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Chemical-Free Ways to Clean Your Oven at Avana Woodridge

June 16, 2016 by

You’re always on the hunt for chemical-free ways to clean your home, but when it comes to really heavy duty cleaning in areas like the oven, it may seem almost impossible. Luckily, it is possible to clean your oven without using chemicals—it just takes a bit of ingenuity and a few smart tips from the pros.

  1. Take out the oven racks and let them soak in a tub of hot water.
  2. Make a paste of ¼ cup of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of coarse salt and just enough warm water to create a thick consistency.
  3. Using a durable sponge, scrub the paste into the stained parts in your oven. Concentrate on areas that see a lot of spills and drips, such as the bottoms and around the racks.
  4. Let the past sit on the stains for an hour or two, depending on their severity.
  5. Using the same sponge rinsed out with clean water, wipe away the paste and give it a second good scrub. You may also want to use a finer grade steel wool for difficult stains.
  6. For extra cleaning power, spray the entire oven with a spray bottle filled with white vinegar, then wipe it away with a clean cloth.
  7. Before replacing the oven racks, scrub them using simple steel wool and an all-natural dishwasher detergent to break down grease.

How To Clean an Oven Without Harsh Chemicals [Apartment Therapy]
Natural Oven Cleaning Recipe [Wellness Mama]
How To Clean an Oven With Baking Soda & Vinegar [The Kitchn]

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Basic Tips to Keep in Mind on Laundry Day

May 5, 2016 by

Laundry day is likely your least favorite day of the week, but it doesn’t have to be quite so difficult. By attacking your piles of laundry with a bit of pre-planning, you can make laundry day much more manageable. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

  1. Separate lights and darks ahead of time. To avoid the tedious task of separating lights from darks, separate them as soon as you toss your dirty clothes in the hamper. Invest in a double-sided hamper that does the separating for you.
  2. Invest in good detergent. Using the wrong detergent (or a cheap brand) can make your clothes come out dull and dingy. Instead, choose one detergent designed for washing dark clothes in cold water, one for keeping colors bright, and a separate stain treatment to put on spots.
  3. Treat stains as soon as they happen. The most important thing you can do to remove a stain is catch it as soon as it happens. You can even rub in a stain treatment and toss your clothes in the laundry, leaving the stain to deal with on laundry day.
  4. Turn clothes inside out. Avoid fading and shrinking by turning your clothes inside out before washing them.
  5. Fold right away. To eliminate the need for ironing, prevent wrinkles by folding your clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer.

Laundry 911: Color care basics [She Knows]
How to Care for Your Clothes [How Stuff Works]
Laundry Basics – Sorting it Out [For Better Living]

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Five Uses for Baking Soda

October 2, 2014 by

You likely already know that you can use baking soda to freshen your refrigerator, but there are a wide variety of other uses for this kitchen staple. From cleaning your home to washing your body, baking soda can replace a number of more expensive products in your life. Here are just a few simple ways to use baking soda.

  1. To keep flowers fresh. Add a few sprinkles of baking soda to your flower vase to lengthen the lifespan of fresh flowers.
  2. As a deodorant. Simply apply baking soda to your underarms with a powder puff to use it as an all-natural deodorant.
  3. As an antacid. Baking soda is great to help relieve heartburn, sour stomach, or acid indigestion. Check the instructions on your brand's package to determine the specific measurements.
  4. To soothe irritated skin. Whether you have insect bites, athlete’s foot, or just seasonal dry skin, baking soda can help soothe skin irritation. Just add 1/2 cup to your bathwater and settle in for a long soak in the tub.
  5. To scrub counters. Instead of using harsh, potentially harmful bleach to clean your kitchen surfaces, create a baking soda soft scrub. Sprinkle some baking soda on a damp sponge, then scrub the grime from counters, tile, and sinks. Be sure to rinse the residue thoroughly afterward.

75 Extraordinary Uses for Baking Soda [Life Hackery]
31 Baking Soda Uses [All You]
51 Surprising Uses for Baking Soda [Care2]

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Party Safe: Tips for Serving a Safe Food Buffet

September 18, 2014 by

When you have a large group of people over for dinner, serving food buffet-style ensures that everyone gets exactly what they want. But how can you be sure that everything stays fresh, from appetizers to dessert? Here are a few tips for serving a safe food buffet.

  1. Buy foods at the proper temperature. Things like fried chicken, casseroles, and ice cream should be kept at the same temperature from the store to the buffet table, as changing their temperatures too much can cause food to spoil.
  2. Know the proper temperatures. Hot food should be kept between 140° and 165° Fahrenheit, while cold food should be kept at 40° Fahrenheit and lower.
  3. Don’t leave food out for longer than two hours. Be sure to include preparation and serving in your count.
  4. Use the proper tools. To ensure that food is kept at the proper temperature, use things like slow cookers, warming trays, and nesting dishes in bowls of ice. To prevent guests from mixing foods, make sure that you provide a separate spoon, spatula, or tongs in each dish. Also provide individual bowls for dips to discourage guests from double-dipping.

Serving Up Safe Buffets [FDA]
Serving Prepared Foods Safely [Whole Foods]
Holiday or Party Buffets [USDA]

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