Vanetta & Gang,
This info was too good not to pass along.
Sherry in FL
"EEK! MY KITCHEN'S A MESS!"
Copyright 00-02 Deborah Taylor-Hough
Used with permission. All rights reserved.
**Adapted from "A Simple Choice: A practical guide for
saving your time, money and sanity" (Champion, 00)
Part of healthy eating involves keeping a healthy food
preparation area. The following are some simple tips for
keeping your kitchen clean and beautiful.
1) Prevent many spill-overs on the stove by using bigger
pots and pans. Most cooking-related spills come from
using too small of a pot.
2) To remove dried or cooked on food spills from the
stovetop, bring some water to a rolling boil and then
carefully pour some boiling water onto the dried spill.
Allow to sit for several minutes, then wipe off. Repeat
if necessary.
3) To sweeten the smell of your garbage disposal, toss
in a few citrus rinds (lemon, grapefruit, orange or lime)
from time to time.
4) To remove coffee or tea stains from fine china, put
1/2 teaspoon baking soda and hot water into each stained
tea cup. Let soak over night. Scrub lightly with soft cloth;
rinse.
5) To prevent splatters when frying meat on the stove, add
a dash of salt to the oil before heating.
6) Use your dishwasher for cleaning more than plates and
flatware. Use it to wash: stove burner liners, grills from
outdoor barbecues, metal filters above the stove; children's
hard plastic toys on the top rack (for example, hard plastic
blocks placed in mesh bags), glass knick-knacks, candle-
holders.
7) If you use cloth napkins, get a different shaped napkin
holder for each member of the family. Everyone can use
their napkins all day long, and then replace the dirty napkins
with fresh ones for using the next day.
8) To absorb stale odors, wipe down floors, countertops
and cabinets with a mixture of half water/half white vinegar.
After the vinegar smell dissipates, things will smell much
fresher. You can also use a small pan filled with vinegar to
keep on hand as an on-going air freshener. This works
especially well on kitchen odors and smoke.
9) Save yourself some scrubbing by first wetting the things
you're cleaning with cleansers and then allowing the cleaning
solution to sit for awhile. Dried on gunk on the countertop
will be a breeze to wipe off after it's been sitting in cleaning
solution for five to ten minutes.
10) For a quick scent pick-me-up for the house, place a
small saucepan filled with hot water onto the stovetop to
simmer. Add a combination of cinnamon, cloves, vanilla
and orange peels (if available). After simmering for a few
minutes, your whole house will smell good enough to eat!
SUBMITTED BY: Deborah Taylor-Hough
--Debi is a full-time mother of three, a free-lance writer,
frequent radio guest, and author of several books including
the bestselling, "Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a day
and eat for a month." Be sure to visit Debi online at:
http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/
The growth of true friendship may be a lifelong affair. ~Sarah Orne Jewett
