Cleaning Tips/Products

[ladymoreta]

I've found some disposal cleaners that work really well. They're little paper packets that you put down the drain and run really hot water and the disposal, and they foam up. I use those occasionally. In between, I pour baking soda down it, or citrus peels (lemon, orange, or lime).

[poky]

I usually just run the disposal with some hot water running and squirt some dish soap directly into it; it foams up pretty good, and seems to clean it pretty well.

[scrub-jay]

Have you tried putting a lemon down the disposal?

This has always worked well for us.

A dissenting voice-- I've had good luck with the Ecover tablets, so give them a chance! Also love Trader Joe's phosphate/chlorine free powder.

[scrub-jay]

A dissenting voice-- I've had good luck with the Ecover tablets, so give them a chance! Also love Trader Joe's phosphate/chlorine free powder.

Yea...that requires a TJs. :sob:

[Meenah]

Baking soda followed by vinegar, let it sit 15 minutes then flush with water.

[ides]

Thanks for the tips! I have thought about lemon & ice but haven't tried it. Going to try the vinegar.

I used the dishwasher last night. The ecover tablet worked and everything came out clean. I did think it was odd that it ran for 40min or more. I also don't have enough dishes in a day to fill it up but can't wait multiple days since I don't have a ton of dishes overall. This is the first time I've ever paid for water so I'm worried about the financial impact. Anyone want to settle my fears on water consumption associated with dishwashers? It was awesome not washing them by hand!

[MissCrabette]

A dishwasher uses much less water than you would washing those dishes by hand. We might not have enough dishes to fill the dishwasher if we eat out one night, but we usually have more than enough on regular days (between breakfast, lunch, cooking for dinner, snacks, glasses, etc). You can run a rinse and hold cycle if you don't have a full load and then run it the second day.

I'm not sure if this has a significant impact on electricity consumption, but you can try turning off the heated dry option.

[oceanchild]

I've heard it's not "much less" water usage, but somewhat less, depending on how efficient you are in your handwashing. We load our dishwasher until it is either full or we run out of a certain item (plates, cups, etc), which usually takes several days.

[ladymoreta]

I know it's much more efficient for me because I refuse to fill the sink with water when I hand wash, so I'm running water for both the washing and the rinsing. I am so grossed out by everything I've read about germs in kitchen sinks. I'm not usually germaphobic, but that's my big thing, I guess. I also run my dishwasher whenever it's full or I'm out of something like glasses, plates, or (more likely) sippy cups.

[SoonerTexan]

Laurie...I do the same. It is also why I refuse to take baths.

Any oven cleaning ideas? Ours really needs it, but the standard stuff is so toxic and we don't have a vent hood.

[DCJenn]

Baking Soda paste, if you don't have a self- clean option. If you do have a self-clean option don't use it until it cools off outside because it significantly raises the temperature in your kitchen.

J.

I used the dishwasher last night. The ecover tablet worked and everything came out clean. I did think it was odd that it ran for 40min or more.

My new dishwasher cycles go from 60 to over 100 minutes, depending on what cycle you choose, but it uses between 4 and 8 gallons of water. It's energy star rated, etc.

[SoonerTexan]

DCJenn...no self-clean option. It's a cheapo.

Haha, my father had a bad habit of turning the self-clean option on with large chunks of crap in the bottom of the oven...then they would start on fire while the oven door was locked, freaking everyone out.

[SuzySunshine]

There is an oven cleaner in a spray bottle (like 409) that I used before we moved. I think its Easy Off but its not the toxic smelling can...