Love Your Kitchen

Take time to love your appliances and they will love you back. Follow these steps from Mr. Appliance to cook up some romance, instead of frustration with inefficient appliances.
Give Your Oven Some Lovin’

• Don’t run the self-cleaning cycle within one week of a big dinner – ovens have a tendency to fail during or right after a self-cleaning cycle.
• Clean the reflector bowls under the burners to help cook more efficiently.

XOXO For Your Dishwasher

• If you’re unsure whether or not an item is dishwasher safe, just wash it by hand.
• Run an empty dishwasher with a cup of white vinegar to eliminate odors and buildup.

Keep Your Garbage Disposal Smelling Like Roses

• Place a handful of ice cubes in the disposal. Add lemon, orange or lime peels and run disposal with cold water for 15 to 30 seconds. Continue to rinse with cold water.
• To avoid clogging your garbage disposal, remember to not pour grease down the drain.

Rekindle Your Refrigerator

• Unplug your refrigerator and use a vacuum to remove any dust from the coils. This will help it run more efficiently and trim your utility bills.
• Make sure it’s loaded properly. Contents should be evenly distributed.

Open the Door to Green Savings

Make your fridge work for you and save some energy. As the months begin to warm up with spring and summer weather, take the time to use what you’ve got with these tips that will not only color your energy green but your pocket too.

1. A Healthy Fridge
   Your schedule is not the only thing packed during the week, with parties, potluck dinners and your kid’s friends, so is your fridge. Your fridge is designed with certain shelves and drawers for a reason, so use them. Keep juice and condiments in the door shelves and fruits and vegetables in the crisper drawer. This will move most items to the outer edges of your fridge to clear space for leftovers and other food.
2. From cookies to countertops, vanilla extract can smell your kitchen fresh all week long. Cover up the fish from last night’s dinner by heating up a microwave-safe bowl of vanilla extract for three minutes. Then grab a rag or paper towel and use it to wipe surfaces for stubborn stains and residue in the microwave. To eliminate fridge odors, pour vanilla extract into a bowl with a paper towel and wipe down the refrigerator walls.  Your kitchen will smell like fresh baked cookies without the baking!
3. Check and care for the rubber seals surrounding the inside of your fridge by using mild soap twice a year to prevent them from drying out, cracking or splitting. Use your money to test the seals by placing a dollar bill halfway inside the refrigerator door. If the dollar pulls out easily, then your losing money in more than one way and it may be time to replace the rubber seals.

Simple Solutions

Simple solutions to get your household safe and clean with products you can find within your pantry.
After eating an orange, don’t throw away the peel. Citrus peels, including oranges, lemons and limes, can help deodorize your garbage disposal. Excess waste put down your disposal can cause an unforgiving odor. To avoid a stench that can linger, try this simple tip to deodorize your garbage disposal. Place ice cubes in the disposal. Add orange, lemon or lime peels and run the disposal with cold water for 15 to 30 seconds, then turn the disposal off. Continue to run the cold water for 15 seconds thereafter.  This eliminates stubborn odors without harsh chemicals, leaving your sink smelling fresh and clean.
From cookies to countertops, vanilla extract can smell your kitchen fresh all week long. Cover up the fish from last night’s dinner by heating up a microwave-safe bowl of vanilla extract for three minutes. Then grab a rag or paper towel and use it to wipe surfaces for stubborn stains and residue in the microwave. To eliminate fridge odors, pour vanilla extract into a bowl with a paper towel and wipe down the refrigerator walls.  Your kitchen will smell like fresh baked cookies without the baking!

Reduce. Reuse. Upcycle.

Break free of the circle and follow the arrows to sustainable cleaning. Save money and fresh air this season by spring cleaning your household with products you can find behind milk cartons and spaghetti boxes. No need to make a special trip to the store, discover cleaning goods within your home that can transform your kitchen from the winter blues to the bright white of spring. Instead of recycling a used lemon wedge in compost, upcycle the acidic slice for a fresh and natural cleaner to help make your kitchen sparkle like season.

• Freshen Up. Eliminate odors by pouring vanilla extract into a bowl and wipe down refrigerator walls with a paper towel.
• Beyond the shelves. Clean condenser coils located behind the fridge with a brush or handheld vacuum to remove dirt, dust and pet hair.
• Cool it down. Place a handful of ice cubes and citrus peels in garbage disposal, turn on cold water and then the disposal for 15-30 seconds. After turning off disposal continue to rinse with hot water for 15 more seconds.

• Wash away. Remove stuck-on food residue by running an empty dishwasher with a cup of white vinegar.
• Mix it up. Wipe interior microwave surfaces with a mixture of two tablespoons baking soda and one quart water to remove food stains.
• Bright white. Use a sponge with a mixture of ½ cup bleach, ¼ cup baking soda and four cups warm water to avoid yellowing of white appliances. Let it set for 10 minutes before rinsing and drying.

Is it bad to use softener sheets?

Softener sheets won't cause any damage to your dryer, but they can lead to clogged lint filters or the coating of your moisture sensor. If you use them, be sure to periodically clean the screen of your lint filter and wipe off your sensor.