Tips to Fight Spills and Splatters in the Kitchen

The kitchen in our house is the most used area.  With the high traffic comes a high amount of dirt and grime.  Here are some tips to help keep your kitchen sparkling.

Floors
Kitchen floors can attract all sorts of gunk; food spills and splatters can quickly become a sticky mess and don’t even get me started on the dog’s foot prints!  To fight these we keep a microfiber mop hidden behind the fridge.  When there is a spill or we just want to do a quick cleaning all we need to do is wet a microfiber cloth, attach it to the mop and go to town.  In less than 60 seconds we have a clean kitchen floor.

Microwave
Spills and splatters in the microwave can quickly become a hard mess to remove.  Try to clean them as soon as they happen to save yourself from later problems.  For those stuck on stains try microwaving a bowl of water or white vinegar for 60 seconds.  The steam they let off will loosen caked on splatters; just be careful, the water or vinegar will be hot.  We also use a little silicone scraper spatula wedge to help loosen the dried on food.

Counters
During the preparation of food there are always spills and splatters.  We keep a spray bottle of my homemade general purpose cleaner and a microfiber cloth out all of the time.  Just a quick sprits and wipe and I have a clean counter.

A Faster Way To Clean Your Microwave

Patter516 submitted the following tip:

I've read the tips of heating a cup of water in the microwave to loosen "stuff" and make it easier to clean, but I take window cleaner (commercial) and spray all the surfaces and run the oven for 20 - 30 seconds. This heats the cleaner and makes cleaning a breeze.

This is a great idea, as the ammonia in the glass cleaner will loosen the "stuff", but it won't get too hot. This can save you a lot of time since you don't have to wait for the bowl to cool down.
If you have a tip you would like to share, please send it to us.

Drying Flowers in your Microwave

Dried flowers add a touch of color and a wonderful scent to any room. But did you know that you can dry your own flowers in your microwave? Microwave drying is not for thick-petaled flowers but works great for daisies, marigolds, buttercups, daffodils, lilacs, pansies, roses, and tulips. Make sure that the buds have not fully opened. Then, support the flowers in the position that you want in a mixture of Borax and sand, covering them completely. Microwave on 40% power for about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Some testing will be required and you may have to adjust the microwave settings and time depending on your particular microwave. Cover the flowers and borax with a towel and let sit for about 24 hours. Remove the flowers, wipe off the extra Borax and enjoy!

Making Your Own Candles

I have told you before that my wife and I are big fans of candles. When it gets cold outside, we tend to light a handful of candles to add a feeling of warmth and they fill our home with wonderful smells. There is only one problem with candles, they get expensive quick. Especially the really good ones that don't just smell like soap. We decided to try to make our own to control the cost. I have to tell you, it is really easy and very inexpensive. There are just a couple of tricks that will save you a ton of time and trouble. First, soy-based candles are the easiest to make, the basic ingredient is cheap, and they are safer than the gel-based candles to burn. We get our soy candle base from a local candle-making shop, but it is available at most craft stores. Second, always buy pre-made wicks. They are cheap and will save you a ton of time trying to get them right. Thirdly, only buy scents that are especially made for candle-making, you are going to burn what you make, don't risk adding something flammable to your candles.

To make the candles is simple. Using a hot glue gun, attach the wick to the bottom of the candle container. Failure to do this will cause it to float when you pour in the candle wax. Then, in a Pyrex measuring bowel, melt the soy wax pellets in your microwave. Add more soy as the pellets melt to arrive at the desired amount of liquid for your container that will hold the candle. Once the pellets have completely melted, stir in your favorite scents and pout into the container. Support the end of the wick until the wax begins to set. I found that the dozen or so sets of chopsticks that have filled one of my kitchen cabinets worked great to stir the wax and also provided the right size support for my wicks by simply laying them across the top of the candle container. Also, the chopsticks were free from my local favorite Chinese restaurant and they are disposable. Make sure that you clean the Pyrex bowel the second that you have finished pouring the candle, once the wax sets fully it because a huge chore to clean. Once the candle has completely cooled, light and enjoy!

Removing Calcium Deposits from your Shower Head

If you have hard water, most likely your shower head has lost pressure over the years because of calcium build-up. Removing the calcium is simple. First fill a microwave safe pyrex or glass measuring cup full of vinegar. Heat the vinegar in your microwave until it is warm. Make sure it is not boiling and if it is too hot, let it sit until you can keep you finger in it without getting burnt. Pour the vinegar into a plastic sandwich bag. Double-up the bag if you fear they will leak. Carefully place the bag around your shower head so that the head is completely immersed into the vinegar. Using rubber bands, secure the bag and vinegar to the shower head. Let it work for about an hour and flush the shower head by running warm water through it for a few minutes. Repeat if necessary.

Deodorizing and Removing Stains from your Microwave

We gave you a great cleaning method for removing baked-on foods from the inside of your microwave, see Easy Microwave Cleaning. However to remove stains and freshen your microwave make a paste of baking soda and warm water. Rub the paste on all of the plastic surfaces inside your microwave with a sponge. Wipe clean with more warm water and a clean towel. The baking soda will remove the stains and will freshen your microwave, removing all of the food smells!

Easy Microwave Cleaning

Let your microwave clean itself, well almost. Mix 2 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of white vinegar in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 3-4 minutes depending on the power of your microwave. LET THE MICROWAVE STAND FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES! This is very important as the water vinegar mixture will have boiled off and it will be very hot and can easily cause severe burns, so be careful. After the microwave has cooled down take a damp sponge with a small amount of dish soap and wipe out the inside of the microwave, all the baked on stuff should just fall off. Follow up with a clean damp sponge with just water to finish the job.