COOK OF THE WEEK - CLEANING TIPS

Many people are already getting the act of doing their spring cleaning. I’m just sitting here thinking about it! So since I didn’t have an actual cook this week to present to you, I decided to let you in on a few cleaning ideas and “recipes” using common ingredients you have right in your kitchen. I remember my mother had a whole book of helpful hints on cleaning. Some of these same ones are in that book but I used a different source for today’s writing. You may even be surprised at one or more of the items I am going to mention. And – you might want to drink one of those items instead of using it to clean!?! You can decide. Vinegar, baking soda and lemons are probably common items in everyone’s kitchen. And some homes may have vodka sitting around waiting to be used (or drank). This is the one you might want to drink instead of “wasting” it on cleaning! I don’t even like vodka so if I even had any I’d rather use it for cleaning than drinking it anyway!Kitchen Cleaner Place 1/4 cup baking soda in a small glass bowl. Squirt in hydrogen peroxide to create a paste. Use to clean large and small kitchen appliances, remove water stains from utensils and remove greasy residue that builds up on baking pans.Baking Soda KitchenDegreaser Bring vinegar to a boil in microwave. Sprinkle baking soda on dirty pans or scorched drip pans, etc. Add the boiling vinegar. Let this sit for 30 minutes. Wipe with a wet sponge and rinse. Repeat as needed.Oven Cleaner Brush a paste of baking soda and water on the sides and bottom of your oven. Spray the paste with vinegar. Let it foam. Repeat spraying as needed until you can easily remove the baked-on food particles. Bigger areas will need additional applications.Stainless Steel Sink Cleaner Sprinkle baking soda on half of a lemon (or make a paste of lemon juice and baking soda) and use it to clean stainless steel sinks.Unclog Kitchen Sink Drain Shake 2 or 3 tablespoons baking soda down drain. Pour in a small amount of HOT vinegar. This will make the soda fizz and break up clogs. After this quits fizzing, rinse the drain with boiling water. As well as unclogging, your drain will smell fresher too.Cleaner for Wax-Free and Tile Floors Mix 1/2 cup baking soda in a bucket of warm water. Mop the floors, then rinse. Job is done. Floors are clean!Wood Floor Wash Add 1/2 cup vinegar to a gallon of water to clean wood and laminated floors.Shoe Deodorizer Make stinky sneakers less stinky by sprinkling baking soda inside sports shoes.Refrigerator Cleaner Skip the toxic chemicals since your food is stored here. Wipe up spills with a 50/50 water/vinegar mix. You can keep a bottle of the mixture right in your refrigerator so it is handy when you need it!Cutting Boards Cleaner Spray with straight vinegar. Rinse to clean. No more germs.Microwave Easy Clean1/2 cup vinegar1/2 cup water Place in a glass bowl. Microwave 2 or 3 minutes, or until boiling. Wipe buildup away with ease.Another Microwave Cleaner Put a bowl of lemon juice in the microwave and let it boil away. The lemon juice will steam to soften stuck-on debris so you can clean the interior with the wipe of a cloth.Still an EasierMicrowave Cleaner Wet a dishcloth – lay it in the microwave, microwave for maybe 30 seconds, or until you see steam. Carefully pick cloth up and wipe away. I truly think the steam (any kind of steam) is what makes the cleaning easier. This is all I use and it works fine. But the vinegar or lemon makes it smell nice and clean also.Window Cleaner1/4 cup rubbing alcohol1/3 cup vinegar Add above to a 32-ounce spray bottle, then fill with water. Lightly spritz on a lint free cloth to clean windows.All-Purpose Cleaner1 cup vinegar2 teaspoons borax4 cups hot water5 drops liquid dish soap10 drops tea tree oil10 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)DisinfectantVinegarWater Use equal parts and mix together to make your home healthier. Use to wipe down doorknobs, telephones, faucet handles and even more when flu and cold season hits. Mattress Disinfectant Mix vinegar, a little rubbing alcohol and some tea tree oil in a spray bottle. Lightly spritz on your mattress to help combat dust mites, mildew and general odors. For a deeper clean, follow with a dusting of baking soda. Let dry, then vacuum.In the Laundry as aFabric Softener Use vinegar instead of fabric softeners. It softens clothes and removes the static at a fraction of the cost of fabric softeners. Just add a cup to the final wash or rinse water.Carpet Pet Odor Remover Wet spot with vinegar. Sprinkle with baking soda. Work the two together with a brush or your fingers. Let dry overnight. Vacuum.Air Freshener Add 1/2 teaspoon vinegar to a 4 ounce spray bottle. Fill with distilled water, plus a few drops of your favorite essential oil, if desired.Clean Grill Grates Spear a lemon half on a long fork and rub the exposed side across a hot grill to clean the surface.Cleaning Dining and Living Room Furniture Dust by making a dusting spray using: 2 tea bags1 teaspoon lemon juice3 cups water Boil the water, add the tea bags, and let the mix cool. Put the mixture into a spray bottle with a teaspoon of lemon juice. Lightly spray the mixture on a microfiber cloth and dust. Buff furniture: Mix together one part lemon juice with two parts olive or vegetable oil to create a chemical-free furniture polish that hides scratches and leaves a high-shine finish. Rub the polish into furniture surfaces using a soft cloth.Extra Hint on Lemons We don’t always have lemons on hand. I read a suggestion on line, which stated to buy up extra when they are on sale. Halve or quarter them and freeze. They last a long time in the freezer and you can pull out a small section to clean or use for another purpose whenever the need calls for lemon. I know you have all been waiting to read what we can clean with vodka. I put it at the last to keep you reading! When you finish, you will be ready to start your house cleaning projects. Just don’t call me for that. I don’t like to clean any better than many other people!Cleaning with VodkaHouseplants Keep aphids off by washing houseplants with sturdy or waxy leaves first with tap water, then dabbing the leaves with a cotton ball dipped in vodka. DO NOT use this method on delicate-leafed plants like African violets. Speaking of pests, try spraying vodka along incoming ant trails to keep ants out of the house.Greasy Spaces Use straight vodka or a 50/50 vodka/water mix to degrease the tops of range hoods, backsplashes and countertops. Apply the vodka or vodka solution to surfaces with a spray bottle or with a vodka-soaked rag or sponge.Oil-Slimed Kitchenware Greasy pans and plates get cleaner faster when you add a jigger or two of vodka to a sink of soapy dish-washing water.Musty Towels Add 1/3 cup vodka to your washing machine as it is filling with water, add laundry soap and when the tub finishes filling, pause the machine. Place your towels in the washer and let them soak for an hour or two before washing as usual. Don’t crowd the washing-machine tub too full with towels either. Overfilled machines won’t agitate correctly, which results in bad-smelling towels.Jewelry Cleaning Shine your baubles and beads with a swish or two of vodka. Before doing this, sort out soft metals and delicate gems, like opals and pearls, which could be damaged by vodka. Swish rings, pendants or earrings back and forth through a bowl of vodka and dry the pieces with a clean cloth. Soak very dirty jewelry pieces in vodka to loosen dirt before cleaning them with a toothbrush. I repeat DO NOT use vodka on opals and pearls or other delicate gems or soft metals.Red Wine, Grass andVomit Stains Vodka acts as a solvent and can be used to effectively remove wine, grass and vomit stains. Lay a stained garment on top of an old towel or rag to protect your work surface and blot the stain with a vodka-soaked rag. Rinse the area with clean water; repeat the process until the stain is gone. Straight vodka can also be used to remove grease stains on carpets. Spray the stain with vodka, blot the area with a dry cloth, followed by a clean wet cloth. Let the area dry. If stain is still there, repeat this same process.Sticky Tags Sometimes adhesive labels and price tags on slick surfaces, such as photo frames, vases and glassware are almost impossible to get off. Try dabbing straight vodka onto stickers with a cotton ball or clean rag. Let the vodka sit for a few seconds. Gently remove the label with your fingernail. The label should slide right off.Germy PlacesVodka is rich in disinfecting qualities. When mixed with 3 to 4 parts water, it becomes an easy to apply antibacterial agent. This is an excellent spray to use during cold and flu season to clean doorknobs, refrigerator handles, remote controls and light switches. It will also disinfect kitchen surfaces such as cutting boards and countertops that come in contact with raw meat and eggs.Happy Hour Cleaner Use on kitchen or bathroom surfaces.4 ounces vodka8 ounces white vinegar4 ounces lemon juice8 drops essential lemongrass oil2 or 3 drops castile soap Mix all together in a spray bottle.Another VodkaCleaner Formula Let lemon or orange peels sit in a jar of vodka for a few weeks before transferring the liquid to a spray bottle. The citric acid from the peels will be extracted by the vodka to create a powerful citrus-scented cleaner. Or, even easier, just fill a spray bottle with vodka to use for quick cleanups. If you are reading this, then you probably enjoy new recipes. If you would like to share some of your recipes with the community, YOU could be Cook of the Week. Please contact me, Sally Redenius, if you would like to be in this column some week. I can be reached by phone at 515-373-6346 or email me at sacuthbe@msn.com. I will be happy to email or send you my short questionnaire and set up a time to come and visit you at your convenience. I’m always looking for NEW Cooks of the Week. Also, if you are new in town, this is a good way to introduce yourself to the Humboldt community and surrounding communities. I look forward to visiting with you. The COOK OF THE WEEK 3rd Edition Cookbook is available. Cost per copy is $10.70, plus $4.80 shipping/handling. Order a copy today by sending a check or money order, along with name and shipping address, to: Humboldt Independent, 512 Sumner Ave., Humboldt, IA 50548.