The holiday season is upon us, and if you happen to be planning on entertaining guests this season it’s time to start getting your home into tip top shape, which means tackling some chores that you may often forget about or just choose to put off. The good people at Enviro Maids, have compiled some tips on how to take care of some of the more common, “dreaded chores”. Tasks such as, cleaning out and disinfecting your trashcan, taking care of soap scum, and cleaning stainless steel appliances are a few of these forgotten and/or dreaded chores which are discussed. So, check out this article and get your home as clean as possible for this years holiday parties.
Easy Ways to Tackle those Dreaded Chores
You diligently scrub, scour, and disinfect your home regularly, but are you guilty of putting off cleaning certain areas of your home? If
you answered yes, you’re not alone. Everyone has their least favorite chores. Whether it’s cleaning soap scum, dusting chandeliers, or scrubbing the kitchen trash can, we’ll share our tips and tricks to help make those dreaded tasks more bearable. If you’ve been putting off certain chores, tackle them now before holiday guests arrive.
Kitchen trash can
Your kitchen trash can is one of the most germ-filled surfaces in your home. WebMD reports that the average trash bin has 411 bacteria per square inch! Traces of food and liquid can sometimes leak through plastic bags, leaving you with a stinky, icky mess. Give your trash can a good cleaning once or twice a month to prevent mold, mildew, and a petri dish of bacteria from covering its surfaces. Spray the inside and out with a cleaning solution and scrub; rinse and let completely dry before lining with a plastic bag.
Soap scum
Unsightly and stubborn to get rid of, soap scum is notorious for being one of the most dreaded cleaning tasks. Soap scum is a combination of mineral deposits, soap residue, body oils, and dirt. Tipnut.com shares a couple of ways to get rid of the cloudy, stuck-on mess:
- Mix ½ cup of boiling water (be careful!), 1 ½ cups of white vinegar, and a squirt of dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture on the surfaces of your shower and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Scrub with a nylon cleaning brush and rinse.
- Wet the surface to be cleaned with hot water and sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda onto a damp sponge. Scrub the trouble spots using a circular motion; rinse and repeat as necessary. For stubborn areas, try adding a bit of white vinegar to the baking soda.
Window blinds
Over time, dust and grime can accumulate and stick to your window blinds. What makes this task so tedious is trying to clean each of the slats. To remove dust, simply slip an old sock onto your hand and using your thumb and fingers, run your hands over the slats. For stuck-on grime, mix a solution of equal parts white vinegar and warm water and follow the steps above.
Chandelier
Need to brighten up your crystal chandelier and remove the cobwebs? It’s not as bad as it seems. The pros at Goodhousekeeping.com suggest first covering the table or surface directly below your chandelier with a drop cloth. Next you’ll need your favorite glass cleaner and two cotton gloves or two old white socks. Spray the glass cleaner directly onto one of the gloves and wipe each area; use the other glove to dry and remove any remaining residue.
Stainless steel appliances
With so many different hands going in and out of the refrigerator throughout the day, chances are your stainless steel refrigerator is constantly covered by fingerprints and streaks. Goodhousekeeping.com has an easy fix:
- Prepare a solution of 1 teaspoon dish detergent and 1 quart hot water
- Using a microfiber cloth, rub the detergent solution onto the marks in small sections, going with the grain of the stainless steel.
- Rinse with clean hot water, and dry immediately.
Buffing with mineral oil is also a great way to remove streaks
De-crumbing the toaster
If there’s a burning smell coming from your toaster each morning and the bread you’re toasting isn’t the culprit, chances are it’s the leftover crumbs lingering at the bottom that’s the problem. Cleaning your toaster is one of those chores many simply forget about. To clean your toaster oven, Realsimple.com suggests:
Placing a small oven-safe dish filled with water inside the oven and heating the dish at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. The moisture will help to soften stuck on gunk. Unplug the oven and remove the crumb tray and the rack; dump out the crumbs. Use a plastic spatula to gently get rid of stuck-on bits. Wipe the inside with a damp cloth; wash the tray and rack and dry. Done!