Maintaining a rigorous cleaning routine in a house is time consuming, but there is satisfaction in a (almost) spotless home. Cleaning tricks help alleviate the workload and help find methods that are effective and efficient.
Garbage Disposal Odor Control
Bits of food get stuck in the garbage disposal despite our best efforts to flush solids with water, the stuck food will eventually leave an unpleasant odor. It is great to mask the odor, but the food bits need to be dealt with or the problem will return in short odor.
A frozen concoction of half water and half vinegar in an ice cube tray with a small lemon rind dropped into each slot works fantastic for cleaning out the disposal. It is best to designate an ice tray for this task only since vinegar will leave a bad taste. Let the mixture freeze overnight. In the morning grind the ice cubes in the garbage disposal while running some cold water. This technique will clean the device while sharpening the blades on the ice.
Dishwasher Cleansing
It sounds odd to clean a machine made for cleaning, but the dishwasher needs a little love, too.
The solution is super simple, drop two cups of vinegar into the bottom of the dishwasher and run a high temp cycle with no dishes. The vinegar will clean out the whole system. Aside from the “cleaning” cycle, wash off the door seal with some warm soapy water, clear out the filter, and scrub out the spray arm holes with a nylon brush.
Sitting Water Disarmed
Scale is a result of minerals in hard water that settles on surfaces after the moisture evaporates.
Scale buildup is a big problem for showers and tubs, but, unlike a dishwasher, there is no automatic cleaning solution. It takes a lot of time to remove the scale from so many surfaces and prevention is the best course of action. Since a surface will stay clean if the water doesn’t have a chance to evaporate, use a squeegee after every shower to clear sitting water to the drain.
Toilet Cleanliness That Lasts
Do you clean the toilets in your home multiple times per week? It is very likely that the siphon jets underneath the rim have built up bacteria that are going unnoticed. Fully sanitizing the inner surface of the rim and the siphon jets will keep a toilet clean much longer.
Start the cleaning process by shutting off the water supply to the tank and flushing the toilet to empty the tank. Dry the underside of the toilet rim with a paper towel and then block the siphon jets with duct tape. Lift the flapper in the water tank and dump a gallon of vinegar down so that it flows into the rim. Let the vinegar work its magic overnight. Remove the tape in the morning and brush off any remaining gunk with a nylon brush. Turn the water supply back on and you’re all finished up!
Author Bio: Tyler Golberg is the content manager at HomeSpot HQ, a free web app for helping homeowners manage maintenance, projects, and other info for their house.