HOME MADE METAL CLEANER

If you want to clean Copper, Bronze, Brass or Pewter, you can make up a cleaning paste from items that you have in your kitchen.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Now add just enough flour to make up a thick paste.

Coat your metal item with the paste and let sit for about 15-20 minutes.

Rinse off the item with warm water and dry thoroughly with a clean dry cloth.

Your metal should now be sparkling clean.

MICROWAVE CLEAN UP

To clean out all of the goop that builds up on the inside of your microwave oven, add about 2-3 drops of dish soap to a mug of water and place in the center of your microwave oven.

Microwave on High heat for 2-4 minutes, depending on your microwave’s strength. (You should see it just start to boil)

Turn off the microwave oven, and with out opening the door, let the mug sit for at least 5 minutes, and for as long as 15 for really dirty ovens.

Open the door, remove the mug and dump the contents into your sink.

Using a damp washcloth, wipe out your microwave well.

Don’t forget to get the top and the corners.

If you still find some stuck particles, do not use a scraper or anything abrasive, just repeat the process until it is clean.

SPRING CLEANING

It is that grilling time of year and no one likes cleaning a grill!

To get your grill in prime shape for the coming months, don some plastic gloves and remove the grill rack. Spray it down with oven cleaner and place it in a plastic garbage bag.

Seal the bag tightly and let it sit overnight.

The next day, wearing gloves, scrub the rack of with some steel wool and rinse with water well.

To maintain a stick free surface, lightly oil the rack before each use. Pour some cooking oil onto a paper towel and using tongs, coat all of the cooking surfaces.

BREAD CLEANUP

The hardest part of cleaning up after making bread is cleaning the bowls and the mixer or bread machine paddles.

To expedite cleaning, once you have completed using the utensils, place them in a warm bowl of water to soak for 15 or 20 minutes.

This will soften up all of the dried on flour, and now you can rinse extra dough off and clean as normal.

GARLIC ODOR

After peeling and cutting garlic, to get rid of the odor from your hands, locate something stainless steel in your kitchen.

It can be a pot or pan, kitchen sink, or even utensil.

Rinse your hands under running water, while rubbing the stainless steel with your fingers for 30-40 seconds.

Wash your hands with soap now, and the smell is gone.

Messy Hands

When you are making dough, working with meat, or other things that are messy, keep a few extra plastic bags by your work surface.

Now if the phone rings, someone comes to the door, or one of life's other little interruptions happens you can slip your hands into the bags to prevent spreading goo all over if you don't have time to wash them thoroughly.

Caring for Knives

You have a great set of knives, but you notice that they do not seem to be lasting as long as you thought. You have to take careful care of your knives and here are a few tips for keeping them like new.

Always use a cutting board when cutting with your knives. Yes, your granite counter top says that you can cut on it, but it is not good for your knives and it will dull them quickly.

Keep a bit of hot soapy water at hand. As soon as you are done cutting, gently wash your knife with a rag or sponge in the hot soapy water as soon as you are done using it. Do not let it soak in water, and worst of all do not place in your dishwasher.

When you are ready to store your knife, use a wood block or a protective cover to keep your blades protected.

If you find that your knives need to be sharpened, unless you are skilled enough to do this yourself, take them to a professional who can sharpen them properly.

Cleaning Berries

Cleaning Raspberries with out mashing them to pieces can be very difficult. Here is a hint to hopefully make it easier to wash your berries with out mashing them.

Place the berries into a colander and fill the sink with cool water. Gently push the colander into the water just until the berries are covered. Lift the conlander from the water and repeat.

Now lie an absorbant towel on the counter and gently pour the berries onto the towel to dry.

This process will also work for blackberries, boysenberry or other soft berries.

Refreshing Refrigerator

You dread having to clean the refrigerator. It usually takes most of the day and it only lasts a few hours before it is all mussed up again.

To help make the task easier, clean it in stages. When you are running low on supplies, take a minute to wipe down a shelf and rearrange items.

If you do this to a shelf a week, your refrigerator will stay consistently clean.

Exaustingly Clean

The next time that you are cooking on your stove top, turn on the exhaust fan. The fan will pull any airborne grease and steam outside instead of giving it a chance to stay in the kitchen and creating sticky surfaces for dust and dirt to adhere.

Filthy Faucets

When you are busy baking, cooking, preparing meals you sometimes find that the handle of the faucet becomes covered with the stuff that you are working with.

To prevent it from drying on the handle and becoming harder to remove before you get done with your project.

Before you start cooking, grab a piece of seran wrap or a plastic baggie and place over the handle. Use a rubber band to hold in place if you need.

Now when you are done cooking all you have to do is remove the wrap.

I especially like this when I am preparing large amounts of meat for freezing.

Clean 2 for 1

Before you turn you oven to clean, walk out side and grab the racks from your gas grill. Place them inside your oven and close the door and set it up to clean.

Now when the cleaning cycle is done all you have to do is remove the racks and gently wash off the ashes and return to your grill.

Toothbrushes in the Kitchen?

Sounds kind of odd, but keep a toothbrush in your kitchen. You will be amazed at the different uses that you will find for it. Here are some suggested uses:

After you get done using your egg beater, use a toothbrush to clean in between the tines.

After you get done grating anything on your food grater, use a toothbrush to clean the grating surfaces and holes well.

Use it to clean any hard to reach place including the back of the faucet and between the sink and wall.

Spritzing Soak

To help save you some time cleaning dishes, this simple tip will make cleaning a breeze.

Grab an empty spray bottle and fill it 2/3 full with water then 1/3 liquid dish soap. Leave this by the sink.

Now when you are cooking and have a particularly dirty pan or dish, spray thoroughly and let it soak while you are completing your preperation or serving.

Now when it is time for cleanup you should be able to wipe away easily.

Vinegar Usage V

Vinegar is the unsung hero of the kitchen. It has plenty of uses around the house, besides just cooking.

If you have painted a room and the smell of paint is taking a long time to dissipate, place a bowl of vinegar in the room. The vinegar will help to dispel the paint odor.

If you have a clogged showerhead from hard water and minerals, place the showerhead into a bowl. Pour in enough vinegar to cover and let set for 15-20 minutes. Remove the head from the bowl and scrub with a toothbrush. Place the showerhead back on the nozzle and run water though to make sure that all the holes are cleared. If you still have a few plugged holes just use a toothpick, when the water is off, to break any clumps free.

If you happen to get stung by a bee or mosquito, you can place a paper towel soaked in vinegar on the site to help alleviate some of the pain and itching.

After you have washed your hair, mix a tablespoon of vinegar with a cup of water and use as a final rinse. This will help strip any extra soap buildup and help your hair to shine.

Cleaning Fruit and Veggies

As we all know is the best to wash almost all of your fruits and vegetables before you use them.

Most fruits and vegetables should not be washed before storage, like mushrooms or raspberries, but everything should be washed before use.

You are not only washing off pesticides or dirt, but you are also washing off any oils/germs from the fruit being in transit and being handled at the store.

When rinsing, use fresh cool drinking water. Do not wash your produce with any detergents or bleaches that you would not want to consume yourself. Some produce can absorb what you are cleaning so it is not wise to use. There are a few commercial produce soaps out there, but their effectiveness has not yet been established. If you do decide to use one, read and follow the directions carefully.

One item that most people forget to wash before eating is melons. Granted we don’t usually eat the rind, but your hands to constantly come in contact with it during preparation and sometimes while eating depending on how it is served.

First of all, clean up your work area. Washing the fruit/vegetables will not do you any good if your work area is dirty. Wash your hands, wipe out the sink and make sure your cutting boards or countertops are clean.

For produce that is soft or small like Berries or Beans, place them in a colander in the sink. Using cold-water spray off the produce well. Inspect each item after it has been rinsed to make sure that it is clean and remove any bad spots if needed. Place the cleaned items in a bowl or on a soft cloth to dry until ready to use.

For larger produce that has a firm skin, wash under cold water using a soft brush or your hands to gently dislodge any dirt. Also monitor each piece for any bad spots and cut out before use. Place on a soft cloth to dry until ready to use.

For leafy vegetables, remove and throw out the outer layer of leaves then rinse well.

KEEPING WOOD UNTENSILS FRESH

If you want to keep your wood utensils and salad sets looking like new, it is easier than you would think.

After thoroughly washing the items, rub each item down with a piece of wax paper.

This will leave a thin coating of wax on the wood that will help protect it from drying out and absorbing liquids that you prepare or serve.

EASY BLENDING CLEAN

You are making up a treat in the blender for the family, and after you pour it out you try to decide how is the easiest way to clean this?

Cleaning the blender is simple, just place a cup of water into the blender and a squirt of dishwashing soap.

Now just blend away.

Remove from the base and dip your rag into the soapy water and wash the gasket well, then re-assemble and wipe off the outside of your blender.

Rinse well and dry. Ready to go again!

STAINED CHINA

You just inherited some family china and you want to start using it. As you pull it out of the box you notice that there are dark stains all over it. How can you get rid of them?

Break out the vinegar again. Mix equal parts of distilled white vinegar and salt. Apply the mixture to the stains and let sit. You will see the stains disappear right before your eyes after a bit.

CLEANING THE COFFEE POT

You are looking at your coffee pot and notice that there is a lovely brown coloring on the glass. Time to clean the coffee pot! Cleaning the pot is easier than it sounds.

When the pot is cold, fill the pot with about a half a cup of water, 2 tablespoons of salt and a cup of ice.

Now holding the pot by the handle, swirl the ice and water in the pot. The ice and salt will scrub the stains from the inside of the pot.

Dump out the water after a few minutes and see if you need to repeat. Once the pot is clean, dry and let warm back up to room temperature.

Now fill the pot with 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar. Remove the used filter and place a clean filter in the tray.

Pour the water into the hopper as normal and let run through a cycle.

Dump the water from the pot, bring back to room temperature and repeat with plain water.

Your pot should now be squeaky clean and your coffee should taste better!

You can do the cleaning cycle once a month or as needed. Up to you!

KEEPING CAST IRON BLACK

After you have seasoned your pan you use it and you wonder how you are going to keep it black. After you use your pan, while it is still warm wash it with water only, no soap.

Scrub it well to remove any food residue. Dry the pan well with a soft cloth. Now, grab a piece of wax paper.

Ball it up and scrub the pan well inside and out. You are thinking to yourself, why waxed paper?

When you rub the pan with the waxed paper it will leave a waxed coating on the surface. This will seal the pan with a thin coating of wax that will protect the surface from air and moisture, thus helping to prevent rust from forming. When you are storing the pans, you can leave a piece of wax paper between the pans to help protect them.

If rust spots do appear you can remove them by rubbing the spot with a slice of fresh lemon. Once you have removed the spot rub again with wax paper.

DIRTY DISHWASHER

You are always cleaning your dishes in the dishwasher, but when was the last time that you cleaned your dishwasher??

Once every few months, after you have emptied the dishwasher reset your settings for regular wash, no heat dry.

Now place a bowl in the bottom rack with a cup of bleach in it. Run your dishwasher cycle with out any soap in the cup.

Once the cleaning process has completed, open the door and place a cup of Vinegar in the bowl. Set your dishwasher to run a complete cycle.

Now you have a squeaky clean dishwasher!

CLEANING THE EXHAUST

When you clean your kitchen, one place it is most often forgotten is the exhaust filter. This is the filter that is above your range. It can get very greasy and nasty if it is not cleaned often.

Make a note once a month to take the filter off and soak it in a heavy duty grease cutter. After it has soaked for about an hour or so, scrub it with a toothbrush. After the initial cleaning is done, you may just need to drop it into the dishwasher to keep it clean.

LEAKY STOPPER

You have a sink stopper that just doesn't seem to be working anymore. Every time that you run to the store, you forget to pick up a new one.

To give your stopper a little more life by tearing off a small piece of saran wrap and wrap your stopper in it. It will help to alleviate the small leaks until you can pick up a new one.

DISPOSER CARE

You have a disposer, but is seems like every time that you use it, it is all jammed up. Disposers are really designed to grind up vegetable matter only. If you have meat or bones, just toss them in the trash. Do not jam everything in and turn it on.

First, start some cold water running in the sink with the disposer in it. Turn the disposer on and let the water run.

Gently push the remaining material to the hole.

DO NOT PUT YOUR HAND OR ANY OTHER ITEM IN THE HOLE AT ANY TIME.

When you hear the disposer clear, continue to run for a few seconds with the water on. This will help rinse out any residue.

If you want, you can toss in a half a lemon or some orange peel. Let disposer grind up and your kitchen will smell fresh and clean.

Remember do not dump boiling water, hot oil or any other hot items into the disposal.

Also do not use drain cleaner of any kind. These items will ruin the seal and could ruin your disposer.

REMOVING STAINS FROM YOUR CUTTING BOARD

You use your wood cutting board all the time. Lately as you look at the board and notice that there are more and more stains appearing. These are quick and easy to clean up with the right ingredients.

Sprinkle some salt onto your wooden board.

Now grab a wedge of fresh lemon and rub the salt into the board.

The combination should scrub your board clean.

If you have a stubborn stain that is quite persistent clean the board thoroughly with warm water.

Now grab your bottle of bleach and sprinkle it on your stain.

Let sit for about 10 minutes. Rinse and repeat if necessary.

RUSTY STEEL WOOL

I still use the occasional steel wool pad for cleaning stainless steel pans. I hate it when I am done though and I leave it on the sink. The next time that I grab it, it disintegrates in my hand and rust goes everywhere.

I found a good way to keep this from happening now.

When I am done cleaning, I rinse the wool thoroughly and place it into a tightly sealed bag.

Now I just drop it in the freezer and it is perfectly preserved for the next use!

LIGHT AND FLUFFY, DISHES?

You just made a casserole for dinner, and now that it has all been eaten you are left with a baked on mess. You have tried almost everything, but your elbow grease is just about all used up. What else is there to do?

From your laundry room, grab a sheet of fabric softener (2 or 3 for larger pans).

Place it in your casserole dish and fill with water.

Let sit for at least 20 minutes.

Now just grab your scrubber and the mess should clean right off.

CLEANING TEFLON

You love your Teflon, but every now and then when you are cooking you have a pan that just doesn't want to come clean. Here is a great tip for cleaning it up.

Mix up a combination of 1 cup water, 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 teaspoons of baking powder in the pan.

Now just clean rinse and dry as normal. Don't forget to season the pan again the next time that you use it.

BLACK BOTTOMS EASY TO CLEAN

You made up your favorite recipe, and you had to leave for just a minute. When you got back, what a mess! It has burned on so hard that you can't get anything to budge!

If you can wait overnight you can try this remedy.

Grab the box of baking soda and dump a healthy amount into the pan.

You will want enough to totally cover the burned area.

Now, add just enough water to make it into a thing paste.

Let sit over night.

The next day, just scrub and rinse. This should remove your burned on mess easily!

CLEANING IVORY

You have some serving pieces that have ivory trim. As you look at them you notice that it is starting to yellow. You know that there should be some way to clean them, but you don't want to ruin the pieces.

You can clean up the yellowing by dipping a slice of lemon into some salt.

Now rub the ivory with the slice of salted lemon and it should erase some of the yellowing that you see.

Once the ivory is clean to your satisfaction, rinse under some warm water to remove any residue and dry thoroughly with a soft towel.

CLEANING UP AN EGG

Oh yes, you just love this! You are making up a recipe and getting the eggs out of the refrigerator your dropped one!

This is always such a pain to clean up! The yolk and white just seem to spread everywhere!

Now, you can make the clean up a bit easier by grabbing your salt shaker.

No, you are not going to eat the egg!

Just pour a couple of tablespoons of salt onto the broken egg and start wiping up.

The salt will change the consistency of the egg just enough to be able to wipe it up easier.

CLEANING TIGHT PLACES

You are cleaning the kitchen and just when you think that you are done, there are a few spots that you might have missed that you never think about. Under the refrigerator, between the refrigerator or stove and cabinets can go unnoticed most of the time, but it would be a good idea of you could try to clean them about once a month or so.

To clean easily just grab a flyswatter and an old sock!

Pull the old sock over the head of your fly swatter and now just slip into your nooks and crannies to clean away any dust bunnies that may have accumulated.

MIXER MESS

You love using your little hand mixer for small recipes, but you get frustrated with the mess that it makes sometimes.

It almost seems like you are spending more time cleaning up little spatters than you are cooking.

There is a simple remedy that works for all makes and models of hand mixers.

Grab your trusty box of wax paper and tear off a sheet slightly larger than your bowl.

Poke a hole in the center large enough for the tops of your beaters to fit through.

Attach the beaters to your mixer and place over your bowl and mix away making sure that the wax paper is completely covering your bowl.

Now your spatters will only hit the wax paper instead of your walls and floor!

SPONGE SPORES

I know that everyone says that you shouldn't use sponges in the kitchen, but I really can't live with out mine.

It is just too easy to use.

To help keep things clean and germ free, I drop my sponge in the dishwasher each night before I turn it on.

Now in the morning I have a squeeky clean sponge!

SANITIZING WORK SPACES

You know how to clean just about everything in the kitchen, but you still worry about germs on your wood and plastic surfaces.

Now there is an easy way to sanitize these items/surfaces.

Grab 2 spray bottles and mark them well, one with Vinegar and one with Hydrogen Peroxide.

Now whenever you have a plastic or wood surface that needs to be santiized, spray a mist of vinegar over the surface.

Next spray with Hyrdrogen Peroxide and let dry.

Keep the items dry now until your next use.

You can even use this combination of sprays to kill bacteria on fruits or vegetables.

KEEPING IT CLEAN

I keep a bottle of waterless hand sanitizer in the kitchen. I like to use it to make sure that my hands are totally clean when preparing meals.

After handling any meat product, I wash my hands thoroughly with warm water and soap.

Then I use a squirt or two of the hand sanitizer before I handle any other food items.

It is also good to use when you have cold.

This is just one more way to help prevent any bacteria or transmission to other food items.

SMELLY LUNCHBAGS

You are making lunches for the kids. You smell something, and you can’t quite put your finger on it. Ewww, it is the lunch bag.

Most lunch bags are now cloth with a plastic lining. To deodorize the lunch bags, wipe out the interior thoroughly with a damp soapy rag.

If the smell persists, place 1 tablespoon of bleach into 1 quart of warm water.

Soak your rag for a moment (warning, use an old or white rag as the bleach will ruin a colored rag) and wring out thoroughly.

Being careful not to drip any bleach water on the outside of your bag (it will discolor your bag) or your clothing, wipe out the interior only of the bag thoroughly. Leave the top open to air dry for at least 5 minutes.

Take a whiff, if the smell is still there repeat with previous step.

If you find that there is something that has soaked into the exterior of the bag you can spot clean it with some household cleaner (may spot or discolor depending on brand) or toss into the gentle cycle of your washing machine by itself. I will usually let mine air dry in the laundry room overnight.

A CLEAN KITCHEN

When getting ready to cook any large meal I find it a lot easier for clean up if I start with a clean kitchen.

Take a few minutes before you begin cooking to empty the dishwasher and clean any other dishes that might be lying aroun the sink.

Now as you are preparing your meal, you can place your dirty items directly into the dishwasher.

Now, just before you sit down to eat, set up your washer cycle.

When your meal is done, all of your dishes should be clean and dry.

Now just put away your cooking utensils and fill the washer with your dining utensils and the kitchen is clean.

If you don't have a dishwasher, leave some hot soapy water in the sink, and simply wash each item as you are done using it and place on a rack to dry.

CLEANING COPPER

Copper pots and pans are wonderful in the kitchen. They are expensive but they distribute heat evenly and are a joy to cook with. The bad thing is that they are hard to keep clean and shiny.

The easiest way that I have found to clean copper cookware is to cut a lemon in half and sprinkle the cut side of the lemon with kosher salt.

Holding the peel side, rub your pan vigorously so that the lemon juice and the salt scrub any discolorations away. Rinse well and dry.

SMELLY FOOD

If you are cooking particularly aromatic food in a pot on the stovetop that is smelling up the house you can try this little hint to help keep the odors under control.

Take a large towel or cloth and soak in a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water.

Wring out most of the liquid leaving the cloth heavily damp.

Place the cloth over the top of your cooking pot, being careful to make sure that the towel does not come close to the heating element or any flame.

Always keep your eye on the pot while it is cooking and make sure that the towel does not dry out or come too close to an element that might cause a fire.

This will help alleviate some of the smell of whatever you are cooking.

CLEANING THE POT

You are at work, and you decide to wander over to the coffee pot and have a fresh cup. When you get there, you look at the pot, and ewwwwwwww…….. Someone left it on the burner near empty, and now it is just sludge! You don’t have access to all the cleaning supplies that you have at home, but you have got to clean this pot to get your caffeine fix!

Pull the pot off the burner and place on a towel to cool. While the pot it cooling locate some ice and some salt. Once the pot is thoroughly cool, fill the pot about a quarter full with ice and add a couple tablespoons of salt. WARNING: If the pot is still hot/warm when you add the ice, it could break. Swirl the ice/salt mixture in the pot. The ice and the salt act as a mild abrasive to clean the cooked on coffee and hard water stains.

After the ice partially melts and the water is stained a dark color, dump it out in the sink. Using a paper towell, wipe out the inside of the pot well and check to see if you need to repeat the process. Repeat until all the burned on coffee has been removed.