Kitchen Cleaning Tips- Appliances general tips for cleaning
Microwave Cleaning Tip Combine one tsp. of vinegar, ten drops of lemon extract, and four ounces of water into a microwave safe bowl, run microwave on high for four minutes. Wipe out the microwave with a paper towel. for a deeper cleaning: 1/4 cup baking soda 1 tsp vinegar 5-6 drops thyme or lemon essential oil. Combine all ingredients to make a paste, apply paste to the walls with a soft cloth or sponge. Rinse well and leave the microwave door open to air dry for 25 minutes. Oven Cleaning Tip Regular oven cleaning technique (every month) 2 tsp baking soda 2 Tbs liquid castile soap 10 drops orange, lemon or lime essential oil 1/2 cup of water Preheat oven to 250 degrees, turn off and leave oven door open. Combine the baking soda, soap, and essential oil in a clean spray bottle, add the water and shake well. Spray on oven walls and wait 20 minutes. Wipe clean and rinse well. Major oven cleaning technique (every few months) 1/2 cup salt 1/4 cup borax 1 box (16 oz) baking soda 1/4 water 3/4 cup vinegar 10 drops lemon essential oil 10 drops of an essential oil you like Combine salt, borax, and baking soda in a glass bowl. Add just enough water to make a paste. Remove oven racks, preheat oven to 250 degrees for 15 minutes, turn off the oven and open the oven door, leave the door open. Carefully spread the paste all over the oven walls and let sit for 30 minutes. Combine the vinegar and essential oils in a spray bottle and spray on walls over the paste and wipe clean. If a lot of baked-on grease is present, you may need to use steel wool with more salt in the mix. Overnight oven cleaner technique (twice a year) 1 cup water 10 drops lemon essential oil 1/2 cup salt 1-1/4 cups baking soda 2 Tbs liquid castile soap 1/4 cup vinegar 1- Block oven vents with aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 300 degrees for 15 minutes, turn off the oven and open the door, leave it open. 2- Combine 1/4 cup water with essential oil in a spray bottle and shake well, spray oven floor and walls with mixture. 3- Combine 1/4 cup salt with 1/2 cup baking soda. Sprinkle on oven floor, heavily where spills are baked on. 4- Mix 1/4 cup water with the remaining 3/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup salt, and castile soap. Spread this mixture on the oven walls, remove the foil from the vents and let sit overnight. 5- Combine the remaining water and vinegar in a spray bottle and in the morning spray onto the walls and floor and scrub with steel wool, continue to wipe up until shiny clean. Soak those oven racks If you don't have a self cleaning oven, place oven racks in the bathtub with about 1/2 cup dishwasher detergent and cover with several inches of warm water, let the racks soak as long as possible, at least 45 minutes. Then rinse and dry. Soak the accessories too Soak all the oven accessories (burner rings, knobs, burner grills, etc.) in a mixture of 1 cup baking soda, 1/3 cup vinegar, 6-10 drops of essential oil, let soak overnight and use fine steel wool to remove loosened grime. Refrigerator and stove tops 1 tsp liquid castile soap 1/8 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 cups water 5 drops grape fruit seed extract 1 tsp borax Combine all ingredients in plastic spray bottle. Apply generously onto appliance surface and wait a few minutes, then wipe clean. Refrigerator cleaning tips general rules for a healthy fridge- Obviously, the most opportune time to clean out the refrigerator is when it's close to empty. You should not let the frost in the fridge get more than a quarter inch thick before defrosting, as it may take along time to defrost and it will be substantially harder to deal with all the water. Keeping the fridge fresh Put a fresh box of baking soda in the fridge every two months, then use the box of baking soda to aid in cleaning the refrigerator. Put 10 drops of your favorite essential oil on a paper towel and place on the bottom shelf of the fridge. If you like the smell of coffee, put some grounds in a little bowl and leave open in the fridge, this will work for weeks. You can add essential oils to the grounds to, experiment and change the recipe for fun. Hang fresh dried herbs on a hook in your fridge. Refrigerator top- If the top of the fridge is really dirty, grimy and greasy you may have to mix a mixture of one part ammonia to 10 parts water and let soak for awhile, then clean with above formula. Degreaser 2 cups water 1/4 cup Murphy's oil soap 10 drops tea tree oil or lemon citrus essential oil Combine all ingredients in plastic spray bottle. Apply generously, wait a couple of minutes and wipe clean. Blender cleaning tips Squirt a few drops of liquid soap into the blender, fill halfway with warm water, cover and blend, rinse and repeat as necessary. Cleaning electric can opener tip Clean the blade of your electric can opener by running a paper towel through the can opener onto the can, so it will wipe off the blade. Spot clean the rest with vinegar and tea tree oil (or lemon oil) and a toothbrush. Coffee maker cleaning tip Make a solution of baking soda and water and run it through maker and run one follow up brew of clean water afterwards. Mix a solution of equals parts vinegar and water and brew it through the coffee maker. Follow this with two regular water brews to rinse. Mineral build up - cut down the build up of minerals in coffee makers by putting a loofah sponge or a marble inside the water tank to attract the minerals away from the coffee maker parts. Trash compactor odor Banish bad odors by grinding up half a lemon or orange grind in the compactor, this works for garbage bins too. Cleaning espresso machine tip That old reliable, when-in-doubt mixture of one Tbs of vinegar, 5 drops lemon essential oil and a quart of water mixed in a spray bottle. Spray on, then spot clean with a paper towel. Toaster cleaning tip UNPLUG...Polish chrome with baking soda, shake out and knock loose crumbs with a brush and spray down with vinegar, lemon oil and water mixture. Suzanne and I hope these
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