Wednesday, March 21, 2007

How to Clean Stainless Steel Appliances - Cleaning Tips and Hints - Happy Slob

Okay, now here is a great question that I know many of you might wonder about, sent in by Marlene:

"Hi Christina,
Does anybody know how to clean, stainless steel stoves, fridges and dishwashers.
My neighbour has just bought all three appliances. Other than the small amount of cleaning stuff that they give you, with the stove, is there something that can be used, using something that we would already have in our cupboards?
I know that the cornstarch and water works really well for glass top ranges. Would it do the same for stainless steel?
Thanks, Marlene."


Hey Marlene,

:) Thanks for the email. I have one very favorite product for all stainless steel cleaning, and in fact at my part-time retail job (in a kitchen shop) we sell out of this stuff really quickly - because it works just that well.


Barkeepers Friend cleaner comes in either a powder or a liquid cleanser form, and it's fantastic at cleaning your stainless steel appliances. In some cases, it can even remove scratches from the surface of the stainless steel! You can also use it for cleaning your stainless steel sink, and pots and pans. (It works amazingly well at getting out those really OLD stains in stainless steel pots and pans that you thought would NEVER come out again! It really rejuvenates old cookware.)

Let us know how it works out for you! You can get your Barkeepers friend by either clicking on the links in this post OR just check your local stores. :) Many will likely carry this popular cleaner.

Cornstarch Cleaning Tip from a Happy Slob Reader - Free Cleaning Tips

Before I go ahead and answer the question that Marlene sent in, I thought I'd give her credit for a great cleaning tip she sent to me:

She recommended using a cornstarch and water paste for cleaning glasstop ranges (stoves). :) She also has a question about cleaning stainless steel appliances, which I'm going to answer in the next post. For now, if you have a glasstop stove, give her suggestion a try! It's a very Happy-Slob kind of idea...

P.S. If you DO try this idea, please post a comment below to let us all know how it worked out.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Can you say OUCH? Hint: It's about Teeth...

One more thing. :) I'll be out of commission for the next couple of days, as tomorrow I'm going in to the dentist for a - gasp! - root canal!

Happily, however, I'm also trying out sedation dentistry for the first time. Apparently I'll be given a powerful little pill that will make me all dopey and unaware of things. :) I rather like that idea! I'm always a little on the flakey side anyway, but just imagine what I'll be like with a happy pill dosing me from the inside out!

Hope you all keep up with your cleaning routines the best you can. Remember, tiny efforts equal gargantuan results. AND...getting your family involved in our 3 Step Solution to Cleaning means less work for you, and more happiness all around your home. Guaranteed! (Well, practically...)

Take care all, and think of me and my wonky tooth tomorrow afternoon, will you please? Me and my rebellious molar will thank you. :)

I'm doing the Laundry...and hey, I'm not hating it as much as usual!

So, any of you regular readers will know that I'm not (let's go further than just italicizing it...NOT) a big fan of doing the laundry. But, I'm happy to say that with a new front loading washer machine in our building (Yes, I'm an apartment dweller...quite happily, too) it's become a whole lot easier to get the laundry done! This beautiful new washing machine does a great job at doing the wash, and even manages to use less laundry detergent, which frugal old me just loves.

What is YOUR laundry day? Do you do laundry every day? I know I hear from a lot of Moms that daily laundry is simply a necessity. Have you tried any of the family laundry tips in the book yet? What? You haven't gotten a copy of the ebook yet? :) Poor you...it's really quite a lovely read. Look at what a few Happy Slob Housecleaners have to say about it:


Lovely Words from Slobbos 'round the world

Hey, changing how we do the laundry might not change the world. BUT...it sure does contribute to family happiness! So, as always, any laundry tips are gladly accepted - I'll be happy to share your ideas with all and sundry.

A Brand New Way to Use Baking Soda - Great for Contacts Wearers

I love getting all your groovy cleaning tips and hints, especially when it uses our favorite natural cleaning agents: baking soda or vinegar.

Today's tip comes from a Happy Slob Housecleaner (who didn't include her name, so we'll make her out to be all mysterious and call her Mystery Slobbo)...

I use baking soda to deep clean my contact lenses. I place the lens in my palm, sprinkle a little baking soda on it and squirt some sterile saline solution for contacts on there. This will make a paste. I gently rub the lens with a finger, swirling it around a bit, making sure both sides get a good coating of the paste, then rinse clean with saline solution and it is ready to wear.

Before trying this tip, please check with your optometrist to ensure that this is, in fact, a safe way to clean your contacts. :) I wouldn't want you to go around stumbling over things, because you hadn't checked first! (You know, from having wonky lenses...)

Send any and all of your cleaning tips, hints, jokes, or anecdotes to: christina@happyslob.com. I'll gladly use them in upcoming newsletters or right here on the blog.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

John's Creative Way to Clean the Coffeepot

You readers are geniuses - and here's more proof. John has come up with a clever new way to clean the coffeepot for all of you Happy Slobs who don't mind using bleach:

Christina-

Always fought with this problem until a moment of creative laziness. Figuring that if regular cleaner (like Fantastic) wasn't doing the trick, then maybe switching to address the problem as organic made more sense. Sprayed the coffee cup with Mildew remover and all evidence of having held coffee melted down the sides of the pot (glass or stainless) and any mugs.

And as mildew remover is nothing more than regular household bleach at 6 to 10 times the price, just dilute bleach from a jug by half, spray the coffee or tea item, and you'll have "brand new". A little soapy water to get rid of the bleach, and you're on your way without a scrub, and with better results.

JB


Thanks for the great tips, John! Creative laziness is a fantastic thing, isn't it? Any of you can send me in your funky, quirky or otherwise amazing cleaning tips to share with Happy Slobs all around the planet. Just email them to me - christina@happyslob.com

P.S. I think that using regular strength white vinegar might also do the trick, if any of you (like me) are not thrilled about using bleach to clean. :)

Cleaning Windows (and Car Windows in Particular) - Cleaning Tips

Hey everyone,

Here's a great email I received from a lovely lady named Margaret a little while ago.


"Hi Christina.... Can you please tell me what is best -- & NOT harmful -- to clean the inside of car windows. I always end up with a streaky mess when I use "Glass Plus" with paper towels. (Doesn't do too good a job on the outside either!!)
Great site..............Thanks mucho !!!!"

Well, Margaret, since you said: "Thanks mucho!" I just had to reply. :) I love quirky sayings, but hey, at least I admit it!

A fantastic new product that I think is the BOMB when it comes to cleaning windows (both home windows and auto windows) is the e-Cloth. We just got these in at the kitchen shop where I work, and they're specifically made for cleaning windows. What makes it especially loveable? You need NO extra chemicals! These wonderful little soft cloths are micro fiber cloths, and so just a spritzing of water and you're good to go.





Unlike regular cleaning cloths, I find that these e-Cloths leave absolutely NO lint, and they leave the windows clean and sparkling. They're also a handy little size, so pick up a few and store at least one in your car's dashboard for emergency cleaning sessions on the go. And, with no cleaning chemicals to tote around, it's really perfect for in the car.

Let me know how this works for you, Margaret! :) I really hope I was able to help solve your cleaning dilemma.

Take care,

Christina - the ORIGINAL Happy Slob Housecleaner

P.S. Do YOU have a cleaning dilemma you'd like me to solve? I'll give it a go! Just email me your questions to christina@happyslob.com and I'll answer back as quickly as I can. :)


Another way to De-Fog (Anti-Fog) Your Bathroom Mirrors

Here's a great tip from Ange, a Happy Slob Housecleaner:

"Hiya! Just wanted to let you know of another way to keep bathroom mirrors defogged: shaving cream! Spray it on, wipe it off with a paper towel, and voila!"

Thanks Ange. :) I'll give this a go and see how it works!

Take care,
Christina

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Would I Forget YOU? I'm Back!

Hey everyone,

I needed a bit of a break from the blogging scene, so I took off a bit of time to sort out what direction I want to go in with the blog and site, etc, etc, etc. But here I am, back and ready to (gently) nudge you in the right direction with your domestic duties. (Duties? oooh, we sort of hate that word, don't we?)

I'm working on a fresh newsletter for this week, so please keep your eyes peeled for that too.

For today, I just posted a favorite new toilet cleaning idea - and as we Happy slobs love - it is as EASY AS CAN HUMANLY BE! I posted it over at: The Easy way to clean inside your toilet - ALMOST Hands-Free!.

Enjoy! As much as a person CAN enjoy cleaning the toilet, that is...