I'm No Martha Stewart ... Cleaning Your Refrigerator

I decided that I was getting tired of focusing on the bathroom and wanted to move along. I'm sure we'll be back but for now, we are headed to the kitchen. 

I am due for a good refrigerator scrub down, so that is what I looked up. I loved the name of this article and that is pretty much the reason I chose it. Can't you just hear the prim British accent as the author says the title aloud. "How to properly clean your refrigerator." Ok, I know I'm weird. I have a thing for accents. 

Here we go. Be inspired. 


"How To Properly Clean Your Refrigerator
By Tiffany Provost


Your refrigerator holds all of your food, but it can also hold a lot of bacteria too. Regular refrigerator cleaning is absolutely necessary in order to keep your family healthy. Follow this guide on the best way to clean your refrigerator.

Step 1
Gather your supplies. To properly clean your refrigerator, you'll need the follow supplies:

Rubber gloves
Dish soap
Baking soda
Vinegar
A few rags
Warm water
 

Step 2
Turn down the temperature on your fridge. Since your fridge door will be open for some time while you're cleaning it, you should turn down the temperature on the fridge. No sense in wasting energy! Turn off your freezer as well.

Step 3
Go through the contents of your fridge. Now you can start to clean out your fridge. Start by taking everything out of the fridge (yes, everything!). Throw out anything that is expired or gone bad. Keep the rest of your food in a cooler or a box lined with towels while you continue to clean your fridge.

Step 4
Take your fridge apart. Once your fridge is empty, the best approach to cleaning it is piece by piece. Remove all the shelves, trays and bins from your fridge. Fill your kitchen sink (or your bathtub) with hot, soapy water and allow these pieces to soak as you clean out the cavity of your fridge. (If they all won't fit, give each piece a quick soapy bath and then place the soaped piece on your countertop to rest.)

Step 5

Wipe down the inside of your fridge. You can now clean the inside of your fridge once it has been emptied of all its contents and fixtures. Use a rag and some soapy water to scrub down the walls of your dishwasher. Clean off any shelves that weren't removable. And don't forget to thoroughly disinfect the rubber seal around your fridge and freezer (since this is where food particles tend to land and collect over the months.) Tough stains can be treated with vinegar, which is much better than using a harsh chemical inside of your fridge.

Once clean, use some baking soda to go over the inside of your fridge wall again. Create a mixture of ¼ cup baking soda and a half gallon of warm water, and wipe this mixture all over the inside of your fridge. Rinse it well with water and then pat dry. (This helps to get rid of odors!) You can omit this step if you plan on keeping an open box of baking soda in your refrigerator.

Step 6
Clean the shelving. When the inside of your fridge is clean, you can begin to clean the shelves and racks. Scrub and rinse each piece thoroughly. Dry each one off before replacing it in the fridge.

Step 7
Restock your fridge. Your fridge is now clean, so you can begin to put all of your food back into it. Try to be organized with this so that you can always find food when you need to. (No more ‘honey, where's the mayo?'). Have a specific spot in your fridge for every type of food, drink and condiment.

Step 8
Turn your fridge back on. Don't forget to turn the temperature back up on your fridge and freezer.


The best way to clean your fridge is thoroughly. Don't leave any crack or crevice dirty. Disinfect everything and organize your fridge in a useful way. And continually wipe the outside of your fridge when grease and fingerprints appear. Frequent cleaning of your refrigerator is best for your family and shows your guests that you're a great housekeeper."


http://www.howtodothings.com/home-garden/best-way-to-clean-your-refrigerator

I'm No Martha Stewart ... Toilet Time

I promised you Toilet Cleaning 101 today. So here it is ...

"The best way to keep a clean toilet is to create a regular cleaning schedule and make sure you always have a full supply of the necessary cleaning products.

Products used to clean a toilet include a liquid spray cleaner (usually used for porcelain and counter tops), an abrasive cleanser for scrubbing (usually used for bathtubs or floors), a toilet scrub brush, a roll of paper towels, and a medium level toothbrush for hard-to-reach places. For easy accessibility, keep all your cleaning supplies stored in a large bucket or carrying tray that can be transported from closet to toilet or to other parts of the house if you have more than one bathroom.


If a toilet is cleaned well and family members, especially children, are instructed about how to properly use the toilet, it will only need to be cleaned once each week. Cleaning a toilet is a fairly simple procedure, but it must be cleaned thoroughly to remove all bacteria and avoid mineral deposit build up and odors.

Raise the lid and the seat of the toilet and begin by pouring some of your abrasive cleanser into the toilet bowl. Using the toilet scrub brush, swish the cleanser around in the water until it is thoroughly mixed. Leave the lid and seat up but allow the cleanser sit while you work on other parts of the toilet.


Next use your liquid spray cleaner to thoroughly spray the toilet inside and out. Start at the bottom and spray around the base; then spray around the outside of the bowl, the edge of the bowl, and the underside of the seat. Then lower the seat and spray it as well. Next spray the underside of the lid and then lower the lid and spray the top. Lastly, spray around the hinges, the sides of the tank, around the flush handle, and the top of the tank. At this point, the entire toilet should be fairly wet and dripping.

Next, take a couple of paper towels and begin wiping your way down the toilet. First wipe the top of the lid, then the flush handle, down the sides, and around the lid. When wiping the hinges, use the toothbrush to get around the hinges that are hard to reach; then wipe up any debris with the paper towels. Once the lid is wiped clean, open the lid and wipe the underside; then wipe the top of the seat, and raise the seat so you can wipe all around the sides and underneath, paying special attention to the seat stoppers. Wipe the insides of the hinges and then all around the rim of the bowl. Lastly, wipe down the sides of the bowl and all around the base. Again, use the toothbrush on the bolts at the base, if necessary.

Once the outside of the toilet has been cleaned, go back to the bowl and scrub the inside with your scrub brush. The abrasive cleanser will have had time to work away at anything inside the bowl and you can simply scrub it away. Flush once, rinse out your supplies in the sink, and then put everything away until next week."

http://www.wisegeek.com/m/what-is-the-best-way-to-clean-a-toilet.htm




Whew! That made me tired just reading it. Unfortunately, I didn't find any proven, time-saving tips on keeping your toilet pristine. It looks like the tried and true method really is the best way to clean a toilet.

Alright, enough talking about it ... We've got toilets to clean! (Boo)

I'm no Martha Stewart ...

Ok, I'm going to share something with you. I feel like I've told a lot my "secrets" lately. It's actually pretty freeing ...
 
Anyway, here goes, I'm a terrible housekeeper... It is just not my thing. Unfortunately, it IS MY thing. My husband informs me often. {smile}

I just don't know how to clean. I know, you're all thinking "Uh huh, sure." Honestly, though, it just does not come naturally to me. I have to think about it too hard. That's probably my problem. I think about it too much. I'm hoping there is someone else out there who totally understands what I'm saying. I'm sure there must be ... Right?!?

Anyway, I'm determined to get my PhD in housekeeping. I'm gonna do some research and figure out how best to tackle those messy places in a home. I'm going to experiment and work really hard at making clean up not so hard.
 
I figured I would take you along for the ride. In case there is another poor soul out there like me who is struggling to figure out this thing called housekeeping. It will be great accountability, too. {wink} I will post twice a month on this topic sharing my escapades, triumphs, and failures. 

The first thing I've researched is cleaning a bathtub. This is one of my least favorite jobs. Here is what I found on the Internet concerning the best way to clean a tub: 

"Cleaning a bathtub can be a daunting task, especially if it has been neglected for a while and soap scum and mildew are present. Fortunately, with the right technique, cleaning agents, tools and a little bit of elbow grease, cleaning most bathtubs is possible. If you own an antique or unfinished tub, you may wish to seek a professional's help so you do not damage your tub.

Initial Cleaning:
Rinse out your tub to remove all dirt, debris and hair. Then, clean your bathtub with a bathroom cleaner. Because these have fumes, use an exhaust fan, open a window and keep the door open. Spray on the cleaner and allow it to sit for about three to five minutes. Then use a nylon-scrubbing pad to scrub your tub from top to the bottom. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Deep Cleaning:
If your bathtub is extremely dirty, the bathroom cleaner may not have done the trick. Fortunately, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser will remove tough bath rings and set-in soap scum. Wet the Magic Eraser sponge and rub away the dirt and scum. Depending on how dirty your tub is, you may need to use a whole sponge. Rinse when finished.
If the Magic Eraser did not remove all the stains, make a paste with powdered dishwashing detergent and water. Apply it to the stain and use the nylon-scrubbing pad to scrub the stain. Then let it sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with water.

If you have mildew, use pure bleach. Soak a sponge with the bleach and wipe down your tub. Allow it to sit for a few hours and then rinse. Repeat if necessary. If you are concerned about pure bleach, use non-chlorine bleach, but this will not work as well.

Home Remedies:
To clean your bathtub, put white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray it on your tub. Then do the same with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Then use the nylon pad to scrub your tub. Rinse when done. In addition, you can also make a paste with cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide to clean bath rings and other tough stains."

http://www.ehow.com/way_5143643_way-clean-bathtubs.html



I bought some Kaboom bathroom cleaner and it worked really well. In the past I've always used Comet and scrubbed my heart out. The Kaboom worked really well. The smell wasn't terrible and it was a color changing formula. Ooo, aaah! I need something to make it interesting ...

Thankfully I did not need to use the Magic Eraser but I had bought them just in case. I also bought a new shower liner - at the dollar store. When you only pay $1, you can toss the old one and replace them fairly often. They get so icky so fast. I also washed my shower curtain. 
  
So my tub is sparkling but I hate using all of those chemicals and then putting my sweet, naked children in a bath. I picture them sitting in chemical water, burning their skin. Yes, I have issues. 

I'm hoping to try to use the home remedies they suggested to keep up the cleanliness of the tub. It would make me feel better to use something you can ingest or use to clean a wound to clean the tub my kiddos are going to bathe in. I'll let you know how that goes.

Phew ... that's done. What next? I think I'm going to stay in the bathroom area for a while. I have a feeling toilet research is in my near future. Got any tips for me?

PS I actually own that Martha Stewart handbook pictured above. Ha! It was a present. Think it was a hint? {wink}