Alex Carson
#1 Cleaning Cutting Boards
Cutting boards are more difficult to clean than you may think. Each time you cut on the board, it creates small nicks and cuts where food can get trapped. Simply washing with a sponge and dish liquid isn’t going to be enough. To properly clean a cutting board, you would need a half of a lemon and some kosher salt. Sprinkle the kosher salt on the cutting board and rub it in the cutting board with a lemon. This will help to dislodge the particles left in the nicks and cracks and then wash the cutting board with soap and water. This will ensure that the cutting board is clean after each use.
#2 Cleaning Cookie Sheets
Most cookie sheets have caked-on grease and food after they come out of the oven. This is often too dirty that using soap and water isn’t going to be enough. To get the cookie sheet as clean as possible, all you need is some baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. In a medium size bowl, combine ¼ cup of baking soda and enough hydrogen peroxide to turn the baking soda into a paste. Rub the paste all over your baking pans and cookie sheets and let it sit for a few hours. When you rinse the paste, they should come out like new.
#3 Cleaning the Shower Head
It takes more than just soap and water to thoroughly clean a shower head. A quick spray won’t de-clog anything that is stuck inside. To properly clean a shower head, all you will need is a bottle of white vinegar, a plastic bag, and an elastic. Fill the bag with the vinegar and slip the bag over the shower head. To keep it on, tie the bag up with an elastic. Allow the bag to remain on the shower head for at least an hour. When you remove the vinegar bag, wipe down the shower head with a wet cloth.
#4 Cleaning Your Mattress
Since you cannot throw your mattress in the washing machine, you need to find a better way. Fortunately, you can clean your mattress on your own and it is relatively simple. Start by vacuuming the mattress to remove any crumbs that are left behind. Next, sprinkle enough baking soda over the entire mattress. You will need enough to cover the entire thing. Allow the baking soda to sit on the mattress for a few hours and then vacuum it clean. Not only will your mattress look cleaner, it will smell cleaner also.
#5 Cleaning Your Cheese Grater
If you have ever used a cheese grater, you know how hard it can be to get it clean. Putting it in the dishwasher never gets it clean enough and scrubbing it with a sponge will only result in a torn sponge. If you want to get your cheese grater cleaned easily, you need to clean it right after you use it. Once you have grated your cheese, peel a potato and start grinding it. The oxalic acid in the potato will work to get the cheese off the grater easily. The best part is that when you are done, you will have some shredded potatoes to make hash browns. It is a win, win situation.
#6 Cleaning the Microwave
It is not uncommon for food to splatter in your microwave, resulting in a burnt on mess. Rather than scrubbing and scrubbing to get the food off, you can wipe it right off if you know the right trick. Fill a bowl with water and vinegar and cook it in the microwave for at least two minutes. This will create a great deal of steam in the microwave, making it possible to just wipe the burnt on food clean. This is the easiest way to clean the microwave and it is all natural.
#7 Cleaning Your Child’s Toys
Kids don’t work hard to keep their toys clean. At the end of the day, there can be food, candy, and dirt stuck all over your children’s toys. This can be extremely unsanitary. Rather than hand washing each toy individually, which can be a hassle and very time consuming, you should put them in the dishwasher. As long as the toys are made of hard plastic, they should be completely safe in the dishwasher and they will come out clean and germ-free.
#8 Cleaning a Coffee Pot
If you start to notice that your coffee tastes bad, it might be time to give the pot a good cleaning. All you need to clean it thoroughly is water and vinegar. Start by filling the water chamber with half water and half vinegar. Allow the pot to brew for half a cycle and then turn it off. Let it sit this way for an hour. After the hour is up, let the machine finish the brew cycle. When the cycle is done, empty the pot ad run a cycle again, this time with just water. No vinegar or coffee grounds. You might need to do this a few times if you are going to get rid of the smell of vinegar. When you can no longer smell it, you are ready to brew a pot of coffee and it should taste great.
#9 Cleaning the Blinds
Unfortunately, blinds can attract a great deal of dirt and dust. If they are not cleaned regularly, it can have a negative effect on the appearance of the room. Most people hate cleaning their blinds because they don’t know the proper way. To clean your blinds quickly and easily, you should start by filling a bowl with vinegar and water. Dip a wet sock in the bowl and use it to wipe down each individual slat. When you have finished washing the blinds, you should use the match to the sock to dry them. It is not nearly as difficult as you may have thought.
#10 Cleaning Cast Iron Pans
People who still use cast iron pans are still using soap and water to get them clean. This is not the best way to wash stubborn food from these pans. Rather than using soap and water, you should stat using a mixture of kosher salt and water. This will give the pans the abrasive washing that it needs to get the stuck on food and residue off. After you have washed and dried the pan, you should pour a light coat of oil into the pan and spread it around the bottom before you store it away.
#11 Cleaning a Painting
Cleaning paintings can be very difficult. Using a wet cloth sounds like it would be effective, however, this method can destroy the painting. The best way to clean a painting is with a half of a bagel. Simple rub the bagel over the painting and it will remove all of the stuck on dust and nastiness that is ruining the appearance of your painting.
#12 Cleaning a Blender
Cleaning a blender can be difficult. Pieces of food can get caught up underneath the blade. It can be hard to reach this area and it puts you at risk of cutting yourself. The safest and easiest way to clean the blender requires nothing more than dish soap and water. Squirt some dish detergent and some water into the blender. Next, turn the blender on for about a minute. When you are done, your blender should be completely clean.
#13 Cleaning Your Toothbrush
While most people know that they need to replace their toothbrushes every three months, most people don’t know that they also need to clean their toothbrush. A regular cleaning will get all of the germs and bacteria off of your toothbrush. To clean it properly, all you need is a cup full of white vinegar. Put your toothbrush in the cup and let it soak for a few hours. Before you put it away, be sure to rinse it thoroughly with water. This is a safe and all-natural way to clean your toothbrush.
#14 Cleaning Your Toaster
If you are like most people, cleaning your toaster is one of the things you’ve been cleaning wrong all of your life. Most people hold their toaster over the trash and wait for the crumbs to fall out. This is a start, but you need to do much more than that. Luckily, most of the toasters on the market today have a drawer that catches the crumbs easily. All you need to do is open the drawer and empty the crumbs. As much as your toaster needs to be cleaned on the inside, it needs just as much TLC on the outside. The best way to clean the outside your toaster is to combine some cream of tartar and some water. Rub the mixture all over your toaster and then wipe it clean. This will get any stuck on nastiness off of your toaster, leaving it looking brand new.
#15 Cleaning Your Oven
Spray on oven cleaners are not as effective as they are advertised to be. If you use these products, you are going to need an awful lot of elbow grease to remove the stuck-on food. The process is time-consuming, however, when the oven is clean you will be happy that you did it. Start by mixing water and baking soda so that it creates a paste. Spread it all over the oven and let it sit overnight. In the morning, use a wet rag to wipe out as much of the baking soda as you can. Next, put some vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the inside of your oven and wipe it down with a wet rag. Finally, turn your oven on low for 20 minutes to let it dry.
