You are here: Home / Archives for Cleaning

How to Keep Your Fridge at Provence at Valencia Clean and Fresh

August 18, 2016 by

Looking for easy ways to help keep your refrigerator clean and fresh? These smart and simple household items will help you to get out even the toughest food smells and leave your fridge smelling like new again!

  • Baking soda. This one isn’t just an old wives’ tale; baking soda really does help to absorb unpleasant scents and remove them from the air. Start by sprinkling some baking soda around your refrigerator and scrubbing with a damp sponge. Once you’re done, place an opened box inside to absorb any additional smells that might happen in the future.
  • Lemons. Lemons are also all-natural deodorizers. Soak a cotton ball in a small bowl of lemon juice, and then leave it inside the refrigerator for several hours to permeate every inch of the interior.
  • Salt. Scrub the inside of your fridge with a simple salt and water solution, leaving the coarse granules for extra scrubbing power. This is a great way to do a heavy-duty clean without chemicals.
  • Liners. If you frequently find yourself scrubbing foul-smelling spills from condiments, leftovers, and other unsavory items, you might want to try lining the shelves of your fridge with paper towels. That way, you can simply remove them if (and when) a leak happens.

Clean and Deodorize Your Refrigerator [Reader’s Digest]
How To Clean & Organize a Refrigerator [Apartment Therapy]
Cleaning Your Fridge [Martha Stewart]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

How to Use Rubbing Alcohol Around the Home

January 22, 2015 by

You likely rely on rubbing alcohol to treat cuts and scrapes, but did you know that this medicine cabinet staple has uses beyond the bathroom? Here are three lesser-known uses for rubbing alcohol:

1) Tackle tough ink stains
Pre-treat ink stains by dabbing the area with rubbing alcohol. It's also said that rubbing alcohol can prevent ring around the collar: Simply swipe your neck with a cotton ball dampened with rubbing alcohol before dressing. Note, though, that this can be drying to the skin, so apply sparingly.

2) Clean your gadgets
You probably already use alcohol to disinfect your toothbrushes and thermometers, but you can also use rubbing alcohol to clean your electronics. Dampen a lint-free cloth with a small amount of rubbing alcohol, and use it to wipe down your cell phones, keyboard, computer mouse, and tablets.

3) De-grease the kitchen
Rubbing alcohol makes easy work of removing grease from around the kitchen. Pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto a paper towel, and wipe down countertops and stovetops. The rubbing alcohol helps dissolve the grease and grime left behind by cooking.

12 Ways to Use Rubbing Alcohol [Reader's Digest]
25 Alternative Uses for Rubbing Alcohol [Daily Finance]
35 Uses for Rubbing Alcohol [Fluster Buster]
Rubbing Alcohol Uses: Ideas For Using The All-Purpose Household Cleaner [HuffPost Green]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

4 Uncommon Household Uses for Petroleum Jelly

October 16, 2014 by

If you’re looking to save a bit of money around the house, there are a few products more versatile than petroleum jelly. You likely already have a tub of the thick, gooey jelly in your medicine cabinet, but it has a number of different uses that you might not know about. Here are some creative ways to use petroleum jelly around the house.

  1. Erase watermarks from wood. If your old coffee table is dotted with circular watermarks from cups and glasses, remove them in one easy step with petroleum jelly. Just smear some on and let it sit overnight, then wipe the jelly away with a clean cloth.
  2. Moisturize leather goods. If your everyday shoes or that favorite jacket are looking a bit worse for the wear, give them a makeover with petroleum jelly. Just rub it in and wipe off the excess to keep leather goods looking as good as new.
  3. Reduce corrosion on a car battery. Lengthen the life of your car battery by disconnecting the terminals and cleaning them off with a wire brush. Put everything back together and coat it with petroleum jelly to prevent corrosion, especially during cold winter month.
  4. Fix a squeaking door. Grease the hinges of a squeaky door with petroleum jelly to keep it smooth and silent.

16 Practical Uses for Petroleum Jelly [All You]
26 Extraordinary Uses for Petroleum Jelly [Reader's Digest]
57 Uses for Petroleum {Free} Jelly [One Good Thing]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

How to Tackle Stubborn Coffee, Wine and Ink Stains

August 21, 2014 by

Your morning cup of coffee is a beautiful sight for weary eyes—but not when it's spilled down the front of your go-to work shirt. Keep these stain-fighting tips handy so you can meet common household stains with a plan of attack.

To remove coffee and tea stains:
Coffee and tea are categorized as "tannin" stains. These types of stains should be treated with detergent as opposed to soap. If the fabric is washable, you'll want to pre-treat the stain with a stain remover, then toss the garment into the wash with an enzyme detergent on the hottest water temperature permissible for the fabric. If you prefer, you can pre-treat the stain with a solution of one part white vinegar and two parts water, then wash.

To remove wine stains:
Also a tannin stain, wine stains are easier to remove when fresh. First, blot the stain using a lint-free towel to remove as much of the wine as possible. Before the stain can dry and "set" into the fabric, soak the garment in a solution of water and oxygen-based laundry booster. Afterwards, wash the garment in a regular laundry cycle of hot water.

To remove ink stains:
Place a towel underneath the stain, then blot the ink with another lint-free towel that's dampened with rubbing alcohol. The rubbing alcohol will transfer the ink to the towel that's underneath the shirt, so don't use your favorite bath towel for this method!

17 Easy Stain Removal Tips [Lifescript]
Stain Removal Tricks and Shortcuts [Real Simple]
Quick 'n Easy Stain Removal [Ohio State University]
6 Easy Recipes for Removing Nasty Stains [Wonder HowTo]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

DIY: Cleaning & Organizing Projects For Your Home

January 23, 2013 by

Are you itching to clean and organize your home, but aren't sure where to start? Well, the best way to avoid burnout is to tackle projects systematically. If your home is in need of an overhaul, check out these tips that will get your space spick-and-span, and well organized, without the headache!

How To Clean Your House in 20 Minutes a Day for 30 Days: This month-long cleaning schedule will whip your home into shape with little time, energy, or commitment.

How To Take On Closet Organization: These tips will help you let go of your perfectionist tendencies, and will give you ways to maintain an organized space without the stress!

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , , , , ,