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Kitchen Cleaning Tips A word of caution - Be cautious using orange-based cleaners to clean a kitchen. Some contain petroleum distillates. Petroleum distillates break down the rubber in the rubber gaskets around refrigerators and dishwashers. For a wonderful all purpose fill a spray bottle half full with water add a squirt or two of Ivory Liquid dish soap then finish filling with water. It's inexpensive and does a great job cleaning kitchen surfaces without leaving a residue behind. Standard Surfaces - The Ivory mixture cleans most kitchen surfaces and appliances. Stain Removal - A 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water will remove most stains. Blot on the spot and let it set 30 minutes. Then scrub lightly with baking soda if needed. Shaving cream also does a great job on difficult stains. Marble - Do not use anything other than Ivory liquid dish soap on marble. Harsher cleansers will damage the surface. Always dry marble to prevent water spots from leaving their signature mark. Marble stains easily so wipe spills immediately. Do not use vinegar or orange based cleaners to clean marble. The acid in them will damage the surface. Peroxide is safe for stain removal. Tile - Tile grout poses its own difficulties. The porous nature of grout means cleaning solutions pass through without a thought of taking the stain with them. When that dreaded spill happens, clean immediately. The longer a spill sets the better chance of it staining. Mix a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide to water in a spray bottle. Spray the stain and allow to set 30 minutes. Retreat if needed. Do not use peroxide on colored grout. It's bleach and will take the color out of the grout. Club soda will also help remove the stain if poured on immediately. Shaving cream does a good job. Spray on and allow to set 30 minutes. Tile stores carry a chalk like stick that is safe for any color grout. Drag it across the stain and remove after an hour or so. Reapply if necessary. Keep a good sealant on the tiles and especially the grout. You'll find good sealants at tile stores. Stainless Steel - Cameo or Bar Keepers Friend works best on stainless steel. Scratch marks are impossible to remove, so prevention becomes important. Always place a rubber mat in stainless steel sinks. To remove burned on food from the surface of a stainless steel stove, boil some water (wear gloves) and pour directly onto the spill. Let it set a few minutes. That helps loosen the food making removal easier. In microwaves, wipe them down with boiling water then scrub with Cameo. Cover your food to prevent the splatters. Use Cameo to clean stainless steel cookware as well. Remove burned on food by first boiling water in the pan. Never cook on high heat with stainless cookware. Use medium heat only. And never let the pans boil dry. Corion - Use only mild cleansers like Ivory for Corion. Harsh detergents will damage the surface. Remove tough stains with Cameo or baking soda or a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. Corion can be sanded lightly using number 800 sandpaper. This sandpaper is gray and called wet or dry sandpaper. Rub very gently keeping the paper wet. Appliances Vertical surfaces clean easier with a foaming tub and tile cleaner like Dow Foaming Bubbles. It adheres to the surface giving the cleaner time to break down the grease or dirt. Leave scrubbing for those who don't know better. You won't find me using elbow grease under the hood of the stove, refrigerator walls, ice chest - you have the idea. Refrigerators - Odors are caused by hidden food particles. Make sure to clean under the rubber gasket, but first, use the foaming bath cleaner on the walls, wiping them down with a baking soda, vinegar and water combination. Use about a quarter cup of vinegar and one or two tablespoons of baking soda for each quart of water, though you don't have to be too precise. The combination fizzles, but it should zap the smell. The smell lingers? Check for Freon leaks. Dishwashers - Remove the spindles and drawers, clean under them and under the gaskets to get rid of odors. Fill one dispenser with Tang instant drink mix and the other with automatic dish soap and run the dishwasher empty through just the wash cycle. This combination cleans and deodorizes the inside. I'm not sure how the Tang works, it just does. Small Appliances -Sprinkle a little baking soda on a damp towel to clean without scratching. Microwaves - To clean that baked-on mess in your microwave, place a coffee cup half filled with water inside and cook on high for two minutes. The water steams the inside, loosening the hardened splatters. Spray with your Ivory soap cleaner and wipe dry. Disposals - To freshen, pour baking soda on your scrub brush and scour the inside.
Bathroom Cleaning Tips Windows and Mirrors In a 32 oz spray bottle add 1/3-cup white (clear) vinegar and 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol. If you absolutely must have another cleaner add 1 tablespoon automatic dishwashing detergent. Tubs and Shower Stalls Alkaline in the water causes those not-so-pretty spots on your glass doors and shower walls. Apply a car wax to the walls and doors. Not the floor or it gets real slick. Both fiberglass and glass are porous. The car wax seals those pours, which makes cleaning easier and keeps water spots away. Reapply twice yearly. Squeegee or wipe down your shower after each use to further prevent buildup. If your tire of fighting the soap scum buildup switch to liquid soap, natural soap or Dove. It's the talc in most bar soaps that causes the buildup. Changing soap eliminates the buildup. You still need to clean the shower once a week, but the job is easier. Clean the showers once a week with an orange citrus-based cleaner. Spray on and give it ten minutes to dissolve the dirt. Why do all that scrubbing when your product does it for you? OK, so the soap scum refuses to budge and friends are coming for a visit. Use your orange-based cleaner concentrated. Pour plenty on an old dishrag and wipe on the walls and doors. Use can use boiling hot white vinegar (wear gloves) but you must keep applying it as the white vinegar dries. It takes time to dissolve that buildup Patience now becomes a virtue. Wait and wait and wait some more. Go clean the rest of the house. If the cleaner starts dripping down the walls wipe it back on. Check the walls with a fingernail. If the residue removes easily, round one is about over. Use a white bristle pad to scrub. They look like fibers and are glued to a sponge. Use the white ones only. The colored scrubbers are courser and do scratch. Test a spot to make sure it won't scratch the fiberglass. Dampen the pad keeping it good and wet and gently scrub. This removes the soap buildup and most of the white mineral deposits on the glass doors. Nothing removes the etch marks themselves but further damage is halted. Reapply the orange citrus cleaner if necessary. Plastic shower curtains can be machine-washed. Remove, spray with your diluted orange-based cleaner and wait about 10 minutes. Wash with your rags and they come out quite clean. Air dry. If the curtain is long enough cut off the seam at the bottom to prevent mildew buildup down there. Toilets Ring around your toilet? Again, alkaline causes those nasty rings. Depending on the hardness of your water, pour one or two cups of white vinegar into the toilet once a month to eliminate the problem. Toilet bowl rings - Here I take a deep breath and plead with you to follow these instructions. Repeat. Follow these instructions. Do not deviate or you will scratch the inside of your toilet bowl. Turn off the water flow to the toilet and flush to remove the water. Saturate a couple of heavy-duty paper towels with white vinegar or the Orange Citrus Cleaner. Place around the edges making sure all areas are covered. Keep the towels damp for several hours, even overnight, until the water spots start dissolving. Then scrub with a stiff nylon brush. If the white vinegar does not dissolve the whole ring, go to a janitorial supply store or a hardware store and purchase a pumice stone and a stiff toothbrush. Dampen one end of the pumice stone and keep it wet. Gently, very gently, rub the pumice stone across the lines. When enough pumice builds on the sides, switch to a stiff bristle brush to continue working. Rub gently until the deposit disappears. Pumice will scratch the toilet. Use it only one time and cautiously. Sinks Once a month pour one cup of baking soda followed by one cup of white vinegar down the drain. Wait an hour and flush with warm water. The combination fizzles away most of the buildup. Works for shower, tub and kitchen sink drains as well. Faucets Water deposits build up around faucets and drain areas. Use a paper towel soaked in white vinegar and place around the faucet. Plug the drain and pour 1/2-cup white vinegar in the sink and wait. It takes time for the white vinegar to dissolve the alkaline. Scrub using a stiff bristled nylon toothbrush. Do not use orange-based or powdered cleansers on brass or gold-plated faucets. These fixtures corrode and scratch quickly. Dry these faucets after each use to prevent water spot damage. Mildew Keep ahead of mildew so it doesn't become a problem. Every six months spray your bathroom ceiling with a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. Peroxide is a safe bleach and won't harm the environment or your lungs. Find larger quantities of peroxide at beauty or medical supply stores. Spray the mixture on and leave it. No need to rinse or scrub. If you currently have mildew, follow the above directions. Wait two hours and respray. Then wait 24 hours and spray a third time if necessary.
Fingernail Polish, Crayon, Marker, Juice Removal 1. For stubborn stains on kitchen linoleum floors, soak a cotton ball with alcohol, wipe cotton ball over stain. No more stain. 2. Rubbing alcohol takes fingernail polish out of any carpet. Just pour a dab on stain and rub gently with a rag. The stain will disappear and the carpet will be fine. 3. To remove stickers from glass or hard surfaces, just use rubbing alcohol and a cloth. 4. Using baking powder and a dry rag will remove crayon on walls. It is like a crayon eraser. 5. Baking soda is great for removing crayon marks on painted surfaces--and even on plastic surfaces. Just sprinkle a small amount on a damp sponge or wash cloth and wipe the area. 6. Children use crayons on painted walls - Use toothpaste to clean it. Put a little toothpaste on a soft toothbrush, wet and lightly scrub. Wipe down the wall with a damp rag. 7. To remove permanent marker from surfaces, apply breath spray on the marker, wait a few seconds, and wipe it away. 8. To remove fruit juice stains, pour boiling water over the stain until it disappears. This will not set the stain - It will remove it.
The back-to-school bustle doesn't have to be a hassle. Here are some ideas to make your mornings a little less harried. If your child takes a lunch to school, make sure to pack it the night before. You will be amazed by the amount of time you will save. Also, have your child pack his or her backpack the night before. It will avoid a last-minute scramble around the house for homework and lunch money. Children sometimes become fearful they will forget essential schoolday items�let them take control. Ensure everyone is getting the proper amount of sleep. Cranky, overtired children will be slow-moving and add stress to the morning routine. Pick out an outfit and get it ready the night before. Nobody likes finding out minutes before the bus is to arrive that little Johnny won't leave the house in anything other than his favorite shirt, which is currently at the bottom of the dirty-laundry pile. Try an award board. Every morning your child gets up and ready for school without a fuss, he or she gets a star. After so many stars, reward him or her with a treat. Have simple and healthy breakfast options�such as yogurt, fruit, and breakfast bars�on hand at all times. If you are running out of time in the morning, these options can be quick substitutes for a more labor-intensive meal. Make sure you as a parent aren't rushing in the morning. Children follow by example. If you are running around at the last minute, your children will learn to do the same. If you can wake up just a half-hour earlier, you will have time to get ready and then help your children with their morning routine.
Easy Living Tips For Lawn And Garden Gardening season is just over the horizon. It's time to get out the tools and pull on the gloves. Here are a few tips that are sure to keep your lawn and garden looking simply wonderful. To reduce evaporation, water your lawn in the early morning or evening. Most lawns need about 1 inch of water each week, depending on the soil type. If the weather is hot, increase the amount to 1 inch of water every three days. Your soil is ready for planting when you grab a handful and it crumbles. If it forms a ball, it's still too wet to start gardening. Make your job easier by planting plants with the same water needs together. Avoid using insecticides by planting marigolds, basil, mint, chives, onions, and chrysanthemums near or in your garden. Secretions from these and many other plants act as a natural insect repellent. Use leaves, grass clippings, coffee grounds, and tea bags to form a compost pile, and use it to enrich your soil. For best results, chop elements into small pieces before adding them to the pile. Try tying up your plants with old panty hose. They're nearly invisible and will stretch a little as the plant grows. Plant pansies for an early spring pick-me-up. They'll withstand cold weather�even snow�and bloom steadily through the spring.
10 Car Cleaning Tips If you're spending more time in the carpool than the swimming pool this summer, don't miss these 10 helpful tips on keeping the inside and outside of your car sparkling clean. Car experts advocate frequent washing to keep the car looking nice, but also to protect the finish. Contaminants and dirt that are left on the finish can damage the paint over time. And, if you make it fun, you and the kids can have a good time cleaning the car. (And maybe they'll gain an appreciation for a clean car and pick up their own messes in the future. Well, you can always hope!) 1. If It Doesn't Get Dirty. . . You don't have to clean it! Probably half the battle of a clean car is not getting it too dirty to begin with. Of course, if you're on the go this summer, you'll probably need drinks and snacks. Try these smart ideas. 2. Smart Drinks and Snacks You'll never be able to convince the kids that those abundant cup holders in most cars aren't meant to be used, so it makes good sense to lay down some ground rules about drinks that are allowed while you're traveling. The best drink is water. Try a fun water bottle, but if kids revolt, apple juice is probably the safest�and easiest to clean up. At the very least, insist on spill-proof cups or plastic bottles. Dusting in the drive-through Keep a few handy dusting cloths, like Swiffer�, in the glove box to wipe up a dusty dashboard� wherever you notice it. One of our favorite super snacks is pretzel rods. They don't melt when they're inevitably left in the hot sun (which is what makes chocolate an absolute no-no), and they're big enough that they don't get dropped easily. Another good snack for older kids is carrot sticks, which are fun to eat and healthy. Dry cereal is another good option, and it's easily vacuumed! 3. An Inside Job First, the interior needs a little TLC. Wipe down leather and vinyl with a quality cleaner, but if it's slippery, do not use it on the steering wheel. 4. Vac Attack Snacks and kids mean a mess in the car. Someone is bound to drop their snacks and even walk all over them and grind them in. And rainy days and baseball games mean mud, so a thorough vacuuming is in order to keep the car looking nice. It also keeps the carpet in better shape, so it doesn't wear as quickly. If you have one, try using a handheld cordless vac, which is the perfect size for kids to help. It also makes the task so much easier if you don't have to worry about dragging the cord around with you. 5. Splish Splash the Car Needs a Bath Now that the inside is shipshape, it's time to get to work on the outside of the car. You're going to get wet and so are the kids, so put the vacuum away (especially if it's electrical), dress everyone in swimsuits and sandals or swimming shoes (no soggy sneakers!), and have a supply of towels by the door. Rinse thoroughly to remove loose dirt. Wash the wheels first (spray and clean one at a time) so you don't splash the clean car later. Use a good quality wheel cleaner. Spray it on, scrub with a wheel brush if needed, and rinse. Do not let the wheel cleaner dry on the wheel. Choose a wash product designed specifically for washing your car, so it doesn't remove the wax. Wash from the top down. Rinse thoroughly to avoid scratches and swirls. 6. How Dry I Am Dry the car with old 100 percent cotton bath or beach towels. You can also use a chamois, which is available at auto parts stores. One person we spoke with even suggested using the lawn and leaf blower to dry the car. Be sure to wipe off inside the door sills when drying the car. 7. Yes, You Do Windows Wash windows last with glass cleaner and paper towels or a cotton cloth. Wash the inside horizontally and the outside vertically, so if you get streaks it's easy to tell which side is streaked. Clean windows are not only beautiful to look through, they also increase visibility and safety. 8. Finishing Touches Treat exterior plastic and rubber (tires and trim) with a quality surface protectant to counteract damage from the sun and atmospheric pollutants. And it also makes the car look professionally maintained. 9. Wax On, Wax Off Two times a year, be sure to wax the car with a quality wax. Check your vehicle's owner's manual to see if your car has a clear coat or other paint specifications. Also, look for a section on general car cleaning specifically for your car. 10. What's that Smell? Many air fresheners are too strong in the car, but Febreze� Clean Auto is designed to be the perfect solution for a fresh-scented car. Whether it's stale from rain or even the smell of smoke from a previous owner, a bit of Febreze keeps your car smelling sweet.
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