Cleaning Tips

Microwave

To remove built up residue of grease and excess food stuck to the walls of the microwave

In a microwave safe container place water half way, set microwave to 2min. With the steam released it will loosen the stuck residue making it easier to wipe and clean!

  

Carpet Stains

• Scrape off any solids. Blot up liquids quickly, dabbing lightly with a clean white towel or paper towel.

• To remove greasy stains, apply a nonflammable dry-cleaning agent to the spot with a white towel. Work from the edges toward the center. Don't scrub. Dab gently until the spot comes clean. Always pretest any cleaning agent on an inconspicuous part of the carpet and let it dry before continuing.

• Coat less stubborn greasy stains with aerosol shaving cream or carbonated water. Use a hair dryer to speed dry. Then vacuum

• Sprinkle a greasy stain with baking soda, cornstarch, cornmeal, or talcum powder. Leave on at least 6 hours, then vacuum.

• To remove water-soluble stains, apply some detergent solution (1 1/2 teaspoon mild detergent per pint of water), working from the edges to the center of the stain. Place several layers of white tissues or paper towels over the spot and weight down with books or pots and pans. Let stand about one hour. Replace with fresh tissues or towels and leave overnight. Then fluff up the carpet pile with your fingers.



Dirty Stoves

​If your stove top is in need of some work and you don’t have any Kitchen Wipes handy, you can sprinkle some bicarb soda onto the surface and then scrub it a little with a damp VIVA Paper Towel.
Grease and grime tends to build up between the stove top and the wall or splashback, it’s important to check all these inconspicuous locations and make sure you give these areas a good scrub too.



Toilets

About once  a week, sprinkle some baking soda around the inside of the toilet to coat, then dump a cup of undiluted white vinegar into the water. Use a reusable toilet brush to scrub and the chemical reaction of the baking soda and vinegar removes stains and any lingering smell. This also works externally (I use on the bottom of the toilet and the floor) to remove that “boy” smell from bathrooms.

I’ve also found that the urine smell that can linger (especially with potty-training boys) is often hiding in the hinges of the toilet seat and under the bolt caps on the side of the toilet. Every 2 weeks or so and thoroughly cleaned.

Finish up toilet cleaning with a spray and wipe down with undiluted hydrogen peroxide



Mirrors

Just like windows, mirrors can be cleaned with a 50/50 Vinegar and Water mix in a spray bottle and wiped with old rags from cut-up t-shirts or newspaper (paper towels leave a lot of residue with this method).

The easiest way, if you have them, is to use microfiber cloths (1 regular one wet, and one polishing one dry or just one regular wet one and one regular dry) to clean without the need for chemicals at all.