Fighting stains with Cream of Tartar

BEFORE

So I was on Pinterest and saw a post about the uses for Cream of Tartar.  So I clicked on the link, which led me to a random blog with a suggestion to use Cream of Tartar for cleaning a stainless steel kettle

BEFORE

My eyes were glued, my mouth parted slightly with intrigue!! My kettle is forever decorated with the brown telltale splotches bearing next-burner witness to all my stovetop dishes of yesterday. I read the instructions and decided to try it out.

Before I launch into the description of how to clean your kettle, take a look at the photos and decide for yourself whether the result are noticeable! I admit, it wasn't 100% effective and there are still stains left behind on the kettle, however the difference is significant and worth it for probably about 10 cents worth of Cream of Tartar and a little elbow grease.

AFTER

AFTER

This is what you will need:

• what you want to clean
• cream of tartar (costs a few dollars at the supermarket)
• rubber gloves
• a scourer or good sponge
• bowl
• teaspoon
• Tbsp water

Mix the water and enough Cream of Tartar together to make a thick paste.

Pot the rubber gloves on and in the sink dip the scourer/sponge into the mixture and start scrubbing the kettle (or whatever it is you wish to clean).

Keep scrubbing for a couple of minutes until you get the desired result. You can always add more Cream of Tartar directly to the kettle and scrub.

Give the kettle a final wash with a clean sponge and some washing detergent and then rinse.  Not bad for minimal work and minimal cost!

The other side of the kettle once cleaned

Laundry Tip #1

I don't know about you but Velcro is my No. 1 enemy when doing the laundry. It only takes one piece of Velcro to attach itself to something delicate and cause a pull.  This is particularly irritating when washing the girls' clothes because children's clothing is covered in Velcro, especially the bibs.

So the next time you wash your children's clothing, or even the next time you toss their clothing in the hamper to be washed, take an extra ten seconds to fasten the velcro first.  Always fasten the bibs before you wash them.  This will ensure they don't stick to anything else in the washer or dryer (namely socks, tulle and knits - which seem to be magnets to Velcro!), causing unsightly and irreversible pulls in the fabric.

Hope you enjoyed my little laundry tip!

10 Things: How to keep your refrigerator clean and tidy

Here are 10 tips for making sure your refrigerator is clean, hygienic and not a dumping ground for old food.

1. Every week, do a stocktake to check the expiration dates of everything in your fridge and do a big "throw out". The best day to do this is the night before your trash is collected so you are not creating a big stinky mess in your trash cans.  This basically means, go through all the dairy and left overs, as these are the things that are constantly perishable.
2. Every month, get into the habit of clearing the shelves so you can wipe them with soapy water. Alternatively, you can mix 1/4 cup bicarbonate of soda with 1 quart of warm water to naturally clean and deodorize.  Wiping the shelves is really important in keeping everything hygienic.
3. Everytime you wipe your kitchen counters, try to wipe down the front of the fridge, especially the handles.  The refrigerator is one of the most touched things in the kitchen and the handles can be a breeding ground for bacteria due to sticky hands and food residue left on the surface. This takes less than a minute at a time and once you form this habit, you will notice how nice your fridge always looks.
4. I am not against magnets and personal accolades adorning the fridge but if you do have them on your fridge, try to keep it neat and uncluttered.  Try to go through everything weekly and decide what is to be discarded, which to file away as a keepsake and what remains on the fridge.
5. Have you ever stored your food according to categories? It is simple and keeps the fridge very neat and tidy.  Use the drawers for cheeses and cold meats. Drinks such as larger juice bottles and milk can take up the large middle shelf and then try to use just one shelf for all your leftovers.  Raw meats should always be kept at the bottom to contain any potential contaminations from drippings or escaped raw meat juices. Reserve the door storage for dressings, sauces and jars. Starting the categorization in the beginning will seem silly and tedious but once your fridge is sorted, you will see how easy it is to complete No. 1 above and also how neat the inside becomes.
6. Always store your leftovers in tupperware-style containers and never in bowls with plastic wrap on top. Cooked food should always be kept airtight to prevent contamination and to extend its longevity.  Additionally, containers with lids helps promote a greater stacking system, so you get the most out of the limited fridge space you have.
7. Start buying those zip-lock bags. They aren't cheap but you can buy these in bulk at Sam's Club or Costco.  Whenever you open a package that requires re-packing, using plastic wrap and then inserting the food into another zip-lock will not only mean everything is neat and tidy but it will increase the shelf life of your food and put money back in your wallet in the end.  Products that do well with this system include block cheeses and packets of cold lunch meats/bacon.
8. Every week, take everything out of the fruit and vegetable drawers and wipe them down.  These drawers collect so much dirt and debris that if you don't do this, not only does it compromise the fresh new items you put in these drawers but it also stains the drawers and makes the fridge smell
9. At the rear of your top shelf, keep a small open container of bicarbonate of soda (about 2 Tbsp). This will help eliminate nasty odors through an easy absorption method. The bicarbonate only needs to be replaced every couple of weeks and is a very inexpensive way of deodorizing your refrigerator.
10. Regularly check your thermostats.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states, "Keeping foods chilled at proper temperatures is one of the best ways to prevent or slow the growth of these bacteria." Read more: Correct Temperatures for Refrigerators | eHow.com Getting it wrong poses serious health risks to yourself and others.  Although the FDA requires the refrigerator thermostat to be at or below 40 degrees (F) to maintain quality and slow bacterial growth, most refrigerator manufacturers and repair centers will tell you that 38 degrees is the optimum temperature.  We tend to keep ours at 36-37 degrees but do note that below 35 degrees, your refrigerator will require a forced defrost cycle and it will use additional energy.

Daily chore-list to keep your house clean

Here is a short list of things you can do throughout the day to make sure your house is clean and tidy

1. Do your dishes as soon as you can. Putting it off is just prolonging the inevitable. Try to utilize your dishwasher as best you can if you have one.  But remember, it is always best to hand wash certain items such as knives, pots and pans, crystal and good china.
2. Use a hand vacuum immediately when you see small messes, food crumbs in the kitchen and in the entryway. This only takes about ten minutes a day and eliminates the need to do heavy duty vacuuming often.
3. Eliminate clutter by putting things away as soon as you can.  File away mail, throw out garbage, tidy up the children's toys throughout the day (better yet, teach your children to clean up after themselves if they are old enough to learn) and particularly at the end of each day.
4. Wash your dishes, pots and pans used in cooking BEFORE you eat, if you can (refer to no. 1).  It should take just five minutes but the good news is you can enjoy your meal in peace and the only thing you have to do after meal is put your dishes in the dishwasher and store leftovers/throw out garbage.
5. Make the beds. It will make you feel good wen you go to bed, truly.
6. Put clothes requiring laundering in the appropriate hampers straight away.  Don't allow them to accumulate through the house.
7. Wipe kitchen counters, appliances and countertops that are used frequently.  Try to do this a few times a day so they always look clean and remain hygienic.
8. Empty the dishwasher and/or put away washed dishes and every morning. I usually do this while making and eating my breakfast and drinking my coffee.
9. Utilize any free moment to do something small to clean or tidy up. For example, if you are waiting for your kettle to boil, how about quickly wiping down the counters? Or while you are making that quick phone call to make your child's pediatric appointment, how about also tiding up the entrance way and shoes at the front door?
10. Everyday of the week, find one extra chore to do so that by the week's end, you have completed 7 other miscellaneous chores, instead of having to spend an entire Saturday or weekend doing chores.  Some of these extra chores could be: wiping down the microwave, cleaning out the fridge, changing linen etc

I do these chores everyday and it usually takes very little time, probably all together no more than thirty or forty minutes, though individually each task only takes a few minutes. I always feel that even though you can never fully contain the toys or the random glass of water on the coffee table, my house is actually pretty clean and tidy. Not prefect, but not bad considering I have two small children!