Category: Home Interior Tips

General Information :
Automatic drip coffee makers will accumulate hard water deposits along the lines and in it’s tank.

Tools & Technique :
Every month or so, brew a solution of vinegar and water to remove the deposits.

Also clean the filter, baskets and carafe after every use. Most can be placed in the dishwasher, never use abrasives on your coffee makers surface or the heating element. If you do not have a dishwasher use dish soap and water just like washing normal dishes. Residue and bitter oils on these surfaces will affect the taste of the coffee.

Pour 2 cups of white vinegar into the pot and fill will to the 10 cup level (1:4 vinegar to water). Pour the solution into the reservoir place a fresh paper filter or your multiple use filter in the basket and brew about 50% of the solution stop the brewing process for several minutes to loosen everything and continue to brew.

If you have heavy build up or have not cleaned the coffee maker in a long time pour the solution back into the reservoir and brew it again. Be sure to brew a cycle with just water to rinse it completely. And your next brew of coffee will taste like a fresh cup of Starbucks coffee.

There are also off the shelf products like CLR and lime away which will remove extremely stubborn stains.

Here is an interesting tip submitted by Sue;

If you find you just cannot get rid of cooking smells in the house, try this remedy:

You need a little lemon juice and 6 cloves. Put into a saucepan, add a mug of warm water. Place on a low heat and let the fresh smell saturate the air. Just remember to keep an eye on the pan so it doesn’t boil dry. Best thing is, you can use the liquid 4 times before you need to throw it away.

General Info:
Here are a few of home remedies for cleaning your copper pans.

Tools & Chemicals:
Salt, lemon, scrubber or flour & white vinegar.

Technique:

• To clean the bottom of copper bottomed pots and pans cover a freshly cut lemon with salt and scrub.
• Mix equal parts of flour, and salt with enough white vinegar to make a paste. Let mixture stand on the copper, then rinse.
• To polish use Catsup/ketchup. Be generous, scrub with a metal scrubbing pad, allow to sit for a few minutes, rinse and polish with a clean, dry cloth.

This question was submitted from Linda K.

“How do I clean soot from my countertop? ”

Soot is a substance made out of carbon and oil. Smoke, on the other hand, is an entirely different substance which is the heat-driven result of combustion. For smoke damage a different cleaning process is employed. (See our data-base under Smoke.) For soot try these techniques :
First, get rid of as much soot as possible by vacuuming .

Next, use a heavy duty degreaser and water. Mix it strong (check the label), and let it soak for 10-15 min. Try a soft brush to agitate and rinse.
Also, you can use soot-sponges which are available at janitorial supply stores. Ask for detailed directions.

As a last resort, if the soot stain persists, spray a small amount of oven cleaner onto a cloth and then rub the the affected surface. Wipe off with a clean, damp cloth. Test your countertop in an inconspicuous area-it could easily damage the surface.

Do you have any suggestions as to how to get superglue off formica?

Super glue didn’t get the name “super” for no reason.

It is tough to get superglue off of anything, however if the formica, or laminate is a non-textured (ie smooth) finish, you actually have a good shot.

Acetone can help break down superglue. It has been the most common ingredient in fingernail polish remover, however more and more companies are using alternate, less aggressive chemicals. You will find small containers available at your local home center. This should not damage the counter, and it should break the bond between the counter and the glue.

Before making that trip, get a safety razor. Even a utility knife blade, wrapper with tape on one edge for safety, will suffice. Add water to the area, along with a few drops of dish soap. Mix the soap all over so the surface is very slippery.

Hold the taped side of the utility blade (or the metal edge on the safety straight blade) and run the blade across the counter at a very narrow angle. The blade should be almost parallel to the counter. This will not scratch a smooth counter top. Run the blade with some force into the glue spot. If you can catch an edge, it is usually enough to flick the entire blob of glue off the counter.

If residue remains, try cleaning with the nail polish or acetone.

Always take appropriate safety precautions when using chemicals and sharp blades.

General Information :
Since a dish drainer is made to hold clean dishes, it is essential to keep it clean and sanitary.

Tools & Technique :
Clean a dish drainer regularly in warm water and mild detergent. Do not use your dishwater for this; an unsanitary dish drain will dirty the water. Every few weeks, soak the dish drain in a solution of warm water and bleach (1-2oz.) This will sanitize the dish drain. Rinse afterwards with clean water and let dry.

General Information :
Modern dishwashers require little care to operate efficiently. An inherently clean environment, dishwashers need only a few basic maintenance procedures

Tools & Technique :
-Always garberate before operating or food particles can drain into the unit.
-Occasionally check the dishwasher drain for obstructions.
-Check that the float valve or switch is working properly. This prevents overfilling.
-Keep the door gasket clean to prevent leaks and premature ware.
-Dust and clean under the unit – some times the bottom cover plate will need to be removed.
-Keep the outside clean. On plastic, metal or wood surfaces use an appropriate cleaning solution  mild detergent and water is recommended.

Its Christmas time to break out the Silver!
Using Science to clean your Silver…

How to clean Silver utensils etc. Using a sheet of aluminum foil, hot water, baking soda, table salt and a pan to do this in.

Place a sheet of Aluminum foil on the bottom of any baking pan. Put your tarnished silver on the sheet. The silver must be touching the aluminum sheet.

Heat some water (in a kettle or sause pot) enough to pour into the pan, covering the silver. Add a small amount of salt.
Add a cup or two of fresh baking soda to the hot water (add baking soda before it gets to hot or your solution will bubble over) and salt solution.

Once dissolved and quite hot, pour this over the item making sure contact is maintained between the item and the Aluminum foil.

Watch the tarnish disappear, this process is sure to impress small children or anyone who did not pass middle school science.

Remove when water is cooler and polish dry. It works well and is far less time consuming and expensive than using a silver or metal polish.

Check out the website of scientist B. Shakhashiri for a scientific explanation of the process. Or just go with what works like I do and not worry abut the reasons why.

I just moved into a friend’s place. How do I clean an oil slick built up on the stovetop that is about half an inch think and caked on? I tried detergent but the oil is too gummy.

Ewwwww….Remove as much of the built up oil using a stiff spatula, a plastic pancake flipper, or an old racked up credit card. Don’t use anything that will scratch the finish on the stove, assuming if you could see it) that it is otherwise in good condition.

You will need a heavy duty degreaser. Oven cleaner is the right direction, but it may be a bit harsh, and it could damage the surface of the stove. More along the lines of fantastic or TSP (Tri Sodium Phosphate). If you can’t find a powerful enough chemical at the home center or grocery store try a janitorial supplier for an alkaline degreasing product that will cut through the slick.

The elements and drip pans CAN be cleaned with oven cleaner without risk of damage, but as for the balance of the surface, I would say you likely have some scrubbing to do.

Good luck

PS If you like your friend, tell him to remember the stuff that is on the stove is also in his arteries!!

This question was submitted from Robin S.

“I have a little tykes high chair. I cleaned everything except the safety straps; they are brownish from a build up of everything. How can I clean them?”

I assume the straps are not removable.

Try these techniques :

I would recommend mixing a solution of hot water and any general purpose detergent, even laundry soap, in a plastic container. Soak the straps for a while, use a scrub brush and rinse the straps. You may have to use a cutting board for stability. Do this as many times as necessary to loosen the built up dirt and dry with a towel.

I suspect by the sounds of it you will be rinsing and washing the straps a few times before you completely remove the build up. That’s why its great for the makers of kids stuff to make it so you can take it all apart to clean. Our kids don’t really don’t make it easy on us when it comes to cleaning.