When it’s time for spring cleaning, you’re looking to freshen up your home and shake off any lasting dirt and grime leftover from a long winter. From organizing to dusting, your house may be looking fresh for spring, but there are major appliances that we use almost every day but we aren’t cleaning properly or at all. So to really spring clean every corner of your home, here’s how to clean all those things you didn’t realize need clean.
Washing Machine
Here’s what you’ll need:
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Toothbrush
- A few rags
Here’s what you do:
- Fill the washing machine using hottest water and largest load setting.
- Open the lid and as the washer fills and add a quart of white vinegar and a cup of baking soda.
- Close the lid and allow the washer to agitate for about a minute. Then open the lid again to stop the wash cycle and allow the vinegar and baking soda mixture to soak for an hour.
- Use the toothbrush to clean the inside of the lid, fabric softener wells, and any hard to reach places inside your washer.
- Use a rag to wipe down the outside of the washing machine with the vinegar and baking soda mixture.
- Close the lid and allow the wash cycle to finish.
- Run one more cycle with the hot water to insure the residue loosened and left behind by the first cycle is gone.
Dishwasher
Here’s what you need:
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Soft rags
- Toothbrush
- Toothpicks
Here’s what you do
- Start by empting the dishwasher by removing the racks and utensil trays.
- Clear out any debris that has built up in the holes of the spinning arm with a toothpick.
- Using a toothbrush loaded with baking soda and water paste, clean under and around the drain and under the bottom of the door to dislodge any leftover food or debris.
- Using a white vinegar soaked cloth, clean around the seal and the inside of the dishwasher.
- Add 2 cups of vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher and turn on a short wash to remove hard water stains. Stop the machine mid-wash, and let the vinegar sit for 20 minutes. Then let the cycle finish.
- Use the rags to clean the outside of the dishwasher and use a toothbrush to clean debris from the buttons.
Kitchen Dish Disposal
Here’s what you need:
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Boiling water
- Sea Salt
- Lemon
- Ice
Here’s what you do:
- Start by sprinkling a half cup of baking soda and one cup of white vinegar down the disposal.
- Allow the mixture to fizz and sit for a few minutes.
- Pour the boiling water down the drain.
- Pour two cups of ice into the disposal and a cup of salt over the ice cubes.
- Run the cold water and turn on the garbage disposal until the ice is gone.
- Cut a lemon or lime in half and with the water on and garbage disposal running, add lemon halves one at a time.