Here are some ideas for cleaning specific items in your home that sometimes do not get enough attention. However, to have a wonderfully clean home these items also need to be cleaned on a regular basis.
Cleaning Stainless Steel Appliances
If you have an abundance of stainless steel appliances in your home, you know a stainless steel surface can get streaky, cloudy, and display an abundance of fingerprints. While stainless steel is less prone to corrosion than other materials (and super trendy), it does take a bit of effort to keep a stainless steel surface looking handsome.
Here’s what you need to know about cleaning and maintaining your beloved stainless steel surfaces.
1. Follow the Grain
Stainless steel has a wood-like grain to it. Look closely at your appliance or countertop and you’ll see some faint lines running along the finish. That’s the direction you’ll want to match while cleaning or polishing.
2. Avoid Making Scratches
Stainless surfaces can become scratched and then they are not as pretty. Wipe them down with microfiber cloths, which have short, fine fibers and won’t mar the finish. You may be tempted to use a paper towel but paper towels may scratch the surface of your stainless steel appliances. A microfiber cloth is softer and will produce a better result.
3. Cleaning Stainless Steel – A Two-Step Process
You need to wipe down your stainless steel surfaces two times to do a deep clean. The first time with vinegar to remove dirt and the second time with mineral or olive oil or a polish to add shine. First, spray vinegar directly onto the surface, then wipe it off using a microfiber cloth in the direction of the grain. Next, polish the surface with a few drops of oil on a second cloth, again in the direction of the grain.
Special Cleaners (yes or no?)
The vinegar-and-oil wipes are really all you need. However, you can also use a special stainless steel cleaner or polish. A special polish will help to reduce the appearance of any small scratches.
One to consider is Zep Stainless Steel Polish.
Cleaning Your Stainless Steel Sink
What about your stainless steel sink?
Never use an abrasive tool such as a wire brush or an abrasive cleaning powder use the soft side of a sponge.
Here is another tip to help keep your sink clean and to make cleaning easier. We recommend using a stainless steel grid at the bottom of the sink rather than a rubber pad.
This grid allows water to flow smoothly to the drain. This helps to minimize any build-up of material that might be tough to clean if concentrated in any specific area.
When cleaning your sink, just like with appliances, go with the grain of the sink. Use a low-abrasion Scotcgbright pad to remove tough stains. Scotch-Brite pads are color coded and are available in most local hardware stores or the big-box home maintenance stores. The low abrasion colors for these Scotch-Brite pads are white (#7445 – Light Duty Cleaning) and light gray (#7448 – Ultra Fine).
Cleaning Inside The Microwave
Microwaves can get pretty messy, but there’s an easy way to make the inside shine again.
Put equal amounts of water and vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl (along with a small wooden object, like a toothpick or a wooden spoon, to prevent superheating dangers). Then set it on high for 5 to 10 minutes. Wait a couple minutes to let it cool.
Open it up and wipe down the inside of the microwave with a sponge or paper towel. You will be very happy with your clean microwave and you made it clean without the hassle of expensive (and often non-effective) cleaners.
You can also add lemon to the mixture for a fresh, clean scent!
Cleaning Inside The Dishwasher
If your dishwasher is not clean, it will not do as good a job of cleaning your dishes. Moreover, keeping your dishwasher clean will help to make it last longer!
There’s an easy way to get rid of all that nasty built up food debris, grease, and soap scum.
So gather some white vinegar, baking soda, and a dishwasher-safe container — and follow these three steps to make the inside of your dishwasher sparkle again!
Step 1: Remove the bottom rack for easy access to the dishwasher drain. Get rid of any gunk or food that may be caught inside.
Step 2: Fill a dishwasher-safe container with a cup of vinegar and place it on the upper rack. Run the dishwasher through a hot water cycle.
Other than the container with vinegar, keep the dishwasher empty!
Step 3: Sprinkle a cup of baking soda across the bottom of the dishwasher and run it through a short cycle using hot water.
The end result will be a bright, clean dishwasher that also smells a lot better than it did before! Repeat this process every month to keep your dishwasher in a nice-and-clean condition.
Cleaning Your Mattress with Vodka
Your mattress is one of those things that really needs to be cleaned. But how do you clean it? Moving a mattress is not an easy task. A big mattress limits the space around it and may not leave much room to work. People remove the mattress cover and send it through the wash which is necessary. However, that only gets your mattress cover clean. It does nothing to clean your mattress.
It turns out that cleaning your mattress is relatively easy. There’s no hoisting or shouting “pivot” required.
Grab a spray bottle and pour some vodka into it. If you have essential oils, add a few drops of your favorite one to the spray bottle and shake to blend the oil with the vodka. Spray your mattress with the vodka. Give it plenty of time to air dry. The vodka will kill the bacteria and any other small creatures that may be living in your mattress. After the mattress has air dried then vacuum the surface to remove any small particles. Your mattress will now be much cleaner, disinfected, and smell nicer too!
Give us a call at 802-295-6065 if you live in the Upper Valley and need extra support for keeping your home clean and tidy. We have been providing homeowners of the Upper Valley with top-notch home cleaning services since 1993.
