your kitchen sponge in the microwave
One of the worst places to harbor mold and bacteria in the kitchen is the sponge—you know the one you use to “clean” your dishes and wipe down your counters? But, rather than tossing it out, run that sponge under the faucet to make sure it’s good and wet, then toss it in the microwave for two minutes.
This kills 99% of pathogens and can be repeated every other day to ensure your sponge is germ-free. Be careful, however, the sponge will be too hot to handle with bare hands when it comes out of the microwave. More…
Lemon-vinegar ice cleans and deodorizes your kitchen disposal
If you’ve noticed an unpleasant odor coming from your sink drain, it’s time to clean it out. Cut up some lemon pieces and place one piece in each section of an ice tray. Fill the tray with vinegar and freeze. Toss a few cubes down the drain and turn on the disposal. The ice helps clear out any leftover food bits and the vinegar and lemon mix leaves the drain smelling fresh and clean. More…
Clean Your Oven Naturally
A fantastic way to get our oven clean, by using baking soda and vinegar. Cleans the oven in no time and without any poisonous harsh chemicals. A must-know for all of us who still do no have an auto-cleaning oven. More…
Clean and deodorize your cutting board with salt and lemon
Woodcutting boards do not respond well to soaking in bleach or running through the dishwasher, but cleaning them well is still important. Use half a lemon dipped in coarse salt to scrub down your cutting board. Wipe clean with a paper towel (damp if needed). You can protect your unfinished wood board with an application of food-grade oil. More…
Make your whole house smell heavenly with just a little vanilla
Whether you have company coming over or just need a fresh scent to replace whatever that funky stale odor that seems to show up in the winter months, a little vanilla is all you need. Pour two caps full of vanilla extract in an oven-safe coffee mug and place it in an oven heated to 300 degrees. In twenty minutes, your house should smell lovely. More…
Baking soda and vegetable oil make an effective gunk remover
Remove the build-up of grease and grime on kitchen cabinets by scrubbing them with homemade gunk remover. Mix together one part vegetable oil and two parts baking soda into a paste that can be applied to cabinets with a sponge or small brush. This will clean your cabinets without damaging the finish. More…
Clean your grill with an onion
Avoid the smelly messy grill-cleaning chemicals and use this simple, effective method to clean your grill. Stick a fork into half an onion and rub the flat side over a grill that is super-hot. This will loosen baked on grime and effectively clean your grill without leaving behind unwanted chemicals. More…
Clean up broken glass with a slice of bread
Everybody breaks a glass in the kitchen at some point in time. Cleaning up even the tiniest slivers is much easier with a slice of white bread. The moist, spongy bread grabs on to those small pieces of glass you can’t quite get with a broom and leaves you to confidently stride through the kitchen barefoot. More…
