House Cleaning Tips

Disposal Odors and How to Rid of Them Cleaning the kitchen is one thing but how many of us forget about the disposal? I’ll admit, I sometimes forget until I get some phantom smell in the kitchen that isn’t coming from the garbage can. The garbage disposal is a powerhouse when it comes to grinding up particles of food and when you think about it, some of the things that go in may cause some funky odors to come out. Below are some things you can do to remove and prevent odors in your garbage disposal. Run cold water when using the garbage disposal. After rinsing pots, pans and dishes, grease and oils can run off into the disposal area. Using cold water will help solidify any grease and oil so it can be chopped up before reaching the trap where it could otherwise sit and accumulate. Freeze white vinegar in ice cube trays. I use the silicone trays because popping them out is so easy and it really doesn’t matter if you use large or small square trays. Vinegar is a natural deodorizer th...

Most of us do a pretty good job cleaning the kitchen and some of us might just be diligent about sanitizing surfaces and saying good-bye to germs. The kitchen is one of those places in the house where germs like to hang out. Think about it; food left lying out on countertops, chopping vegetables, getting uncooked meats and other food items for the evening meal ready, the sink gets used a lot and can breed bacteria due to the moisture, and the foods we touch then get transferred to cupboard doors, counters, handles, etc. You may have heard this before but most kitchen sinks have more germs than a toilet seat. I don’t know about you but I find that a bit unnerving! Homemade Kitchen Sanitizer Here is a pretty basic cleaning and sanitizing recipe that can be used throughout the kitchen to kill bacteria and germs. In a large bowl or container, combine: • One gallon of cold water • One tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach Get your cleaning cloth, dip it in, and wipe down your ...

You’re making one of your families favorite desserts; an apple pie. When it’s done baking you take it out of the oven and realized it bubbled over and made a mess of your clean oven. Spills and splatters will eventually happen and sometimes they just can’t be avoided no matter how careful you are. Don’t worry; the good news is you can make your own safe oven cleaner and won’t have to buy or use toxic chemicals to clean your oven. When using a more natural approach to cleaning your oven, it may require a bit more elbow grease, but in the long run it’s better for you and worth the effort. Home Made Oven Cleaner Recipe 1 T Liquid Dish Soap 1 T Lemon Juice 1 T Bleach 1 Quart Warm Water Take all the above ingredients and mix them together in a small bucket. Apply the cleaning solution with a sponge to the inside of the oven. Let this sit for 1 hour then scrub with a sponge or a green scrubby. Use plain water to rinse well. Chemical Free Natural Oven Cleaning Recipe 5 T Baking Soda 3 Dro...

I was watching a cooking show on T.V. the other day and the chef was making a deep dish pizza using a cast iron skillet. As my mouth watered from the delicious looking pizza with tasty toppings, I wondered what ever happened to my cast iron skillet. Now it was a quest to find it and recreate the delicacy I was watching. I dug through my cabinets and there, in the bottom, way in the back, lay my sturdy skillet. After digging it out, I found that it had not been properly cleaned. I now need to clean and season it before cooking anything. If you find yourself with a rusty or dirty cast iron pan, don’t worry, there are simple tips to get your skillet back in shape. Here is what you will have to do: Cleaning Cast Iron Do not use soap and water…ever! Instead, place the pan on the stove and boil some water in it. Let it soak for a while. When food particles start to loosen, turn the heat off. Use an oven mitt and pour out the water. Wipe out with a paper towel. Never use Brillo pads (or a...

We just had a client ask the question below and thought we would share it with you. It’s a little long but it might be useful to some of you. If you are looking for answers to your cleaning questions, take a look at the Mrs. Clean forum . Our Clients Cleaning Question I live in an apartment and I have a white Whirlpool gas range. The stainless steel is not smooth it is abrasive like sandpaper and the porcelain covered grates and caps are very fragile and chip easily. They are black and covered with burnt on oil and food from cooking. I am afraid to use more heavy duty cleaners as they can strip the porcelain right off of the metal grates. Help. I work hard to get a clean kitchen, I do have two small children who are curious and a dog. I do not want to use something possibly harmful to them. Have I not found the right product? I have tried a lot of elbow grease and lots of products. I have tried soaking, steel wool, Brillo pads, green products, professional products, de-greasor, dis...

What is that Smell Coming from Your Refrigerator? There is plenty of leftover food that gets stored in our refrigerators or food items we just never got around to using (or couldn't find) that can cause some really bad smells and that – can be just a bit disturbing. I don’t know about you but I’ve opened some refrigerators and the smell can just knock my socks off and completely make me lose my appetite. So if you go poking your head in a fridge and it smells a bit putrefied, whether it’s yours or a family member, it’s time to tell someone that Now! is a good time to clean the refrigerator . I mean mold, bacteria and mildew growing within the fridge is not a place I want to be grabbing my food from. If the fridge is stinking, your option is to give it a good cleaning. Completely go through it and toss old foods and condiments. Clean the inside, take out the drawers (clean them out and underneath). Wipe everything dry when you’re done and put only the good stuff back in. Tips fo...

Take Care of your Marble: First I’ll make a note that you should Never Use Vinegar to clean marble. Marble is a very soft stone and highly porous, and any cleaning solution that contains acid will destroy it. Although vinegar can be used for many cleaning jobs around the house, marble is NOT one of them. The acid will get into and under any cracks in the polished surface, eventually damaging it. If cared for properly, the marble in your home can last you a lifetime. Marble Care Tips: Because marble is sensitive and very porous, only clean it with a neutral pH cleaning solution using a soft clean cloth. Marble is delicate and requires some maintenance to look its best. We have some basic care tips for cleaning marble to share with you. We also have Cleaning and Polishing Marble tips.

Is dish washing detergent only for cleaning dishes? What about automatic dish washing detergent? Both these types of detergents can be used for other kinds of cleaning throughout your home. One of your household items that can be cleaned with dish washing detergent is your refrigerator (inside and out). Automatic dish washing detergent can be used to clean tough stains. For more uses using dishwashing detergent , come see us at Mrs. Clean.

We love our stainless steel and maintaining the cleanliness is essential in keeping the fingerprints and smudges at bay. Did you know you should always clean with the grain. Yes. There is a grain and you should never rub against the grain as this can produce scratches, and they can be permanent. Check out our tips for cleaning stainless steel , we have more tips to help keep all your stainless steel items looking great.