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Monday, March 12, 2012

7 Forgotten Tasks for Your Spring Cleaning List

Spring is almost upon us and with it comes that joie de vivre to do our annual spring cleaning (NOT!). And, while we all make sure to clean the tried and true, high to low; betwixt and between, there are those overlooked areas, rooms, spots and items in our homes that also need our "TLC." Read on to make sure your home is spotless this spring!

1. The Fridge (Behind, Under and Top)
There's lots of food particles and crumbs underneath and behind the refrigerator, so:
- Slide it out, vacuum and wash (if you can’t slide it out, simply cover a fly swatter with an old/lightly dampened sock).
- Clean the drip pan: believe it or not, it's a roach's favorite happy hour spot and drinking fountain (yuck)! To clean it, use white vinegar and a toothbrush to scrub and wipe clean with dry a microfiber brush.
-Don't forget the coils: vacuum with upholstery attachment, (but be sure to turn fridge power off first). You'll want to clean these because if they’re clogged, the fridge won’t work as efficiently. It will use more energy and cost you more money!
-Rubber Gasket/Seals: You can clean them with white vinegar, but if you keep vodka in your freezer, use that because vodka is a natural sanitizer and terrific multi-tasker that kills 99.9 percent of germs, bacteria, mold. For the seals, apply a thin layer of Vaseline to the seals to keep them from drying out and prevent mold for forming.

2. The Sink (Applies to All Sinks)
- Remove any yuck you see with hands
- Pour a cup of baking soda, followed by cup of white vinegar, down the drain. Once it stops bubbling, pour a kettle of hot water down the drain. (Side note: if you’re not sure that your baking soda is still good, you can test it by adding some vinegar—if it doesn’t bubble chuck it!)
-You can clean your garbage disposal the same way. To sharpen the blades, use ice cubes, or those leftover eggshells from breakfast.

3. The Dishwasher
-Do the Tang-o: Fill the dispenser with TANG, Crystal Light or Country Time Lemonade and run full-cycle sans dishes to eliminate streaks, scum, mineral build … it’s the citric acid that does it!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

When am I supposed to take the Christmas tree and lights down?

Anonymous said...

When you're old enough to fall off ladder and crack your skull.