Dry Clean

If no food particles are adhered to the surface, use a clean dry cloth to wipe out, while the pan is warm. Repeat with the cloth until pan is clean. Then swish with hot water and a mild dish detergent. Rinse and towel dry.

Soak It

If food particles or oils are adhered to the surface, use a paper towel to remove as much of the food off the surface, soak for about 10 minutes in a bath made with a dish detergent with a grease releaser. Rinse and towel dry.

Boil It

If hard to get out food or staining remains, make a solution of 3 parts white vinegar to 1 part water and pour into soiled pan. Let simmer on stove until solution bubbles- usually on low to medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes. Once the food-particles are dislodged; then remove pan from heat, pour out solution and let the pan cool. When the pan cools to room temperature, wash with a non-abrasive mild dish detergent and a soft cloth. Rinse and towel dry.

Paste It

If cookware has stain that above methods will not remove; make a paste out of baking soda and water. Apply paste directly to stain and let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse and wash in mild dish detergent and towel dry.

I hope that these cleaning tips can make the non-stick cookware in your home endure many Sunday breakfasts, and keep your grandmother proud.

An Alcohol Solution

Granite is naturally 95-98% stain resistant, but it will still need cleaning, of course. There are a lot of different cleaners, but make sure whatever you choose is phosphate free. Acidic cleaners can scratch the countertop. A solution of water, isopropyl rubbing alcohol, and dish detergent makes a cheap and easy cleaning solution. In a quart size bottle, mix a few drops of the dish detergent, one fourth cup of alcohol, and the rest water. Spray it on the counter top and make sure to wipe with a soft cloth. The result will be a clean and shiny countertop.

Simple Soap and Water

If you don’t have any rubbing alcohol on hand, you can use plain dish detergent and water to clean your granite. When using this method, make sure to thoroughly rinse the granite with a soft cloth. Soap buildup can occur, dulling the finish of the granite, if it is not rinsed thoroughly. Soap and water will not leave the countertop shiny like the alcohol solution or a store bought granite cleaner.

Store Bought Cleaners

If you want don’t want to worry about soap buildup, and don’t want to make your own cleaner, there are plenty of stone cleaners out there. Just make sure to choose one with a neutral ph and use a soft cloth. Dampen the cloth and wipe the granite countertops with the cleaner you have chosen.

Removing Stains

Organic stains, such as coffee, tea, and food can be removed with 12% hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia. Baking soda and water will remove oil and grease stains, and ink stains can be removed with bleach or hydrogen peroxide.

Prevention

In addition to cleaning, you can do some things to avoid damage to your countertops. Don’t leave or spill soft drinks, vinegar, or lemon juice on the granite surface. Avoid placing acidic fruits and vegetables directly on the granite. Use a cutting board instead. The acid in these foods can cause scratches.

There are some simple solutions to keeping your granite looking beautiful, but remember that prevention is the best way to avoid problems.

The easiest way to deal with cleaning a crockpot is to remove as much of the grit as possible. Then, fill the crockpot with warm water three-quarters of the way to the top. Allow to soak for 15-20 minutes. Baking soda acts as a great cleaning agent when soaking the inside of the crockpot. But, a gentle liquid dish detergent can also be used, depending on the type of crockpot. When the grit has begun to loosen from the walls of the crockpot, use a long-handled brush to swish away remaining residue. Then, simply dump the water into the sink and rinse thoroughly with more warm water. Be sure that all electrical elements remain dry.

Another way to clean less sticky surfaces of the inside of the crockpot is to wipe clean with a damp sponge and rinse thoroughly. Although crockpots are intended for cooking over a longer period of time, the surface should never be scratched. This creates pitting that tends to absorb food into the tiny fissures and alters the flavors of foods prepared in the crockpot. Steel wool and other abrasives should never be used to clean the inside surface of a crockpot for this reason. Another way to clean the crockpot is with a simple soaking in water with a teaspoon of common household salt added. The ratio of the water to salt should be at least 1 cup for each teaspoon. With this method, simply use a soft cloth soaked in the salted water, clean and rinse thoroughly.

Do you have tough hard stains on your butcher block then pour some lemon juice from a jar or cut a lemon and squeeze it right on the stain. Let the lemon juice sit for several minutes on the stain. The lemon juice should remove the stain easily.

Always wash the butcher block off with warm soap and water after cutting meat and poultry on the surface. Consider only using the butcher block for cutting meats and poultry or other types of food. Do not use for both. It is more sanitary to see separate boards for meat and poultry or fresh fruits, vegetables and other products.

Oil Treatments for Un-Varnished Butcher Blocks

Treat un-varnished butcher blocks with oil on a weekly basis. It should be non-toxic oil that can be rubbed into the wood and left for five minutes. After it is in for five minutes wipe with a clean paper towel or cloth. This keeps the wood in good condition for using for food preparation. Every several weeks you will want to apply mineral oil or butcher’s block oil to the board. Use a paper towel or cloth to apply it. It is good to keep the wood in good condition.

Those with new boards should keep a mineral oil soaked dish towel in a Ziploc plastic bag for conveniet use. Oil it at least once a week for the first six week that you first purchase the butcher block. After that sand lightly with 220 grit sandpaper and reapply oil again especially if the wood is getting worn looking.

More Tips for Cleaning

Don’t leave meats on the butcher board for too long. Blood and juices soak into the wood weakening its strength. Cut evenly on the butcher block so it will wear evenly. Always clean the butcher block after cutting meats and fish never neglect this process. It is very important for sanitary reasons. Use a steel scraper or spatula to remove meats on a regular basis every day after cutting.

Maintenance

In sports, they say that the best defense is a good offense, and the same is true of keeping your marble looking amazing. Since marble is naturally porous, it’s highly susceptible to staining or water damage if any liquid is left on too long. If you know you’re going to be handling anything with liquid near your marble, place a cloth on the marble surface to prevent any contact. In the event that you have marble in your shower, or something does spill, then just wipe it off as quick as possible to prevent any staining or water damage.

Keep it Light

When dealing with marble, you never want to use any abrasive or acidic chemicals to clean the surface, and the same is true with imitation marble. Your best bet is to use an all-purpose disinfectant and a good cloth, such as a terry cloth, and just wipe down the surface. As mentioned earlier, you don’t want your marble surface to stay wet too long, so moving all of the items that may be on your counter before you start cleaning is a great way to save time.

Stains and Dull

In the off chance that your marble surfaces have become stained or less lustrous than they once were, then that’s all right too. For stains, including water stains, nothing works better than plain vinegar. You’ll want to use the vinegar in the same way that you would do basic cleaning: quickly! As for the dull surface, car or counter wax will do the trick. Mr. Miyagi said it best, “Wax on, wax off.”

So while imitation marble isn’t the real thing 100%, with some basic cleaning and maintenance, your home surfaces can look like you shelled out the money for top-notch materials. If you’re smart about keeping up your counters, they’ll look beautiful for years to come.

Lemon Juice and Salt

Lemon juice and salt are great cleaners for tile grout. By soaking the grout areas in between the tiles with lemon juice, it will kill the mold and bacteria that tend to invade grout between tiles. This method for cleaning the tile grout is great for kitchens so that there is no danger of chemical contamination of food preparation areas or direct contamination of foods. The first thing to discuss is that a lemon concentrate, such as a real lemon type product or if desired fresh lemons or lemon juice can also be used. If using a bottled lemon product, pour lemon into an empty spray bottle or put in a bowl and either spray, brush or sponge lemon juice onto the grout areas to be cleaned. If using fresh lemons, the lemon can be squeezed and put into a bottle or bowl or other small container, (use plastic due to a reaction which could happen if using metal) or the fresh lemons can be cut in half and and rubbed into the grout areas to be cleaned. pour or squeeze some lemon juice into a bowl of standard table salt. If using fresh lemon, a lemon half can be dipped into the salt directly and then used to rub the stubborn stains from the grout. If using a concentrated or bottled lemon juice, use a toothbrush or other small brush to dip into the salt paste made from the lemon juice and salt. Rub or scrub with brush until clean and then rinse well with warm water on a wash cloth or cleaning cloth.

White Vinegar and Borax

White Vinegar and Borax is a great way to clean tile grout. Just spray or sponge vinegar onto the tile grout areas which need to be cleaned. Make a paste from in a plastic bowl or small bucket or other plastic container from borax and pour enough plain white vinegar into the borax to make a stiff paste. Use a toothbrush or other small, stiff brush, (a nail brush would work well) into the borax and vinegar paste and use to brush or scrub tile grout, the majority of germs and dirt and mold should come off with the vinegar alone, but use the borax paste to get stubborn stains removed. Rinse well with warm water on a cloth or sponge. This method would be great for bathrooms or other areas such as laundry rooms, or tile floors.

Lemon Juice and Baking Soda

Lemon Juice and baking soda is another great cleaner for kitchens tile grouts. The reason it is great is because these substances are edible and will not contaminate food or food preparation areas. Prepare and use lemon as used above in the Lemon juice and salt. Either bottled lemon or fresh lemon can be used in this method as well. Put lemon in spray bottle or use a small plastic or glass bowl and a sponge. (Never use metal, as the metal can react with the lemon juice.) Saturate the grout with the lemon juice, by either spraying or by sponging onto the grout. If using fresh lemons, rub the grout areas to be cleaned with the half lemon. The half lemons can be used to scrub with, as well. Make a paste from about 1-2 cups of baking soda in a bowl or other plastic container and just enough lemon juice to make a thick paste. Using a toothbrush or other small brush, used this paste to scrub stubborn spots from the grout which the lemon alone did not clean. Rinse with warm water on a cloth or a sponge.

These methods are all natural. All items can be purchased at any grocery or convenience store. Borax can be purchased in the laundry area of any grocery store. Borax is a natural substance which has been used for cleaning for many years. Whether using the lemon juice and salt method, or the vinegar and borax method or the lemon juice and baking soda method, the time it takes to clean the grout will be well spent and easy to do. Using natural substances to clean is also better for the environment, and many times cleans more effectively than chemical cleaners.

As I have stated the best thing to do is keep a routine maintenance program to keep the drain clean. Every couple of days, try running hot water through the drain. This serves the same purpose as when you use hot water to clean and wash your clothing. This is a very good way to keep them clean plus get rid of any unwanted odors.

Try pouring baking soda down the drain. Then use a highly acidic liquid such as lemon juice or vinegar. Let it stand for about an hour then run the hot water down the drain. Better yet try using scolding or boiling water. This is a good way to get rid of any unwanted material that might be trapped into your drain pipes.

A good natural cleaning agent for drain pipes is saltwater. The brine of the salty water will help in eliminating odors plus help in the prevention of grease buildup. The most obvious way to clean your sink drain is buying a drain cleaner from the store. The main thing that you want to do is make sure that the drain cleaner does not have any chemicals that can be harmful or do any unwanted damage to your pipes. If you have plastic pipes make sure that the cleaner is viabile for plastic and that the container that the cleaner comes in is safe for proper garbage disposal.

The final measure that needs to be taken if you have clogged pipes is to call a plumber. It is them that do that sort of thing for a living. You can be doing your best as far as trying to clean and prevent backups but if the problem is not going away the best thing to do is call someone who knows what they are doing. In some cases there could be a blockage in the pipes where chemicals or hot water cannot do anything.

Keeping up a regular care program for your drain pipes is the best way to clean and prevent blockages. Go online and do some research for yourself. In the end, if there is a problem where you think you cannot solve it, call a plumber.

Scrape Before Soaking

Before you dump the burnt pot into the sink, scrape away the excess food with a knife or fork. Use a wooden spoon for Teflon pots. Be careful not to scratch the inside surface of the pot.

Soak overnight with baking soda and vinegar

Fill the burnt pot or pan with hot water, one tablespoon of baking soda and half a cup of vinegar and let it sit overnight. This should soften the burned remains and make scrubbing easier. In the morning, use the cleaning mixture in the pot to scrub.

Scrub Using Long Strokes

We all hate doing the dishes, there’s too much scrubbing involved. In order to cut your sink time short, try scrubbing with long strokes as opposed to short ones. You won’t tire out easily.

Bleach It

If after soaking the burnt residue remains, sprinkle household bleach, add a bit some water and boil the pot. Scrub with steel wool after the water has cooled sufficiently.

Use Coke

Notorious for its refreshing taste and witty commercials, Coke is also a very effective cleaning agent. Pour it inside the pot, let it soak and then try cleaning. This also works great on barbecue grills and caked on grease.

If all else fails, you may have to throw out the pot. You can always reuse the burnt pot as a flower or plant container. However, if it happens to be your favorite pot, you may have to repeat the above steps a few times before the pot is sufficiently clean. Needless to say, it won’t look brand new after the charred mess is removed, but at least it will be usable. Hopefully, the next time you’ll pay closer attention to the pot on the stove!

Check Out the Extent of the Dirt in the Electric Oven

First of all, one should check out just how dirty the oven has become. Are the stains very entrenched and deep? Or does it just require a quick once over with a bit of mild soap water? If it is not that dirty, one method of cleaning the electric oven is to simply remove all the inserts (racks, etc.) and soak them for 24 hours in soap water. Then, go over the inside of the oven and scrub down the sides and if you find any stubborn dirt marks, scrub them until they disappear. That is one method.

A Speedy Way to Clean an Electric Oven

Another way to clean the oven when you do not have a self-clean button, is to remove the racks and put the oven on high for a few hours. Once you have turned it off and it has cooled down, you can take an oven cleaner and spray it thoroughly inside. After that, wait about 15 to 20 minutes and then wipe the insides with a damp/soapy sponge to ensure that all the dirt (and the cleaning product) has been removed. Then dry the oven with a clean, dry cloth.

A Warning About Cleaning an Electric Oven

Users must be careful not to scrub too hard since this could damage the coating in the oven. A further way to clean the electric oven is to use a paper towel and blot the unclean area while the oven is slightly warm. Thereafter one can heat the oven to the highest level and leave for an hour or so.

It is ultimately best to buy a self-clean electric oven. But with a non self-cleaning oven, one can still use a similar process which makes oven cleaning relatively easy.

Clean spills promptly

Wipe up any spills and messes as soon as they happen with a soft cloth or sponge. Marble is a porous stone and stains easily, so deal with messes right away.

For everyday cleaning, you can simply use a microfiber cloth dampened with water and follow up by wiping it dry with a dry cloth. Do not use vinegar or other acidic cleaners on marble as this can cause etching which will dull the surface.

Preventing stains from happening in the first place is the best policy. Use coasters to avoid setting damp glasses directly on the countertop. Consider using trays to keep products that might spill or rust off the surface.

To clean stains

For very light stains you can use a paste of baking soda applied with a damp sponge. Rub it in, then rinse with a wet rag and dry thoroughly. If that doesn’t work, there are many commercial marble cleaners available at most home goods retailers.

A solution of 20% hydrogen peroxide and water with a few drops of ammonia can be applied to organic stains and let it sit for 24 hours, then rinse with a wet cloth and dry. For oil and grease based stains, you can use corn starch. Apply to the oily area, let it sit for a day, then brush off and clean with a mild dish detergent and water. Repeat as necessary.

To polish and shine

You can polish your marble countertop with crushed chalk. Simply crush the chalk into a fine dust and apply with a cloth, rubbing it into the marble. After this is done, wipe it off with a damp cloth and dry completely. Your countertops will shine!

Using these methods, keeping your marble countertops will be a breeze. Remember, the sooner you get to a spill, the easier it will be to deal with.