Spring Cleaning made easy! Part two

Following on from our blog on 2^nd March with top tips on how to tackle Spring Cleaning, MOLLY MAID, the house cleaning professionals, are now keen to share with you some money and time saving tips for helping you to complete your Spring Cleaning of larger appliances around the home, particularly your oven.

First and foremost, it is important to be armed with the right equipment and products with which to undertake your Spring Cleaning. The benefit of using these ingredients is that they are generally inexpensive by comparison to branded cleaning products and are kinder to our environment. So, here’s a simple list:

• Bicarbonate of Soda (as large a packet as you can manage)
• White vinegar
• Lemons
• Hot Water
• Microfiber cloths

So, for cleaning the oven try the following handy tips that will get your oven looking squeaky clean.

Oven

• Heat your oven gently and allow to cool down.
• When the oven is just warm, add enough water to a cup of bicarbonate of soda to make a thin paste.
• Apply the paste thinly to the walls of your oven, avoiding any elements, having removed any racks or trays.
• Let the mixture set over a few hours.
• Then take a damp and with a little elbow grease wipe down the inside of the oven.
• If the walls are still grimy after you’ve removed the bicarbonate of soda, dilute two tablespoons of white vinegar with warm water and quickly wipe everything down. The vinegar will react with the baking soda and will make it come off with a damp cloth whilst leaving it with a good shine.
• After rinsing and drying the racks that have been soaking in soapy water, put them back in and the task is finished! Remember to keep on top of your oven racks by washing them in your dishwasher from time to time on the hottest setting (if they are stainless steel). Think about buying a liner for the bottom of the oven to catch any drips from cooking to prevent burnt on food.

Microwave Oven

Battling all of the baked on food in your microwave always seems a chore, especially egg or baked beans! However, as part of your Spring Cleaning of appliances, treat your microwave to a mixture of vinegar and water.

• Fill a microwave-safe bowl with a mixture of half vinegar and half water and turn to high for two minutes. Then, wearing gloves and making sure the water isn’t going to scold you, dip a sponge into the vinegar-water solution and use it to wipe the food off of the walls of the microwave.

Heating the vinegar and water steams all of the food off, while the acid in the vinegar cleans and removes odours from your microwave.

Dishwasher

Spring Cleaning is a time to show your appreciation to your trusted dishwasher. In order for your dishwasher to smell clean and fresh, you may need to clean its filter first. Before you begin, it’s a good idea to check the manufacturer’s directions to make sure you’re not voiding any warranty conditions.

• One easy way to clean the filter is to use distilled vinegar – this will dissolve water spots and deodorise your dishwasher.
• To refresh your entire dishwasher with vinegar, all you need to do is put two cups of vinegar in a bowl and place it upright on the bottom rack of the machine. – Next, run the machine on the shortest, most energy-efficient cycle. If you are of the opinion that your dishwasher requires a further scrub, you can combine bicarbonate of soda and vinegar on a cloth or soft toothbrush to remove any build-up.

The gold rule is that either vinegar or bicarbonate of soda will clean most appliances in an eco-friendly fashion, but please ensure that you read the manufactures guidelines first. Happy Spring Cleaning!

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