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- Deep cleaning appliances:
- Stove top: Sprinkle baking soda on your glass/ceramic cook top. Soak a cloth in hot soapy water & place it on top of the problem areas. Let it soak in for at least 10 minutes. After the ten minutes, wipe away with a non-abrasive sponge. – (these are my personal faves) This method will remove touch burnt on pan grease from your cooktop!
- Refrigerator: Remove all items from your fridge. Yes, all of them. Throw out anything that is expired and consolidate any duplicates. Take a soapy sponge or cloth & wipe down each shelf & drawer. If the drawers need some extra love, take them out & scrub them down in the sink. Once everything is cleaned out, put the items back in the fridge. If you’re really feelin’ fancy, try out these handy fridge organizers.
- Freezer: Repeat the steps above & voila!
- Microwave: Pour one cup of white vinegar &with one cup of water into a microwave-safe cup or bowl. Place the cup or bowl inside & microwave it for 5-10 minutes. Once the time is up, remove the cup (carefully) & wipe down the inside of the microwave with a sponge or cloth. The steam from the water & vinegar mixture will loosen up any stains so you can easily wipe it clean. Keep the vinegar out & move on to the dishwasher [icon name=”arrow-circle-right” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]
- Dishwasher: Place one cup of white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe container on the top rack. Run the dishwasher through a hot-water cycle. This will help wash away any grease or stains inside your machine. If some stains still remain, take a sponge or cloth & wipe clean.
- Rotate / flip your mattress:
- Now, this one is pretty self explanatory but you’re going to want to have a buddy help you out. Depending on if you have a standard or a pillow-top mattress, rotate or flip your mattress. After years of sleeping in the same spot, a mattress will often start to sink down in certain areas. To help that from happening too quickly, rotate your mattress to keep all of the areas fresh.
- De-grease tops of kitchen cabinets:
- Soak a sponge or cloth in hot soapy water. Wipe down the tops of each of the cabinets in your kitchen. Often while cooking, grease can sneak up on top of your cabinets, leaving them sticky – causing dust to layer on top. Wiping them down occasionally will keep the dust from building up.
- Organize tax documents:
- With tax season quickly approaching, no one wants to be scrambling to find their documents at the last minute. Get ahead of the game & gather any tax documents that are available. Store them in a folder so that you know exactly where they are located. When the time comes you will be organized & prepared.
- Clean garbage disposal:
- Ok, when is the last time you cleaned your garbage disposal, never? Same. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of baking soda into the drain, then gently pour 1 cup of white vinegar on top. The mixture will fizz. Let that sit for 5-10 minutes then rinse it all down with very hot water with the disposal running. After that, rinse with a splash of bleach.
That’s all for your February Maintenance checklist [icon name=”smile-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]