Kathy’s Home & Garden Tips – Easy Cleaning Hacks

Lemons are one of the greatest cleaning ingredients around. Use lemon juice to clean, freshen and sanitize wooden utensils and cutting boards. Grind lemon halves along with ice cubes in your disposal to seep it fresh and clean! Disposal still smelly? Clean underneath the rubber collar with a toothbrush sprinkled with baking soda. Sprinkle cut lemon halves with salt and use to scrub stainless steel sinks for a clean, fresh shine. The acid in the lemons dissolve hard water stains and works on all stainless fixtures.  Place a lemon wedge in the dishwasher for a fresh smell.

Pour a little Pine Sol in the bottom of your toilet brush holder. It will keep the brush smelling fresh and clean. Use a screwdriver and a disposable disinfectant cloth to clean the toilet crevices between the tank and the bowl.

If you have a glass cooktop, you know how grimy and greasy it can get. Combine a little Dawn dishwashing liquid with some baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Scrub the top well and let sit for half an hour. Wipe clean. Shine with a little car wax for easy clean up.

Fill a sandwich bag halfway with white vinegar. Tie around your shower head and leave overnight. This cleans all the hard water particles for a clean running shower. Vinegar is great for cleaning the microwave. Microwave a mug with ¼ cup vinegar and ½ cup water. All the baked on gunk will wipe right off.

Speaking of baked, stove grates are impossible to clean no matter how much you soak and scrub. There is a fool proof way to get them clean and shining. First, make sure you are in a well-ventilated area. Pour ¼ cup ammonia into a gallon sized freezer bag. The fumes from the ammonia do the work! Put in the grate and seal well. Layer in the sink and let sit overnight. Rinse well and scrub off any remaining gunk.

Wrap microfiber cloths around each blade of a set of tongs, secure with rubber bands. Lightly spray with all purpose cleaner such as 409 or Fantastic. Use to clean your blinds, top and bottom in one pass. Use a similar technique for air vents, wrapping a butter knife in a microfiber cloth, again spraying with cleaner.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO