Monday, November 10, 2014

Cleaning Stove Burners & Grates

   

These wre my stove burner/grates. YES.They were so bad that I am almost embarrassed to put a watermark on this photo.   As You cook… oil and grease spatter… they get heated and reheated and then pretty soon you have a disgusting coating that will not. scrub. off. ever.


What to do…? 
  Take about 1/4 cup of ammonia and seal it up with one of the burners in a large ziploc bag.  You only need a little ammonia in the bag.  You are not trying to soak the burner… you just want to seal it up with the ammonia fumes.

I leave it outside on a cookie sheet overnight.  (You can leave it inside, but I move it outside just in case the bag springs a leak or something.  Stinky.)  It is the fumes from the ammonia that dissolves all of the grease and hardened oil. You don’t need to soak it, it just needs to be sealed up with the ammonia fumes.
When it’s done sitting, it should wipe clean with a sponge.


See how amazing?  It’s the same burner.  Easy peasy, no more greasy. - 




Why buy expensive cleaners and/or use a lot of elbow grease?  Cheap ammonia and 12 hours = totally clean.
What would you do with extra time and money…?
You. Are. Welcome.

**************************************************   Updated***********************************
Never, EVER mix ammonia with anything that has bleach in it.  It creates toxic fumes.
  (In general, I suggest you don’t play chemist and try to mix ammonia with anything, period.)
****************************************************************************************************

Thanks to source :: www.thevspotblog.com/2011/07/cleaning-stove-burners-grates-best.html

Monday, November 3, 2014

Cleaning Grout With A Homemade Grout Cleaner



Want a simple trick for cleaning grout in your shower, bath, or kitchen? This homemade grout cleaner works great and it only requires 2 ingredients: baking soda and bleach! When we moved into this apartment it wasn’t very clean. I already shared my 5 minute microwave steam cleaning tip, but another area that needed serious cleaning was the bathroom. The grout was disgusting! But after cleaning it with this homemade grout cleaner, it was brand new again!  
 

 Here’s what you need: 

  1. 3/4 C baking soda 
  2. 1/4 C bleach 
  3. an old toothbrush or a scrub brush

Mix the baking soda and bleach together in the bowl until it forms sort of a thick paste. Then apply the paste to the dirty grout lines and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. The bleach will do most of the work just sitting there, but after 5-10 minutes, scrub it with your toothbrush to really work the cleaner deeper into the grout. Wait another 5-10 minutes and then rinse the cleaner off of the grout. If you have a handheld shower head, use that, otherwise just use a damp rag and rinse it out often as you wipe the cleaner away. Remember, grout does sometimes turn darker when it’s wet. So if you’re not totally impressed with how sparkling white your grout is right when you finish rinsing it, wait a few hours until it dries!

I am so happy with how CLEAN everything is now! 

Just a few important notes: 
  1. You’re using bleach. Make sure you are wearing old clothes or something you don’t care about. I figured it wouldn’t splatter so I didn’t change before doing this, and now my jeans have white spots all over them! There is a surprising amount of splatter, even if you’re careful. So just change first. 
  2. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from irritation. 
  3. Open a window or wear a respirator to protect your nose, mouth, and lungs. 
  4. Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from irritation. 
  5. And if you use a washcloth or rag to wipe the cleaner off, make sure it’s something that’s okay to be bleached.




Thnks to source::.practicallyfunctional.com/make-your-own-grout-cleaner/