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The Do’s and Don’t’s of fabric conditioner

by Laundry

Fabric conditioner isn’t just about making your clothes smell good and keeping them looking fantastic it has its place and sadly can’t be used on all fabrics. When you do use fabric conditioner it is truly amazing and will help to keep your clothes lasting longer, help to retain their shape and protect against colour fading.

It will also help to speed up the drying and that dreaded ironing.

When NOT to use

Cashmere and Wool

Don’t lose the luxury of a cashmere sweater or a soft woollen jumper. Expensive and high quality fabrics like these can be damaged by softeners which can cause bobbling, wear down the fibres and pilling. Fabric softener can also make them feel stiffer.

An easy rule of thumb is to not use fabric softener on an expensive item of clothing.

To keep your jumpers in tip top condition always ready the care label, wash inside out, wash on a low temperature with a low spin and use a gentle detergent designed for delicates. Avoid using enzyme based detergents as this can destroy the protein in the wool.

Towels

Fabric conditioner makes your towels less absorbent, wears down the fibres, makes them slippery and gives them a greasy feel. If you want to keep your towels feeling like new, soft and fluffy then add in 20ml of white vinegar to the wash, you can either add this directly to your drum or add to the fabric conditioner compartment of your washing machine.

The vinegar softens towels and helps removes bacteria, a much better option than coating the towels with synthetic chemicals. If you want fragrance, you can add a drop or two of pure essential towards the end of the cycle.

Follow this advise too for microfibre cloths.

Sensitive skin

Although fabric softener is gentle on fabrics, it can be harsh on your skin. If you notice a skin reaction such as irritation or a rash, it could be your fabric softener. If a reaction occurs, stop using your softener immediately and see if you notice an improvement.

If you have sensitive skin, it is worth checking the label before you buy your softener to see if it is suitable. Some fabric softeners are formulated to be kinder to sensitive skin.

Flame resistant

Fabric softener can also reduce the effectiveness of flame-resistant clothing as it covers the fabric with a waxy coating. This can actually make them more flammable, so stay away from softener when washing items such as baby clothing, children’s pyjamas, dressing-up costumes, and anything else with a flame-resistant label.

When to use

Bedding

There is nothing better than snuggling down in freshly changed bed sheets that smell amazing and fabric conditioner makes this all the more luxurious by keeping the fibres soft and reducing static. If you only use fabric softener on one thing, let that be your bedding! 

Top tip – using a lavender-scented fabric softener on your bedding can improve your quality of sleep, as lavender has been proven to aid sleep

Synthetic fibres

Clothing made of synthetic fibres like acrylic and polyester.

When in doubt leave it out.

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Keep your home germ free this winter

by Cleaning Tips

We have had the loveliest summer here in the UK but I get the feeling winter is going to hit us with a real bang. With winter comes the cold and flu season. People will be coughing in supermarkets and  the germs will be flying around and unexpectedly hitting us.

During the colder months it is very important to make sure we try to keep our homes germ free.  There are a few basic steps we can all do to help stop the spread of germs and keep our homes germ free.

Hand Washing

It still baffles me that people don’t wash their hands as they come out of the toilet! Washing your hands really is important and really does stop the spread of germs.  The best way to wash your hand is with warm soapy and whilst washing you should pay particular attention to in between your fingers and count to 15 this way you know you have given your hands a really good clean. Wash your hand as soon as you come in as whilst you are out and about you will be touching many germ hot spots from door handles, shopping trolley, shopping baskets, coffee tables and keyboards.

I have invested in one of these Trolley Bags that acts as a basket for those quick trips to the supermarket. I really do highly recommend getting one.

To get your hand on one of these bags take a look here

Keep a small bottle of hand sanitiser in your handbag or pocket and use this as much as you can whilst out and about. Hand sanitiser won’t kill all the germs but it is certainly better than nothing!

Wipe down sides and door handles in your home.

Use an antibacterial spray and cloth to wipe down items people touch frequently such as phones, door handles, drawers, work surfaces, tables, remote controls, the fridge door, toilet handles and seat, light switches, computer keyboards and so on. if you can try to make a point and do this daily.  The dettol antibacterial spray is also really quick and easy to use as all you need to do is simply spray.

Put the toilet seat down when flushing and not in use

Toilets are some of the most germ-infected places in your home. Deep Clean your toilets at least once a week. Try to put down the lid of your toilet seat prior to flushing, to prevent bacteria and germ-infected water from landing on other surfaces in your bathroom, where it can survive for a couple of hours.The germs from your toilet can even hit your ceiling and do not store your toothbrush near your toilet.

Use a good toilet brush too that keeps germs safely locked away. I am a huge fan of this one as it’s not a brush top TOILET BRUSH

Disinfect your cleaning cloths and sponges.

Was these after ever use. There are a few simple ways to keep these clean.  Put them in the dishwasher on the top shelf, pop them in the microwave and run for a few minutes. soak them in boiling water and a disinfecting product whilst you are out or put them in the washing machine on a hot wash. The higher the temperature the better as the heat will kill the bacteria.

Shoes off

Do not let anyone wear shoes in your house. Encourage guests to remove their shoes. Leave a basket near the front door to back this up. You don’t want any mud and dirt coming into your home and spreading germs. If anyone is resilient about taking off their shoes due to health and safety etc. Offer them some Shoe covers

Carpet Cleaning

This is a good time of the year to clean your carpets. Try get into the habit of cleaning carpets once a quarter. I have linked here the one I have this is affordable and works very well. Carpet Cleaner

Bedding and towels

Regularly change bedding and towels and avoid sharing them. When finished with you towel make sure you hang it and keep the bathroom window open so your towel airs and driers. Try to prevent towels touching each other when being used by other household members. .

Invest in a Humidifier

Using a humidifier over the winter months can really help. They improve sleep, help you breather better, cough less and improve sinuses. You really don’t have to spend a lot of money on one of these either.  I use this one in Jake’s room – Cool Mist humidifier

I hope you have found this useful, you could always wear a face mask but that is not always practical! 

Thanks for reading
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

This post does contain affiliate links 

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Cleaning Cloths Colour Coding

by Cleaning Tips

There is such a huge choice for cleaning cloths and sponges these days that for some of us it’s really hard to know where to start. I have always followed the old-fashioned rule when it comes to cleaning cloths to ensure that I avoid cross contamination. Just imagine using a cloth that has cleaned your toilet and then this same cloth cleans your bath!  The toilet needs to have its own very special cloth.

So I suggest when you are put buying cleaning cloths and sponges you keep this rule in mind the colour coding really make sense and its so easy to get into this habit quickly and stick with it.

  • Blue for the loo
  • Pink for the sink
  • Green for clean 
  • Yellows for dusting 

Feel free to adapt this colour code and make up one that suits you.

Due to the high level of cleaning I do I keep a plastic bag by my washing machine for all my cleaning cloths and then at the end of the day run these all through the wash. Once I have wiped over a surface the cloth will then go straight into the bag. I should imagine I use up to 50 cloths a day but you all know how obsessive I am. If you would like to some advice on how to clean micro fibre cloths then please Read this blog

Tea Towels

When it comes to tea towels.  Try and use them only for drying up clean dishes and no other cleaning tasks.  As bacteria and germs can linger on tea towels by sticking to the fibres and have been known to cause severe food poisoning Then aim to change your tea towel every single day.  Don’t leave it hanging around in your kitchen. Damp tea towels increase the chances of bacteria growth.

Hand Towels

WC hand towels should be changed daily especially if they are used by all the family.Damp hand towels offer the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive especially in a warm, moist bathroom. Not many of use wash our hands well. Did you know that hand washing should take at least 15 seconds ? and if your hand are not washed well this bacteria will sit on your hand towel.

With the winter fast approaching its great to get in the habit of good cleaning and following a the above.  Items that you think don’t contain many germs often do. What are some of the dirtiest items in your home

As always thank you for reading
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

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How to look after and clean pillows

by Bedroom Tips

Every night we put our heads on our pillows but do we actually ever thinking about cleaning them?

Here in the UK we have had the best summer on record for many years.  It has been really hot at night and our bedding has needed changing more often than usual.  But do you think to wash your pillows? I have covered mattress cleaning before so lets now talk pillows and give them a little TLC.

Here are a few ways to help keep your pillow clean and fresh

Always use good thick pillow protectors and wash these every time you change your bedding.

If you pillows are made from polyester then these can go into the washing machine on a low heat using your usual detergent although DON’T use fabric conditioner.  I would advise that you do a double rinse to get as much of the suds out as possible. For the second rinse you can also add a cap-ful of White Wine Vinegar which will help get rid of any nasty odours and those yellow patches.

Once washed tumble dry as you will want your pillows to be as dry as possible plus the heat from the tumble dryer will also aid in killing more germs.  Put them on a relatively low heat and add in a few tumble dryer balls. The tumble dryer balls will help them dry faster and keep them fluffy too.

If you want to give you pillows a quick freshen without washing just pop them in the tumble for 15 minutes as the heat will kill germs.

Foam pillows are not as easy to clean and require a little more attention.  If you do decide to give these a wash choose a warm breezy day as you need to relay on the weather as these pillows CAN NOT be tumble dried. As pillows are quite big wash them using your bath tub. Fill you bath tub a quarter full and add in your usual washing detergent and again DO NOT use Fabric conditioner but add in some White Wine Vinegar if you fill you need it.

Using a large sponge hand wash your pillow well. Give it a good scrub and focus on any sweat stains.  Once you are satisfied that your pillows are clean.  Change to clear product free water and rinse them thoroughly. You will probably need to repeat this process a few times.   Once you are happy don’t go squeezing your pillow to get all of the water out.  Cover in a large bath sheet and soak up as much as the water as possible.

For drying you need a clean flat surface outside and you will need to turn the pillow on a regular basis. So I do highly advise that on a day you decide to do this you are at home most of the day.

If this whole process seem a bit to much which if I am completely honest it’s not easy then look at investing in some new ones. There are some reasonably priced foam pillows that you can buy and if you are going to replace them a few times a year then you really don’t want to spend too much. These one I have linked here are great value. Foam Pillows

Don’t forget animal shelters will be grateful of your old pillows.

#queenofcleaneffect

As always thank you reading Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

This post contains affiliate links

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How to keep flies out of your home

by Cleaning Tips

There is nothing worse than hearing that buzzing sound flies makes whilst in sat at home. There are quite a few types of flies that like our home particularity in the summer time.  Blue-bottle, house flies, fruit flies can be a real nuisance and they carry diseases such as gastroenteritis and salmonella which they transmit through saliva and faeces.

You can come across a house fly at any time of the day but not during the night, as house flies do not move in the night-time. They set up resting camps on the ceilings of your homes.

Flies come into our home looking for food so there a few things you can do to prevent them for wanting to come in.

Do the washing up or load the dishwasher straight away, don’t leave dirty dishes lying around.

Ensure your kitchen bin is always closed and secure and keep it out of sunlight as this can make the bin smell more.

Don’t leave food and dirty plates in bedrooms and never leave fruits cores in bedroom bins.

Keep fruit in the fridge as flies love a fruit bowl

Rinse out jam jars and fizzy drink bottles before putting into the recycling bin . 

If you do get an infestation of flies, Vacuum first, cleaning behind furniture and shelving because that’s where flies like to hide; then wash down surfaces with a disinfectant spray or wet wipes to pick up any fly eggs.

A few natural ideas to help keep flies at bay

Make your own fly trap using a jar filled with sugary water and a paper cone in the top. They are attracted to sugar.

Have herbs potted on kitchen window sills flies hate herbs that are strong-smelling like mint and basil. They also hate Lavender so having a small potted plant will also help.

If you have quite a few flies boil malt vinegar to clear your kitchen fast.

Flies hate the smell of essential oils like lemon grass, peppermint, lavender and eucalyptus so add a few drops in a spray bottle mixed with water and use around the house daily.

Fans are a simple and a very effective home remedy to temporarily shoo away the flies. The wind that blows will disturb the flies and will interrupt their flying pattern, making them leave to look for a less windy place.

Cut a chilli in half and leave on the side.  Another strong smell which they will avoid.

What you can buy to help keep them out

Some of these suggestions will cause harm, so it really is personal choice if you wish to try, I tend to stick to my natural methods to keep them at bay.

Sticky Fly Catchers  you can add this to your entrances and windows and the flies will then stick to them.

Bug Zapper  – Electric UV fly killer attracts and kills bugs such as flies, moths, mosquitos and midges in the home, perfect for use in kitchens or child and pet play areas.

Ultrasonic Plug in Pest Repeller  – Just plug-in the ultrasonic pest repellent into a wall socket and the area will be instantly protected from mouse , rat, spiders, ants, bed bugs, mosquitoes, fleas, cockroaches, and so on. Odourless and safe for home, greenhouse,garage,basement,office.

Fly Swat Wasp Bug Mosquito Swatter Zapper – The ultimate hand-held bug zapper

Spider catcher – This simple and easy to use insect catcher makes quick work of those annoying spiders or flies, simply cover the insect by the clear catching compartment with the shutter open, make sure it is on a reasonably flat surface, Then twist so the shutter falls and the insect is trapped inside the catching compartment. The insect can then be released outside.

Feed up of the birds messing on your washing? I certainly am.  I have a few useful tips for you HERE

I really hope this feature has been of use to you and lets hope it helps keeps those pesky flies and insects out this summer.

Woman,Holding,White,House,Model,And,House,Key,In,Hand.mortgage

Moving into a new home

by Cleaning Tips

Moving into a new home is a very exciting time but it’s so important to give your new home a good clean before you move in to make it feel like yours. Other people’s grime will be polluting the surfaces and door handles!  You will notice the previous occupant’s marks of habitation which can make you feel uneasy in your new property but never fear a few antibacterial products and a drop of bleach here and there will help your home to feel brand new and all yours.

My advice would be to start at the top and work your way down!

Firstly dust those ceilings concentrating well on the cobwebs and the corners. Have a step-ladder to hand and go over with a large feather duster or you maybe lucky enough to have a hoover attachment that reaches.  It will be satisfying watching the dust drop to the floor.  Ceilings harbour dust so it’s important that you get these clean.

Door handles, light switches and other buttons all need a really good clean with antibacterial spray.

Get all the windows and doors open and give the house a really good air.

Pull up any unwanted carpet and rugs and pull down old curtains, blinds and lampshades and get them straight to the tip. This items will smell and if they don’t go the smell won’t go!

Wash the walls using a solution of white wine vinegar and water to get out any smells.

Add a good amount of neat bleach to all the sinks and baths and leave to soak to really help kill those germs.  After a good soaking scrub clean with an antibacterial spray until it comes up like new.  If you have a shower replace the shower head  these harbour a lot of bacteria and germs.

If you are keeping the toilets make sure you replace the seats with new ones and really scrub the pan clean. If they have a build up of limescale take out the water using an old cup and then leave neat limescale remover to sit overnight. You can also pour a cheap bottle of coke down to ensure the pipes are clean and there are no unwanted blockages that can create nasty smells.

If appliances have been left and you are keeping ensure you scrub them clean, invest in a good oven cleaner or read my oven cleaning tips and use baby oil to really shine that hob.

Don’t forget the inside of the kitchen cupboards and leave the doors open to give them a really good airing.

A bit of neat bleach on a toothbrush or a Sonic Scrubber will help you get the grout in-between any tiles clean and bring them back to life. or you can try my tip using Bicarbonate of Soda and White Wine Vinegar and mix into a paste.

This rigorously but well needed clean will now make your home feel like yours and is now ready to move into.

Happy Scrubbing
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

This post does contain affiliate links 

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Vorwerk – Keep your Mattress Clean

by Product Reviews

How often do you clean your mattress?

Answer – I have never even thought about cleaning my mattress!  I spray with a fabric freshener every so often.

These are answers I hear all the time. So many people don’t even think about cleaning their mattress. They think that if they clean their bedding on a regular basis, that will be enough!

Well, NO, it’s certainly not.

Mattresses are covered in mites. These mites feed on dead skin that we naturally shed in our sleep. This means that you are rolling around and inhaling all kinds of nasty particles which could include fungal spores, bacteria, plasticisers and flame retardants.

It’s something I get a lot of interest in from my online posts when I’m using Vorwerk’s Kobold MP400 & MR440 Mattress Cleaning Set to clean my mattresses. This is a machine that will give your mattress a proper clean – and it’s something I cannot emphasis enough that you need in your home!

It’s been well documented that an accumulation of debris can cause health problems over time, therefore, it’s so important to give your mattresses a proper clean a couple of times a year and not just spray it with antibacterial or fabric freshener spray.

You could book in a mattress cleaning service, but that’s a short-term arrangement which could set you back around £250 to do three or four mattresses. That adds up.

And that’s why, as a Vorwerk brand ambassador, I know the important work and research the team has done to develop the Kobold VK200 Ultimate Homecare System which has the Mattress Cleaning Set.

I clean my mattress monthly with it. It is such an easy system to use and takes no time at all.

The mattress cleaning attachment is a dry-cleaning system so your mattress isn’t going to get drenched and then end up smelling like it would if you used a carpet cleaning attachment on it.

With Vorwerk’s set, you simply cover your mattress with the provided Lavenia Mattress Cleaning Powder. The Lavenia powder is recommended especially for people with allergies and is an amazing powder made of mild, natural substances which fights dust mites, bacteria and mould. It smells absolutely amazing too, it’s such a fresh clean smell, I love it!

With the power, you spread it evenly over your mattress, massaging in using the Kobold MP440 attachment and leave for 30 minutes – which means you can get on with your other cleaning jobs!

After half an hour, I then use the Kobold MR440 attachment to go deep into the mattress. This device vibrates to loosen all the dirt from the mattress surface. It’s such a satisfying feeling using this tool and you can feel this going deep into the mattress and pulling out all the dirt and grime.

Cleaning your mattress plays an enormously important role for a healthy, restful sleep. The first time I used Vorwerk’s system I honestly couldn’t believe how well I slept. I am the worst sleeper and spend endless nights lying awake, but this really has helped improve my sleep patterns.

I now make a point of doing this once a month and I do schedule this time into my cleaning regime. I find you get two cleans for a King size mattress from one sachet of the Lavenia powder so it is such a cost-effective way of cleaning your mattress.

A marvellous feeling of freshness and cleanliness is guaranteed with Vorwerk’s mattress cleaning system. I am so lucky to have this system and I highly advise that you book your FREE home cleaning demo and see this function in action for yourself.

If you feel your bed needs a little TLC then I have put together a simple May Challenge that will help freshen your bed and bedroom.

Thank you for reading and I hope I have given you some mattress cleaning inspiration.

Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

This is a sponsored post with Vorwerk 

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How to clean Microfibre cloths

by Cleaning Tips

A few of my top tips

Always wash your Microfibre cloths between uses as they are really good at trapping dirt into the fibres and the dirt will not be released until you have washed them. Microfibre cloths can be washed over 100 times and they will last and perform well provided you look after them well.

Try using a colour code system with your Microfibre cloths as this can be a huge benefit and will stop cross contamination of dirt and bacteria around your home.

I do see people use the same cloth for a number of household tasks!

I follow this pattern which works well for me and my family but adapt a system that works for you.

  • Blue for loo
  • Yellow for mellow (light dusting)
  • Green for glass
  • Pink for sink
  • Grey for stainless steel
  • White for stain removal on carpets

Washing machine

There are a few rules of thumb you should follow if you use the washing machine to clean your cloths. For starters, you should never use powdered detergents, fabric softener or bleach for microfiber cloth cleaning, or should you wash your cloths on a hot cycle.

Try to wash them all together and not with other laundry as even the most miniscule lint particles can clog the fibers of your cloth, rendering it useless.

Save them up in a bucket until you have a full load.

Hand washing

Wash with warm soapy water add in some washing detergent or even washing up liquid. Leave to soak for about an hour and occasional stir with a wooden spoon and then rinse with cold running water.

Drying microfibre cloths

One of the great things about microfibre cloths and towels  is that they dry really quickly so all you really need to do is hang them up to air dry and they will be dry in no time. If you want to dry them in a tumble drier use a low heat as heat can damage and shrink microfibre cloths.

You may want to wash your Microfibre cloths cloths and towels before using them the first time to remove any stray fibres and you really don’t know where your cloths have been before they have entered your home

I do have my own range of microfibre cloths too!

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What are some of the dirtiest items in your home?

by Cleaning Tips

Everything we touch daily is covered in millions of living bacteria but not a lot of us know how often we should clean the items we use all the time. Some bacteria is actually good for our immune system but on the other side of the spectrum some can make us really sick. Germs can spread from person to person and from person to surface. Hand washing is so important and so many still go to the toilet and do not wash their hands.

Did you know?

Your bed

That you sleep in every night is covered in dead skin and your pillow case can contain more germs than your toilet seat.and your sheets can contain more germs than your bathroom door handle!  How disgusting is that. I am always asked about yellow pillows and this explains all, always use pillow protectors and ensure you wash your bedding at least one a week.  Fresh air in the bedroom too can really help and keep the bacteria from spreading and go deeper and deeper into your mattress. You should turn your mattress every six months and get a new mattress every seven years. Over time your mattress can become heavy from dead skin, gallons of sweat and millions of dust mites so make sure you hoover your mattress too or use a mattress cleaning system.

TV remote

Is one of the most commonly overlooked household objects that nearly everyone comes into contact multiple times per day. Your remote gets dropped on the floor, lost in the couch, coughed on, sneezed on, spilled on, and covered with any number of sticky messes. Most remotes are not designed to be easily cleanable and some TV remotes with a lot of nooks and crannies can’t be cleaned well even if you try to do so. ensure you wipe over your TV remote daily and spray with an antibacterial cleaner.  Always wash your hand when you come into the home or after using the bathroom to help keep the build up or germs and bacteria at bay.

Mobile phone and tablet

It’s a well-known fact that phones and tablets are dirty objects, but just how unclean are they? each square inch of your phone or tablet contains roughly 25,000 germs making it one of the filthiest things you come in contact with on a daily basis. That’s something to think about the next time you press your face to your phone. I tend to wipe mine over a few times a day with an antibacterial spray plus I also remove the case and place this in warm soapy water.  If your out and about having a coffee use handy handbag cleaning wipes to clean the table before you put your phone down and have an area in your handbag just for your phone or tablet.

Makeup Brushes

This is an important one. You need to be cleaning your brushes and sponges at least once a week. Among the nasty bacteria living in the bristles on sponge is Streptococcus, which can cause strep throat, scarlet fever and impetigo. If you are suddenly suffering from acne, pimple or an outbreak of spots then your makeup brushes could be the problem. Wash with baby shampoo or swirl in some olive oil.

Dish Cloths

The most important thing you need to know is that your dish cloth is most likely dirtier than your toilet flush handle or button. Soak daily in bleach or an antibacterial cleaner.  Sponges can go in the dishwasher too.

Washing Machines and Dishwashers

You would think that because these are constantly filled with soapy water then they are clean  but your wrong. These items keep your cloths and plates clean so they need to be cleaned on a regular basis. Think of all the dirt they pull off daily! A dishwasher can contain E.coli and pathogens that lead to infections of the urinary tract and skin. You should place a cup of vinegar and run through a hot water cycle weekly add in a drop of lemon juice too to create a fresh clean smell and with your washing machine keep the seal clean and run an empty cycle weekly..Read my Washing Machine Care feature and How to look after your dishwasher

Toothbrushes

In my opinion you need to change your toothbrush monthly as they are pron millions of oral bacteria. Did you know that when you flush the toilet chain and don’t put the lid down first, particles of toilet water, including faecal matter can spray up to 6 feet and land on your tooth-brush! Gross!  But this is true try to keep it in a cupboard or as far away from the toilet as you can. Its important to give your bathroom an Intense clean once a week, take a look at how I do mine CLICK HERE

Good habits like taking your shoes off before walking through the house and washing your hands after using the bathroom or touching raw food can help the amount of germs that build up in your home.

As always Thank you for reading
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

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Fridge Cleaning

by Cleaning Tips

When it comes to keeping the kitchen clean and organised at the top of most people’s list is the surfaces and cupboards But don’t forget one of the most used areas in your kitchen and that is fridge, so many people forget to clean and organise the fridge and just load foods in weekly without having a good sort through and clean.  Fridges can really smell if they are not looked after and a dirty fridge can lead to cross contamination and make us ill. . 

42% of UK people clean their fridge once a month, and a shocking 18% clean it only once a year. 

Keep on top of your Fridge with these very simple tips

Deep clean your fridge weekly

You are probably thinking to yourself why on earth is she suggesting this does she not realise I run a busy household and work full-time!  But this really doesn’t take that long at all.  By the day your food shopping arrives your fridge should be nearly empty so this task is automatically easier. Take everything that is left in out and clean shelf by shelf as you go.  Decide if the food you have left is still edible and then throw away the rest.

Wipe Shelves

Take the shelves out and simply wash them with warm soapy water. Dry and put back straight away.  If you have any sticky patches use a cold scrub daddy.

Check food dates

When cleaning use this time to check through any food that are left and check sell by dates. If you can’t remember how old something is then to be of the safe side I would chuck it out.  If sell by dates aren’t easily visible stick a sticky label on the jar/packet with the month and date clearly written.

Leftovers

Keep leftovers in small plastic containers labelled. I find the containers you get after having a Chinese or Indian are really handy and a great size too.  Also label the portion size and the date you put it in the fridge.

Wipe down the shelves with warm soapy water and dry. No matter how careful you are, invariably food can drizzle out or spill down the side of a container onto a refrigerator shelf. Clean it all up so you’re ready to reload.food zones. It might seem silly to have zones in your refrigerator, but this is helps me not only remember where things belong, but it’s helpful to other family members and guests who are helping out in the kitchen. You can even use actual labels for the shelves so everyone should know where things go! There are some cute repositionable ones that can make it look nicer toon too. Take note of the height of your items that will go back in so that you can group like items adjust shelf heights if necessary. Another idea is to use bins or plastic baskets to organize items by group. For example, you can keep your entire sandwich making condiments in a bin and when it’s time to make sandwiches, you can pull it out and have everything handy for all preferences without having to open the refrigerator several times.

Food Zones

It’s very important to keep your food in the correct area to avoid food contamination and e-coli.

Dairy products and juices should be placed in the side where cold air blows, this area is cool but not too cold.

Meats and fish should be on the mid-tier shelf

Cheeses and cold meats should be placed in a fridge drawer.

Salad and vegetables can be in one of the drawers, still cool but not too cold so they do not freeze. One of these drawers usually has a humidity control.

Eggs and butter should be placed in a compartment protected by a cover so that they do not get too cold (eggs) or too hard (butter).

If you fridge doesn’t have many compartments use these handy fridge storage baskets and fridge fresh will eliminate bad odours.

Exterior

The exterior of your fridge can get pretty dirty from constant use. Any good general purpose cleaning product should work, and a spray bottle is essential. If you have a stainless steel refrigerator, make sure you read the cautions before you buy a cleaner, so that you can be certain it won’t damage the finish. For a simple cleaning solution, use a mixture of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Buff dry using a Stainless Steel e-cloth

Schedule your fridge clean in your cleaning schedule. I like to clean out my refrigerator weekly, before rubbish collection day and before the shopping is delivered.

Want more cleaning tips then grab a copy of one of my books and I will show you how to clean your house and tidy up your life