Monday, October 29, 2012
Kitchen Cleaning Tips and Free Printable cleaning check list
Kitchen Cleaning Tips:
Start with our free printable kitchen cleaning check list!
Free Printable Kitchen Cleaning Check List
Sponges spread germs. You should use a clean wash cloth or paper towels.
Identify spots in your kitchen that accumulate clutter and take a few minutes every day to clear those.
The quickest way to clean a microwave oven is to place a handful of wet paper towels inside and run it on high for 2-3 minutes. Once the paper towels cool down, use them to wipe the oven's interior.
Deep clean and deodorize a garbage disposal by grinding ice cubes made with half vinegar, half water.
A toothbrush is a great kitchen cleaning tool. Use it to remove dirt and grime from the faucets and sink.
Try to do a quick wipe of your fridge about twice a month. You'll be surprised how much it helps to keep the fridge in good shape. To keep a fresh smelling fridge, always keep an open box of baking soda in the fridge.
Keep utensils from slipping through the dishwasher basket Avoid that, and avoid potentially melting plastic pieces, place large glass beads in the dishwasher basket to keep those items from slipping through.
Save money and the environment by using dish rags to wipe up messes and clean counters instead of paper towels.
Stubborn pots and pan 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.
When washing dishes, add a little vinegar to the water. The vinegar prevents water spots from forming on the dishes.
Washing dishes creates moistures and moisture creates mildew. This only makes your kitchen cleaning more unpleasant. To remove mold and mildew from your dishwasher, try using a solution of one part bleach to three parts water, increasing the bleach content as necessary.
Investing in a caddy - basket or container which can hold all your cleaning products will help.
To keep a stainless steel sink looking its spiffiest, take a few minutes to smooth away scratches, which harbor stains and bacteria, with a powdered stainless steel cleanser.
A window washer's squeegee is the best way to keep stainless steel and marble countertops looking immaculate.
Pour a mild bleach solution on your cutting board. Let the board stand for several minutes before rinsing Alternatively, you can use a weak vinegar solution.
Before storing any kind of tomato based food or sauce in a plastic container, rub the inside of the container with vegetable oil to form a protective barrier against stains. Applying a thin coating of vegetable-oil.
To clean splatters and spots from a ceramic tile back-splash, wipe the tile down with a clean wash cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol. The rubbing alcohol will not only get rid of the grime, it will disinfect the backsplash, too.
Revive your old wooden utensils in only a few easy steps. Remove stains from woodenware with a mild bleach solution of 1/4 cup bleach to 1 quart warm water. Then rinse.
End each day with a clean, empty kitchen sink. Try running the dishwasher before going to bed and unloading it first thing in the morning.
All kitchen cleaning tips are provided by the professional cleaners at Show Me Cleaners LLC.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
38 ways to make your house smell amazing!
Open the windows for fresh air just keep the air moving and circulating and it stays fresh.
Scented screens you can put on the heating air filter. By Febreeze
Potpourri sachets around the house and where ever there's air movement.
Mild candles - there are lots that are nice and burn a long time.
Sprinkle some baking soda in the bottom of your trash after you empty it, this will help eliminate odors that may build up from the trash. You can also sprinkle baking soda over your carpet, let rest for 10-15 minutes and then vacuum.
Clean regularly.
Vacuum, dust, sweep, Thoroughly clean you kitchen and Bathroom at LEAST once a week. Wash the walls, wipe the ceiling. Have your carpets, couch and drapery shampooed professionally.
The dishwasher.
Dishwashers can start to smell musty..and if you have a dishwasher with a white interior you may notice that after a while it starts to get brown stains inside. The trick to fix both the stains and the smell is to run your dishwasher while empty...and instead of using dishwasher detergent use orange drink powder. Pretty much any brand will do. Just make sure it's orange drink powder. No really, I promise it works. Stains eliminated. Musty smell gone.
The washing machine.
Front-load washing machines are especially notorious for smelling musty. Tip #1: make sure and leave the door open between washes. Tip #2: run an empty load using hot water and vinegar instead of detergent.
Wash bedding
once a week to keep bedrooms from getting too musty.
Essential Oils.
Fill a spray mist bottle with water. Distilled water is great if you have it, but if not, regular tap water will do. Add 8-10 drops of lemongrass essential oil to the water. Replace the cap back on the bottle and shake to mix the water and essential oil.
Take a cotton swab and dip each end in the essential oil. Fasten it inside your toilet paper roll or behind the toilet bowl for a fresh smelling bathroom.
Don't put packages that once contained raw meat in your garbage can, if you don't empty it right away, your kitchen will stink. Put those meat packages in your outdoor garbage can. If you can't do that right away, put it in a grocery bag, tie it up and stick outside until you can take it to the trash.
Musty odors: If musty odors are caused from an aging home consider painting walls, changing wallpaper, replacing carpet, and refinishing wood floors. If odor is from old furniture, read our Freshome post about removing musty odors from furniture. Musty odors are some of the hardest to get rid of due to age and the smell could be embedded into the home.
Use the range hood vent when cooking to remove cooking odors from the air.
Turn on garbage disposal immediately after placing food in – and put fresh lemons down drain to keep clean and odor free.
Lemon Fridge Refresher
- Take a large lemon and slice in half. Remove the insides, and fill with coarse salt. Put in the back of your refrigerator to absorb those funky smells.
Simple Shakable Baking Soda Air Fresheners
- This is a project that works well for every room in the house. First find a container with a lid - a glass jar, coffee can or small plastic food container will all work well for this project. Carefully poke some holes in the lid of the container. Depending on the container size fill about 1/2 way with baking soda, and add drops of essential oil until you get a nice smell. Place where you need a fresh smell, and shake up to revive the scent every once in awhile.
Simmer Pot Recipes
Be Prepared: Get into the habit of saving (rather than composting) your orange peels, lemon and lime peels, and apple and pear skins skins. Instructions: Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the ingredients from your favorite recipe, continue to boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to simmer. Add water as needed, usually every 30 minutes or so. Recipe 1 cup dried lavender 1 tsp anise 1 Tablespoon nutmeg 1 Tablespoon whole cloves 1 Cinnamon stick
Mattresses. Placing dryer sheets between your mattress and bedsheets goes a long way toward helping to eliminate unpleasant smells.
Scented incense is usually fairly inexpensive and can be purchased in many different scents. Make sure to use incense in a large room, or have a window open for ventilation if you use it. Some people prefer lighter scents in the spring and summer, and heaver ones in the fall and winter.
Don't throw away those orange, lemon or lime peels! Put them in the oven on 350 degrees for a few minutes, then open the oven door. They will make your kitchen smell wonderful.
A bowl of vinegar and water cooked in the microwave for a couple of minutes will get rid of that burned popcorn smell or anything else that may be hanging around.
If you notice bad smells coming out of your shower drain, it could be sludge caused by shampoo, soap and other things that we use every day. Try putting a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down the drain. Let it sit for at least fifteen minutes, then follow it with at least a gallon of boiling hot water. If you have PVC piping instead of metal, however, just use the hottest tap water you can get.
Perfect tip if you are going to have company over or you just want your house smelling amazing. Simply place 2 teaspoons of vanilla into a coffee mug and place in a 300 degree oven for 1 hour.
Spritz garments with a small amount of vodka (spot-test first). Straight vodka kills bacteria, but it doesn't leave a scent. Hang clothes to dry in a well-ventilated area.
Deodorize Your Basement. Cut an onion in half, place it on a plate, and leave it in the basement overnight. Once the initial salad-bar aroma dissipates, you'll have fresh (non-oniony) air. Like magic!
Put out bowls with sponges that have vanilla extract or essential oils on them.
Fresh, pungent flowers Nothing is better than nature’s air fresheners: flowers! Some of our favorite, strongly pleasantly smelling flowers are gardenias, daphnes, peonies, and tuberoses.
Use fabric softener sheets to dust knick-knacks, TVs, computers (no static cling) and other surfaces in your house.
Use real lemon juice to wipe mirrors and windows.
Pour a couple of drops of your favorite body oil on light bulb to give warm light scent.
Coffee A small dish of coffee beans stashed in small closets or cupboards will help mask musty odors and who doesn't love the smell of coffee?
Scented Pine Cones - All it takes is a basketful of pine trees to make your house smell like the country. Instead of throwing out pine cones when you rake the yard, use them to bring the smell of a mountain cabin into your house.
Turn on the a/c. Air conditioners with a HEPA filter, which removes 99.97 percent of airborne particles, are fantastic air cleaners. “Run your air conditioner on low, and keep the filter cleaned and changed regularly“When you filter out the particulates, you get rid of some of the smell.” This is because odor molecules can attach to particles in the air; when you get rid of the particles, you get rid of many odor molecules too. Air conditioners without a HEPA filter will also work—just not as efficiently.
Use a dilute 10% bleach solution to launder those pet beds, collars, leashes, kitty litter boxes, and dog toys frequently. Do it on the first of the month, so you always remember when it’s time to clean.
Candle diffusers are usually made from clay or metal. You add your oils into a dish on top and a tea light below warms the oils and scents the air. They look lovely and make the whole room smell nice.
Kitty litter. Take a shallow Tupperware container and fill with litter. Store in an area that is prone to bad smells like the closet where you keep your stinky sneakers! The litter will help absorb the smells.
Run an air filter. You'll be surprised at how much clearer and clean-smelling your home will seem, without even doing any of the targeted deodorizing steps above. A good electric air filter really does remove pollens, dust and minute debris from the air, so if you have allergies or asthma, it'll help make you feel better, too.
Invest in houseplants. Have your favorite plants and herbs growing in your kitchen, living room and bathroom in small pots. The presence of green plants will help reduce indoor air pollution and keep clean air circulating in your space.
Light soy candles instead of regular candles. Soy candles are longer-lasting, better for the environment and have a more robust smell.
Coffee Grounds Get rid of the smell of spoiled food after a freezer failure. Fill a couple of bowls with used or fresh coffee grounds and place them in the freezer overnight. For a flavored-coffee scent, add a couple of drops of vanilla to the grounds
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Monday, October 8, 2012
Cleaning the Mattress
Source: show-me-cleaners.com via Show-Me-Cleaners.com on Pinterest
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Tackling the Bedroom. Cleaning and organizing the room you spend one third of your life in.
Tackling the Bedroom. Cleaning and organizing the room you spend one third of your life in.
1. Arrange the night stand. Display the items that look good. Photographs, alarm clock or maybe a small stack of books. Now you should store away the items. Put away that hand and foot lotion in your night stand drawer. Clear any unnecessary items off your table so you don’t feel surrounded by clutter when you go to sleep and wake up.
2. Get your clothes off the floor! Avoid using your floor, chairs or other bedroom furniture as a hamper. If your shoes are overflowing onto your floors, look into adding shelving, an over-the-door shoe holder or rolling boxes for under the bed. Double hampers or baskets are wonderful tools for immediately sorting whites and colors.
3. Install drawer dividers. To make the most of drawer space, install plastic dividers, which are especially helpful for organizing small items like underwear, bras, and socks.
4. Use under-the-bed space. Store out-of-season clothes and other items in containers made of plastic, canvas, or wood. If you choose wood boxes, opt for cedar, which helps deter moths, and line the containers with plain unbleached muslin to counter the wood’s acidity. Use canvas for delicate items such as cashmere sweaters, which need circulating air.
5. Make the bed: Taking a few minutes each morning to make your bed will help you get in the habit of keeping your room in order in general. There is nothing that makes a bedroom look better than a made bed.
Daily Cleaning and organizing
Make the bed
Pick up all dirty clothes and put into hampers
Hang up clothes-decide what needs to be washed or hung
Straighten up nightstands and tabletops
Weekly Cleaning and Organizing
Change the sheets
Dust all surfaces
Dust or mop the floors or vacuum the carpeting, under the bed
Throw out old magazines
Wipe and disinfect the telephone
Empty the wastebasket
Hang up all laundry
Biweekly Cleaning
Wipe the switch plates, doorknobs, and doorjambs
Wipe down the baseboards with dust cloth or wet wipe
Keep a "to donate" pile and fill it up every time you notice something from your drawers or closets that needs to be donated
Seasonal Cleaning
Vacuum the heating and air-conditioning vents and the inside of the closet
Wash the insides of the windows
Strip the bed and flip the mattress
Launder the mattress pad and dust ruffle
Essential Oils for natural cleaning
Where do I buy essential oils?
Locally you can try GNC, Whole Foods, or your local health food store. You will obviously have better luck ordering online.
Floor cleaner:
Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water.
Add 5–10 drops of your essential oil.
Window cleaner:
Mix in 1 quart spray bottle: 1 cup White Vinegar, 10-15 drops of Essential Oil, water.
Mix vinegar and water in spray bottle.
Add essential oil.
Shake and use
Combs and brushes: Fill a container with 1½ cups water, ½ cup distilled white vinegar, and 20 drops essintial oil. Soak combs and brushes for 20 minutes. Rinse and air-dry.
Shower doors: Wipe scum-covered glass doors with a few drops of lemon oil twice a month. It will protect them from grime buildup.
I must also mention that using essential oils for aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy is the inhalation of plant oils, called essential oils, for improved physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Essential oils are the pure essence of the plant—often referred to as nature's living energy—and can provide both psychological and physical benefits when used correctly. Essential oils can be used on their own for aromatherapy or with complementary natural ingredients, such as vegetable or carrier oils.
Homemade All Purpose Cleaner Recipe
Ingredients
1 teaspoon borax
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 cups water
30 drops essential oil blend (see below)
Directions
Boil the water. Pour it into a large glass measuring cup or pitcher with a spout.
Add the borax and stir until dissolved.
Add the vinegar.
Let cool, then pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
Drop in the essential oils.
Handy Hint: Add the essential oils AFTER you pour the cleaner into the bottle because the essential oil's scent can "stick" to your measuring cup or pitcher.
Find more tips at Show Me Cleaners
Find more tips at Show Me Cleaners
Cleaning with Borax
You can potentially save a lot of money by using this product instead of other special purpose cleaner products which are much more expensive.
Where Can I Buy Borax?
Borax is usually found in the cleaning aisle of your grocery store next to the powdered laundry soaps. The most common brand is 20 Mule Team Borax
What Does Borax Do?
cleans
deodorizes
disinfects
softens water
repels cockroaches and other bugs
Borax all purpose cleaner.
Mix 2 tablespoons of borax and 2 cups of hot water
in a spray bottle.
Borax floor and wall cleaner.
1/3 cup borax, 1 tablespoon of ammonia
and 1 teaspoon of dish detergent to 1
gallon of water.
China (including hand painted): Soak china in a dishpan filled with warm water and ½ cup borax; rinse well.
Window Cleaner (2/3 cup Borax, 1 gallon warm water)
Carpet Stains (mix Borax with water to make paste, rub into stain, let dry and vacuum)
Carpet Powder Deodorizer (sprinkle Borax on carpet, let stand overnight and vacuum)
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Hydrogen Peroxide
Cleaning the toilet. Pour half a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the toilet bowl, let stand for 20 minutes, then scrub clean.
Whiten your bathtub. If you have a dingy tub, spray hydrogen peroxide liberally on your tub. Let the peroxide sit awhile and bubble, then scrub the grout with an old toothbrush or scrub brush. Repeat if necessary.
Remove baked-on crud from your pots and pans. Combine 3 parts baking soda to 1 part hydrogen peroxide. Rub the mixture on your dirty pot and let sit for awhile. Later take a scotch brite sponge and some warm water. Rinse.
Cleaning Sponges. Soak the ponges for 10 mins in a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and then rinse.
When wiping out the refrigerator and dishwasher. Hydrogen peroxide is non-toxic so it wonderful for cleaning places that you store food and dishes. Spray the inside and the outside of your appliance and let the solution set for a few mins, then rinse and wipe clean.
Clean your cutting board and countertop. When cleaning your cutting board and countertops. Hydrogen peroxide will disinfect any bacteria left behind from prepareing meat. Let the peroxide set for awhile and bubble, then wipe and rinse.
Green Cleaning with Vinegar
To clean windows, spray with half vinegar, half water. Wipe clean a cloth.
No-wax floors can be cleaned with a solution of 1 cup vinegar per gallon of water for a shinier surface.
To clean wood paneling, use a mixture of 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup vinegar, and 2 cups warm water. Apply to paneling with a soft cloth. Dry with a clean cloth.
To remove odors from the sink or garbage disposal, pour in a cup or more vinegar. Do not rinse out again for at least an hour.
Spray shower walls and shower curtain with vinegar to help prevent mildew.
To remove soap build-up from faucets, clean with a mixture of 1 part salt to four parts vinegar.
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Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Cleaning with Baking Soda
Show-Me-Cleaners.com Green Cleaning with Baking Soda
Natural Cleaning : 4 Uses for Baking Soda
1. Deodorize those those stinky shoes with baking soda.
2. Get those nasty coffee and tea stains out of the bottom of your
cups.
3. Baking Soda scouring paste: ¼ cup of baking soda 1 tablespoon
of distilled vinegar and 1 teaspoon of Castile soap
4. Garbage Disposal deodorizer: 1 or 2 cups of water and 1 cup of
baking Soda.
How To Clean Your Oven With Baking Soda
How to Clean with Baking Soda
Clean brushes and combs with baking soda. Remove hair from comb or
brush. Pour water in jar or container, sprinkle baking soda in
water, place comb or brush in solution. Soak!
Baking
soda works well on metallic surfaces, like chrome or stainless steel.
It won't scratch the surface, but it's abrasive enough to remove
residue and leave the metal shining.
Remove
stains
Get rid of stains on counter tops, sinks, bathtubs, and any nonporous surface you can think of with a paste of three parts baking soda to one part water. Apply the paste to a damp sponge, scrub away, and rinse.
Get rid of stains on counter tops, sinks, bathtubs, and any nonporous surface you can think of with a paste of three parts baking soda to one part water. Apply the paste to a damp sponge, scrub away, and rinse.
Keep
laundry bright
Add a half-cup of baking soda to a load of wash along with your regular detergent. It helps keep clothes brighter, longer.
Add a half-cup of baking soda to a load of wash along with your regular detergent. It helps keep clothes brighter, longer.
Cleaning silver with baking soda and aluminum foil (and hot water!)
You
can clean large silver pieces using aluminum foil, baking soda and
hot water. The heat is key - warm water from the faucet won't cut it,
you must get the water close to boiling for this to be effective. A
large sheet of heavy duty foil and a few cups of baking soda in hot
water, in a container large enough to soak the pieces. Do them one at
a time, and make sure the piece is in contact with the foil.
GREEN CLEANING CLEAN WITH VINEGAR & BAKING SODA!
Materials
Needed:
- Vinegar
- Citrus Fruit (optional)
- Baking Soda
- Spray Bottles
Step 1) Fill one of your spray bottles with you full strength white distilled vinegar, and the other spray bottle with regular water.
Step 2) Using full strength vinegar you can clean mirrors and windows and wipe it down with old news paper.
Step 3) Sprinkle some baking soda and spray full strength vinegar on your counter tops & sinks then scrub away with a reusable washable cloth.
Step 4) Sprinkle vinegar on your carpets and let it set for 15-20mins then vacuum up to get rid of carpet odors.
HOW DOES IT WORK:
Baking soda and vinegar are both made from natural products, such as vinegar is made from plant bi-products and baking soda is made from sodium carbonates. Making them excellent environmentally friendly cleaning products. Because vinegar is a mild acid it dissolve away materials on surfaces as well as the added effect of killing microorganisms such as molds, bacteria's & virus'. Also unlike cleaning chemicals which can be toxic to breath, the vapors from vinegar is not harmful. Sodium Bicarbonate or more commonly known as baking soda, is a weak base that reacts with acids to form water and salt. Which is why baking soda is some what effect at absorbing odors acidic odors as well as other odors that act like acids. Baking soda also acts like a weak alkaline which can break up grease molecules and thus clean any greasy surfaces and grease on clothing. Hazardous wastes are any flammable, corrosive, reactive or toxic chemicals that can cause extreme harm or kill living things as well damage the land air and water of earths environments. Such as the 2010 BP oil spill which damaged an area of 11,000 kms of water and marshland putting more then 8,332 species at risk. As well as the 2011 Japanese Nuclear Power Plant Disaster which release massive amount of radiation not only in to the air but also pacific ocean.
- Vinegar
- Citrus Fruit (optional)
- Baking Soda
- Spray Bottles
Step 1) Fill one of your spray bottles with you full strength white distilled vinegar, and the other spray bottle with regular water.
Step 2) Using full strength vinegar you can clean mirrors and windows and wipe it down with old news paper.
Step 3) Sprinkle some baking soda and spray full strength vinegar on your counter tops & sinks then scrub away with a reusable washable cloth.
Step 4) Sprinkle vinegar on your carpets and let it set for 15-20mins then vacuum up to get rid of carpet odors.
HOW DOES IT WORK:
Baking soda and vinegar are both made from natural products, such as vinegar is made from plant bi-products and baking soda is made from sodium carbonates. Making them excellent environmentally friendly cleaning products. Because vinegar is a mild acid it dissolve away materials on surfaces as well as the added effect of killing microorganisms such as molds, bacteria's & virus'. Also unlike cleaning chemicals which can be toxic to breath, the vapors from vinegar is not harmful. Sodium Bicarbonate or more commonly known as baking soda, is a weak base that reacts with acids to form water and salt. Which is why baking soda is some what effect at absorbing odors acidic odors as well as other odors that act like acids. Baking soda also acts like a weak alkaline which can break up grease molecules and thus clean any greasy surfaces and grease on clothing. Hazardous wastes are any flammable, corrosive, reactive or toxic chemicals that can cause extreme harm or kill living things as well damage the land air and water of earths environments. Such as the 2010 BP oil spill which damaged an area of 11,000 kms of water and marshland putting more then 8,332 species at risk. As well as the 2011 Japanese Nuclear Power Plant Disaster which release massive amount of radiation not only in to the air but also pacific ocean.
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