Category: Hacks

Cleaning, Community, DIY, Hacks, Holidays, Home maintenance, Kitchen, Organization, Tips

How to Load a Dishwasher

shccraleigh

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General Suggestions

  • Refer to your owner’s manual for any special instructions.
  • Make sure your items are dishwasher safe before washing.
  • Skip the pre-rinse! Modern dishwashers don’t require it. Do scrape off any large chunks of food that may clog the filter. If your dishwasher is going to be sitting before running, pre-rinse to prevent smells from forming.
  • Place items soiled-side down to maximize cleaning.
  • Ensure proper spacing between items. Be careful not to set dishware on or against the prongs, as they may cause water spots.
  • Placing glassware at an angle will prevent water from pooling on the base. Be sure to arrange glasses carefully so they do not collide and break.
  • Secure lightweight plastics, as they may melt if they touch the heating element.
  • Choose quality detergent and keep your rinse aid dispenser full. Always store in a cool, dry space and use any powdered detergents within two months of opening to maximize use.
  • Run the sink faucet until the water gets hot so the dishwasher will start with hot water.

Silverware

Spoons and forks should be placed in the rack with their handles facing down, while knives should be placed with the blade down, minimizing risk of injury when loading/unloading. Vary the silverware in each compartment so the utensils don’t nest within one another. Make sure slender items cannot slip through the rack so they do not block the sprayer arm.

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Dishwasher Don’ts

Don’t wash kitchen knives in the dishwasher. Detergent and the force of the water can dull knives.

Don’t wash wooden cutting boards or spoons in the dishwasher. The heat can warp them and the wood may splinter or crack.

Don’t wash insulated mugs; it can compromise the mug’s insulation.

Don’t stack items. It makes it more difficult to efficiently clean the entire load.

Don’t wash cast iron, brass, bronze, copper, china with gold leaf, or anything hand-painted in the dishwasher, as detergents contain abrasive particles and can leave residue..

Don’t wash nonstick pans, though some are dishwasher safe and will be marked as such.

Don’t wash stoneware in the dishwasher. Stoneware is porous and will absorb the taste of the detergent and the wash (5).

Don’t wash stainless steel with silver. Stainless and silver will react when combined with detergent, leaving pitting on the silver and possibly spotting the stainless.

Whether you have a cleaning question or want to discuss services, we are happy to help! Contact us or complete our quote request form for more information.

References & More Information

Ettiene, Coryanne. “6 Things to Never Put in the Dishwasher (And How to Clean Them!).” Better Homes & Gardens, www.bhg.com/kitchen/appliances/cast-iron-wooden-spoons-and-other-items-that-cant-go-in-the-dishwasher-281474979547595/.

Exhume, Michaelle. “The Biggest Mistakes You’re Making With Your Dishwasher.” Good Housekeeping, 30 June 2014, www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a24839/dishwasher-mistakes/.

Forte, Carolyn. “How to Get the Most Out of Your Dishwasher.” Good Housekeeping, 21 Mar. 2018, www.goodhousekeeping.com/appliances/dishwasher-reviews/a22031/dishwasher-tips-0306/.

“How to Load a Dishwasher.” Consumer Reports, 5 June 2017, www.consumerreports.org/dishwashers/how-to-load-a-dishwasher/.

Kirchhoff, Herb. “What Happens to Silver-Plated Flatware If You Wash It in the Dishwasher With Stainless Steel?” Home Guides | SF Gate, SFGate.com, 9 Dec. 2018, homeguides.sfgate.com/happens-silverplated-flatware-wash-dishwasher-stainless-steel-88507.html.

Roberts, Julissa. “How to Care for Your Pizza Stone – Article.” FineCooking, www.finecooking.com/article/how-to-care-for-your-pizza-stone.

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Bathrooms, Cleaning, DIY, Hacks, Home maintenance, Tips

Q&A: How to Clean Your Shower Liner

shccraleigh

showerliner

Question: How do you clean your shower liner?

Answer: Throw it in the washing machine with some vinegar, et voilà!

To clean your shower curtain, remove it from the hooks and throw it in your washing machine with a 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/2 your usual load of detergent. For extra kick, we add 1/2 cup of baking soda or Borax. Run on cold water and hang to dry — no spin cycle necessary for plastic liners! To help prolong its use, remove it from the shower after each use to dry and prevent trapped moisture. While we still replace ours periodically when it stops coming clean in the wash, our current shower liner is several years old and holding up wonderfully.

Whether you have a cleaning question or want to discuss services, we are happy to help! Contact us or complete our quote request form for more information.

Additional resources and solutions:

Barber, Trish. “How to Wash Shower Curtains | Reader’s Digest.” Reader’s Digest, 23 Feb. 2017, www.rd.com/home/how-to-wash-shower-curtains/.

Gibbs, Karen B. “How Often You Should Clean Your Shower Curtain – and the Right Way to Do It.” TODAY.com, 17 Feb. 2016, www.today.com/series/how-often-should-you/how-often-you-should-clean-your-shower-curtain-right-way-t73991.

Smith, Lauren. “Yes, You Can Clean Your Shower Curtain … Even If It Has Mildew.” Good Housekeeping, 21 Mar. 2018, www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a22024/heloise-spring-cleaning-eliminate-mildew/.
Cleaning, DIY, Hacks, Home maintenance, Kitchen, Tips

Q&A: How to Clean Your Dishwasher

shccraleigh

comfort-control-cooking-213162

Question: How do you clean the interior of your dishwasher?

Answer: By checking the ‘nooks and crannies’ of your appliance and clearing the drain.

Before you clean your dishwasher, be sure to clear your disposal. Run hot water down the drain while running the disposal. You can pour a little dish soap as it’s running to clean and deodorize the disposal area, but some people prefer baking soda and vinegar, lemons, or ice.

If you have noticed a lingering funk or small particles sticking around on your dishes, check the trap and clear the drain. Remove the bottom rack and check around the drain. Many units have a cover to protect the drain and help strain out large debris, and you may need to remove this to access the drain area.

In many dishwashers, the sprayer can also be lifted and cleaned under. You can also use a wire, paper clip, or similar to clean out the holes in the sprayer arm, if necessary.

To clean the interior of the unit, place 1-2 cups of vinegar in a bowl or large measuring cup on the bottom rack and run a wash cycle to clean it. It will smell like vinegar while it’s running, but it fades quickly.

For additional deodorizing, you can run a second rinse cycle with approximately 1/2 cup baking soda sprinkled throughout the bottom. Typically, though, a good clean out and rinse does the trick!

Don’t forget the seal and exterior of your machine — lots of gunk gets trapped around the seal!

Whether you have a cleaning question or want to discuss services, we are happy to help! Contact us or complete our quote request form for more information.

References:

Gibbs, Karen B. “How Often You Should Clean Your Dishwasher – and How to Do It.” TODAY.com, www.today.com/series/how-often-should-you/how-clean-dishwasher-t17946.

DiClerico, Daniel. “How to Clean a Dishwasher.” Consumer Reports, www.consumerreports.org/dishwashers/how-to-clean-a-dishwasher/.

Smith, Lauren. “10 Smart Ways to Get More Oomph Out of Your Dishwasher.” Good Housekeeping, www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/g2877/dishwasher-tricks/.

Bathrooms, Cleaning, DIY, Hacks, Home maintenance, Tips

Q&A: Shower Door Build-Up

shccraleigh

Question: How do I remove hard water deposits and build-up from my glass shower doors?

Answer: There are many techniques, but our favorite is a mild abrasive, a sponge, glass cleaner (optional), and a microfiber rag.

28124702_1412956412165760_256370012_o (1)While our favorite powdered abrasive is natural Bon Ami, other great options include Barkeepers Friend, Comet, Ajax, and baking soda. Wet your sponge and apply a quarter-sized amount of cleanser to the scrubber side of the sponge. Scrub the affected area in a circular motion. Use a dry microfiber cloth to buff off excess cleanser. Shine with glass cleaner and a clean microfiber (optional).

showerglass

While this technique works for many examples of soap scum and hard water deposits, there are some that will need additional attention, and more extreme examples of hard water deposits may etch the glass.

Having trouble? We love a challenge. Contact us for a complimentary virtual consultation or to schedule your appointment.

Whether you have a cleaning question or want to discuss services, we are happy to help! Contact us or complete our quote request form for more information.

Disclaimer: all opinions and product suggestions are our own. We were not paid to promote any content.

Hacks, Organization

These are a few of my favorite things! ♪ ♫ ♩

Southern Hospitality Cleaning & Concierge

Let’s talk home organization and organization hacks! When organizing your home, your office, your car or whatever it may be, these are the questions essential to making the organization and simplification process so much easier.

  1. How often do I use/wear it?
  2. Is it broken and how long have I said I was going to repair it?
  3. How much disruption does the item cause? (does it require a lot of maintenance)
  4. Is is a want or a need?

While I could write an entire book with each chapter highlighting how to organize every different room in your house, today I will be focusing on the ‘hacks’ that have worked in my personal life. Now, we all see hacks that are awesome but they just end up becoming more of a hassle than they do a convenience. As your personal ‘hack addict’, I’m here to give you the report on some of the organizing hacks I cannot live without!

hack

 

 

The closet, so many hangers and so many clothes. I don’t know about you ladies but I seem to have a never ending supply of undershirts, camis, and razor backs. I used to spend a good amount of my time finding the right hanger to hold those tiny spaghetti straps and honestly, I about lost my mind in the process. Cut down on the amount of closet space you use and the amount of time putting away laundry with this little trick! (via Listotic)

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For those of us with little ones, we know that the car can easily become a traveling dumpster. Don’t be ashamed to admit it, it happens to all of us! This small and inexpensive purchase has saved my car and admittedly, my sanity. (via Pop Sugar)

 

 

 

 

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Ahh… the kitchen pantry. Tiny hands are forever getting into the snacks, tearing down boxes in attempt to reach the chocolate on the top shelf, spilling flour all over themselves, getting into your pets food and just making things impossibly hard to find most days. With a good pantry organization plan, you can make your life a little easier by simply knowing exactly where things go the moment they get misplaced. This is also a great plan in the sense that food items will not go bad, as they do not go ‘unseen’ and uneaten. Try storing you snacks in their own personal storage bin, your boxed items in air tight containers, stack your spices so they are easily seen and accessible, and put your canned goods on a turn table. The possibilities are endless with your kitchen pantry. (via Just A Girl And Her Blog)

 

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Bobby pins, nail clippers, snap clips, tweezers… they are ALWAYS getting lost in the bathroom. You end up tearing your bathroom to pieces looking for one tiny thing in the rush of a normal morning. Like Superwoman says in her blog: “I haven’t lost a bobby pin since!” This magnetic strip is fool proof! (via Superwoman)

 

I said I would provide you with a few great hacks today, we will definitely be circling back around to the world of cleaning and organizing hacks in our future blogs. Stay tuned!

If you’re feeling completely lost when it comes to organizing your home, give Southern Hospitality Cleaning and Concierge a call or enter your information below and we’ll contact you shortly. We’re organizing experts!