I was planning to do an entire post on just microwaves but as I dug around I began to discover that many of the cleaning products and maintenance tips I would be suggesting for it also worked with other small appliances in the home. When it comes to small appliances such as the microwave, coffee maker, toaster or other counter top units there is one universal theme for proper maintenance and increased life -- keep them clean!
Microwave
The microwave is such a popular small appliance that it can quickly become grungy and grimy. Suggestions for cleaning this piece are:
► Unplug it.
► Remove the glass tray and ring and either hand wash with soapy water or put in the dishwasher when running the vinegar cycle.
► To remove hard to get splatters and eliminate odors, put two - four tablespoons of lemon juice in a bowl full of water and run on high for 5 - 7 minutes. As the water boils the steam will help to loosen stuck on food and vapors from the lemon will mitigate yucky smells. Be sure to use a soft cloth that will not scratch the inside. Old torn up T-shirts made into rags are perfect for this!
► Just like all other appliances, using a warm, soapy water wash around the door seal will ensure a proper fit and eliminate gaps. That soapy water will make the outside sparkle as well. Be sure to thoroughly clean off any soap residue from the inside prior to cooking.
► The soft bristle toothbrush we used on other appliances is an excellent item for cleaning out air vents to ensure energy efficiency.
► Check interior light and replace the bulb when it burns out
Coffee Maker
I personally feel that coffee is one of the best inventions on the planet but even though the grounds and filter (if unbleached) may be good for a compost pile, the stains or clogs they can leave behind are not good for the machine that brews it. I suggest:
► Unplug it.
► Fill the 12 cup carafe to eleven cups water. Add one cup white vinegar. Run this through the machine twice then follow with a cycle of plain water.
► Sometimes the vinegar taste can linger past one clear water cycle so lemon juice is an alternative to vinegar (it will not be as effective at cutting stains)
► Run the carafe and coffee basket through the dishwasher when running the vinegar cycle for a good cleaning or soak in a mixture of a half carafe’s worth of water, ¼ cup lemon juice and 2 scoops of baking soda. Let it sit about a half hour (longer if heavily stained) scrub with a sponge and rinse clean. It is good to clean the machine and accessories about every two months (more for heavy coffee drinkers).
Toaster Oven
An awesome addition to any kitchen is the toaster oven. On a hot summer night when the oven is too much or simply to put a nice brown crust on a piece of bread, this compact little wonder will get the job done. But with all that bread comes crumbs and the high heat will cause baking on. For cleaning this machine:
► Unplug it.
► Pull out the crumb tray on the bottom and dump it then clean in warm, soapy water to remove any caked on food. If the model does not have a removable tray shake the crumbs out into the sink or trash can.
► Get the toothbrush back out and use it to gently remove any baked on food from the metal protection plate that sits over the bottom heater lamps as well as anywhere else inside the machine. It is also ideal for cleaning dust and grime from the air vents and scrubbing the glass window door.
► Vinegar will cut through stains on the glass like crazy!
► Be sure the machine is completely dry prior to plugging back in and using.
► Only plug in when in use to avoid drawing phantom power
Tune in Saturday for the final installment of the Appliance Maintenance Series -- The Stove / Oven.
But for now, take a break from cleaning tomorrow and prepare to enjoy Eco-Fashion Friday with featured designer Marang97 who uses upcycled T-shirts in very creative ways.
Hi, I'm Jenn Flynn-Shon, a city raised hippie chick mixing up lotions, potions, home and beauty products. Win or fail, I love to share my experiences with you!
Showing posts with label Clean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clean. Show all posts
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Appliance Series -- How to Care for and Maintain a Dishwasher
Most everyone has a dishwasher located right next to the sink and we love our little water pumping, sanitizing boxes! A dishwasher is one of the most effective appliances for ensuring health as it uses far hotter water than we would use hand washing to ensure removal of food and possible bacteria that can accumulate on our eating implements and storage containers. It is vital to keep this machine in good working order so it continues to provide these functions and there are super simple steps to take as it is one of the lesser maintenance appliances to care for.
☼ Make sure the gasket is not cracked or dried out. Rubberized pieces are some of the first to go as they wear quicker. A broken gasket will mean water on the floor or under the machine and this can cause mold if left over time. Each model is a bit different but all owner’s manuals will provide info for how to remove and replace (as well as clean) the gasket.
☼ Keep food from collecting in the holes. It might seem counterproductive to rinse dishes before putting in the machine (as well as a waste of water!) but all those particles have to go somewhere and most often they get trapped in the drain or filter at the bottom of the washer. Again the manual will guide through removal and cleaning of filters. This will ensure particles are kept away from the motor as well. In addition, a soft toothbrush is a fabulous tool for gently cleaning the holes in the spray arm.
☼ Give the dish racks a once over. When removing the racks to clean the interior, inspect them for cracks or rust spots. It is not healthy for the residue to remain on dishes and the chipped bits can also become lodged in drain holes. Appliance shops or the manufacturer can replace the rack for a nominal fee if any; if there was a warranty be sure to check it when replacing any of the parts.
☼ Clean the outside of the machine. Many of the newer models steam clean the dishes so to ensure the proper closure and avoid gaps that can release too much steam, potentially causing accidents, make sure to wipe any food or grime off the inside lip and outside of the door.
☼ Do not overload the machine. Pay special attention to the ability of the spray arm to spin and evenly distribute water so all dishes are cleaned and sanitized.
☼ Double the work is not necessary. To avoid film or residue be sure to read the manual and use a detergent type** that best suits the machine to avoid having to hand wash just cleaned dishes.
**As a side note, I was over at our fearless contributor Melissa’s house one afternoon and she was explaining the non-awesomeness of a couple eco friendly detergents she has tried of late. I have asked when she has some time to get us a full report but the short version is -- just because it is marked as environmentally friendly does not mean it is if the residue left behind either will not come off (causing a need to toss & repurchase perfectly good items) or must be hand washed to be removed (using extra water unnecessarily).
☼ Get the cleaner even cleaner! Toss about a cup of white vinegar into the bottom of the dishwasher and let it sit for a while (half hour to an hour) then run the machine through a cycle on the hottest temperature possible. In an effort to not waste the water, this is a perfect time to run through smaller items that are undesirable to be in with food containers such as small trash barrels, toothbrush holders, flower vases, ashtrays, mop buckets, etc. Doing this every 3-4 months is good on average, but for larger families, or those who run more than one load per day (restaurants), more often is recommended. If there are strong odors to eliminate from the drain, a few teaspoons of baking soda or lemon juice should do the trick.
Keeping up with the dishwasher will keep it in proper working order for years to come and will help everyone in the family stay healthy too.
Up next in the continuing appliance series -- Care and Maintenance of the Microwave
☼ Make sure the gasket is not cracked or dried out. Rubberized pieces are some of the first to go as they wear quicker. A broken gasket will mean water on the floor or under the machine and this can cause mold if left over time. Each model is a bit different but all owner’s manuals will provide info for how to remove and replace (as well as clean) the gasket.
☼ Keep food from collecting in the holes. It might seem counterproductive to rinse dishes before putting in the machine (as well as a waste of water!) but all those particles have to go somewhere and most often they get trapped in the drain or filter at the bottom of the washer. Again the manual will guide through removal and cleaning of filters. This will ensure particles are kept away from the motor as well. In addition, a soft toothbrush is a fabulous tool for gently cleaning the holes in the spray arm.
☼ Give the dish racks a once over. When removing the racks to clean the interior, inspect them for cracks or rust spots. It is not healthy for the residue to remain on dishes and the chipped bits can also become lodged in drain holes. Appliance shops or the manufacturer can replace the rack for a nominal fee if any; if there was a warranty be sure to check it when replacing any of the parts.
☼ Clean the outside of the machine. Many of the newer models steam clean the dishes so to ensure the proper closure and avoid gaps that can release too much steam, potentially causing accidents, make sure to wipe any food or grime off the inside lip and outside of the door.
☼ Do not overload the machine. Pay special attention to the ability of the spray arm to spin and evenly distribute water so all dishes are cleaned and sanitized.
☼ Double the work is not necessary. To avoid film or residue be sure to read the manual and use a detergent type** that best suits the machine to avoid having to hand wash just cleaned dishes.
**As a side note, I was over at our fearless contributor Melissa’s house one afternoon and she was explaining the non-awesomeness of a couple eco friendly detergents she has tried of late. I have asked when she has some time to get us a full report but the short version is -- just because it is marked as environmentally friendly does not mean it is if the residue left behind either will not come off (causing a need to toss & repurchase perfectly good items) or must be hand washed to be removed (using extra water unnecessarily).
☼ Get the cleaner even cleaner! Toss about a cup of white vinegar into the bottom of the dishwasher and let it sit for a while (half hour to an hour) then run the machine through a cycle on the hottest temperature possible. In an effort to not waste the water, this is a perfect time to run through smaller items that are undesirable to be in with food containers such as small trash barrels, toothbrush holders, flower vases, ashtrays, mop buckets, etc. Doing this every 3-4 months is good on average, but for larger families, or those who run more than one load per day (restaurants), more often is recommended. If there are strong odors to eliminate from the drain, a few teaspoons of baking soda or lemon juice should do the trick.
Keeping up with the dishwasher will keep it in proper working order for years to come and will help everyone in the family stay healthy too.
Up next in the continuing appliance series -- Care and Maintenance of the Microwave
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Continuing on the Appliance Theme -- Washers and Dryers
After writing yesterday’s post about the importance of maintaining the refrigerator I began thinking there must be a way to do similar, easy maintenance to the other appliances in our homes. As I was waking up over my morning coffee and blog postings I read the most recent post from ecogeneration and was completely blown away. It was as if she reached right into my brain and wrote the very thing I was hoping to find information on. Nothing is cooler than when things like that happen.
The story regarded the issues she faced with a yucky washing machine situation and just what was required to fix it. Here is a small snippet of the post:
“My clothes started to smell like mold and mildew. Towels and my husband’s favorite soft worn out t-shirts started to smell worse after I washed them. I thought it was due to my son’s athletic socks. My husband thought I didn’t use soap. He even brought home flowery smelling fabric softeners, thinking that was the problem – not using strong enough fragrant detergents and fabric softeners. I admit, I rarely used fabric softeners because I was so sensitive to strong odor and my kids had very sensitive skin but I didn’t think not using fabric softener was the cause for bad odor. I knew I did everything that the manual said - I used High Efficiency detergent and I didn’t overload the washing machine so I was perplexed as to why newly washed clothes smelled so bad.
It turns out, the problem wasn’t any of the things I did. It was what I didn’t do. I found out, through an exhaustive search on the internet - because the manufacturer or the place where we bought the machine were not helpful at all - that the machine that was cleaning my clothes also needed to be cleaned!! What? I need to “clean” the washing machine? I scoffed. But a further research revealed the following reasons why I needed to do that.”
Awesome, no? She goes on to explain not only how to clean out the problem but exactly what eco cleaning product used to really get the job done with super powers. Not to mention there are before and after photos that will blow you away as well.
To continue reading this fantastic story and maintenance tutorial for laundry appliances (some dryer tips too!), please head over to ecogeneration’s post Laundry Maintenance.
Leave her a comment or two if you like what you read!
♥love♥
The story regarded the issues she faced with a yucky washing machine situation and just what was required to fix it. Here is a small snippet of the post:
“My clothes started to smell like mold and mildew. Towels and my husband’s favorite soft worn out t-shirts started to smell worse after I washed them. I thought it was due to my son’s athletic socks. My husband thought I didn’t use soap. He even brought home flowery smelling fabric softeners, thinking that was the problem – not using strong enough fragrant detergents and fabric softeners. I admit, I rarely used fabric softeners because I was so sensitive to strong odor and my kids had very sensitive skin but I didn’t think not using fabric softener was the cause for bad odor. I knew I did everything that the manual said - I used High Efficiency detergent and I didn’t overload the washing machine so I was perplexed as to why newly washed clothes smelled so bad.
It turns out, the problem wasn’t any of the things I did. It was what I didn’t do. I found out, through an exhaustive search on the internet - because the manufacturer or the place where we bought the machine were not helpful at all - that the machine that was cleaning my clothes also needed to be cleaned!! What? I need to “clean” the washing machine? I scoffed. But a further research revealed the following reasons why I needed to do that.”
Awesome, no? She goes on to explain not only how to clean out the problem but exactly what eco cleaning product used to really get the job done with super powers. Not to mention there are before and after photos that will blow you away as well.
To continue reading this fantastic story and maintenance tutorial for laundry appliances (some dryer tips too!), please head over to ecogeneration’s post Laundry Maintenance.
Leave her a comment or two if you like what you read!
♥love♥
Monday, June 8, 2009
Extending the Life of Your Refrigerator
A fridge is one appliance just about everyone has, it works to keep our food from spoiling by keeping it cold and protected. It is often forgotten about but can be a huge energy sucker if not properly maintained as it has to work doubly hard in order to do its job. This risks early burn out or malfunctions. There are super simple steps we can all take to ensure these things do not happen!
☼ Clean inside -- No need to keep muck cold, make sure the shelves are free of old and expired foods. It is also good to clean up spills or leaks as they happen to avoid bacterial growth. Once the shelves and drawers are grime free make sure the temperature is set somewhere between 36 to 38 degrees (Fahrenheit).
☼ Keep it stocked -- To maintain the temperature and avoid overworking the motor keep the fridge full. A good trick I used to do is when I was running low on groceries, but also too lazy to go buy them, was to fill up a few pitchers or gallon jugs of water. Filtered tap water, ice cold, is also really yummy and better than buying lots of plastic bottles so it is a double benefit!
☼ Clean under and around -- Maintaining a functioning condenser coil is vital to the survival and smooth operation of a fridge. Unplug the fridge and pull it out. Dust and / or vacuum under and behind the machine to remove dust and particles. Every six months is a good schedule for this maintenance.
☼ Check the gasket -- That rubber piece attached to the door should be free of grime to ensure a proper seal and interior temperature. If it looks yucky grab a damp towel and wipe it down. Dish soap is mild enough to not wear the rubber and works great to degrease.
☼ Level the feet -- To make sure the fridge is operating properly and not throwing heat to strange areas make sure the unit is level with the floor. Most fridges have feet on the front that adjust by screwing up or down.
☼ Keep it cool -- by making less trips to open and close the door the fridge will not need to work as hard to maintain its coolness. When making dinner or otherwise grabbing items from the fridge try to gather as many as possible in one trip.
Making sure all of these steps are taken will keep energy costs down and extend the life of this snazzy, uber cool appliance for years to come!
☼ Clean inside -- No need to keep muck cold, make sure the shelves are free of old and expired foods. It is also good to clean up spills or leaks as they happen to avoid bacterial growth. Once the shelves and drawers are grime free make sure the temperature is set somewhere between 36 to 38 degrees (Fahrenheit).
☼ Keep it stocked -- To maintain the temperature and avoid overworking the motor keep the fridge full. A good trick I used to do is when I was running low on groceries, but also too lazy to go buy them, was to fill up a few pitchers or gallon jugs of water. Filtered tap water, ice cold, is also really yummy and better than buying lots of plastic bottles so it is a double benefit!
☼ Clean under and around -- Maintaining a functioning condenser coil is vital to the survival and smooth operation of a fridge. Unplug the fridge and pull it out. Dust and / or vacuum under and behind the machine to remove dust and particles. Every six months is a good schedule for this maintenance.
☼ Check the gasket -- That rubber piece attached to the door should be free of grime to ensure a proper seal and interior temperature. If it looks yucky grab a damp towel and wipe it down. Dish soap is mild enough to not wear the rubber and works great to degrease.
☼ Level the feet -- To make sure the fridge is operating properly and not throwing heat to strange areas make sure the unit is level with the floor. Most fridges have feet on the front that adjust by screwing up or down.
☼ Keep it cool -- by making less trips to open and close the door the fridge will not need to work as hard to maintain its coolness. When making dinner or otherwise grabbing items from the fridge try to gather as many as possible in one trip.
Making sure all of these steps are taken will keep energy costs down and extend the life of this snazzy, uber cool appliance for years to come!
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