How Best to Clean & Maintain Kitchen Appliances

The kitchen is one of my favorite rooms in the house. However, while I do enjoy cooking and preparing food, I'm not too fond of cleaning up afterwards. Nevertheless, it needs to be done. In my food preparation, I use a number of small appliances that undoubtedly save time, some of which I have had for quite a number of years. The secret to their longevity? Learning how to clean and maintain them. Have a look through the illustrations below:

1. Cleaning and maintaining stainless steel 

 

 

Stainless steel appliances may modernize the kitchen, however fingerprints do tend to remain on this material, which makes keeping them clean difficult. The chart below explains how best to go about cleaning your stainless steel appliances. When doing so, bear in mind to wipe in the direction of the steel grain and on occasion, spray your appliance down with a stainless steel polish or silicone-based spray for a smooth and rich appearance.

2. Specific appliances 

Your daily morning coffee may take a toll on your machine in the long run. Oily coffee residue quickly builds up in the pot and the working parts that come into contact with the coffee. To clean this appliance, use a mixture of two parts water and one part vinegar. The chart below provides a good overview on how you should go about cleaning your coffee maker:

3. Microwaves 

A Microwave can be a difficult appliance to clean, but this nifty tip will make the cleaning process all the more easier:

4. Blenders 

Care should always be taken when cleaning your blender, particularly the blade section. Clean the rubber gasket with warm water and dish detergent, letting them air dry before reassembling. The tips below thoroughly explain how to go about cleaning a blender: 

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Why Everyone Should Have Denture Tablets At Home

Typically, denture tablets are used to clean and whiten dentures, retainers, and mouthguards. But it turns out that these effervescent tablets can also be used to clean anything from dirty shoes to stained kitchenware. Affordable, convenient, and portable, these discrete tablets can get persistent stains out of many surfaces, even those that are hard to reach with ordinary cleaning tools. Read on and learn how to keep your home sparkling clean using any regular denture cleaning tablets.

What are denture cleaning tablets?

Denture cleaners are fizzy tablets you drop in a glass of warm water and use to store dentures, retainers, and mouthguards overnight. The main function of denture tabs is to clean out plaque and kill germs on the dentures, thereby preventing infections in the mouth cavity. 

 

Denture cleaners typically contain a mixture of various cleaning agents, e.g. sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium hypochlorite (bleach), or other active ingredients. Since denture tabs can be safely used to clean things that literally go in your mouth, you can confidently use them around the home as well. 

 

Here are 10 items in your home you can easily turn spotless with denture cleaning tablets. 

 

1. Remove limescale from kettles

Do you live in an area with hard water? Those who do have to deal with a lot of limescale building up inside their small kitchen appliances, such as the tea kettle and the coffee machine. The pesky buildup can harm your appliance, and it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing either. Denture tabs are a great solution for removing limescale from these appliances because they can get in all those hard-to-get spots no brush would. 

 

Coffee machine - fill the water tank of the coffee machine as usual and then add 2 denture tabs. Now run the coffee machine without coffee until all the water is gone. Refill the tank with water and run the machine a few more times without coffee as a way to rinse it. With all the limescale gone, your machine is guaranteed to run better, and you may even notice a positive change in the taste of coffee too! 

 

Kettle - to remove limescale from a kettle, fill it up with warm water and drop a denture tablet in. If you have a large kettle, use 2 tabs. Allow the water to soak overnight, and give the appliance a good rinse and scrub to get all the limescale out of the kettle. 

 

2. Remove remnants of food from kitchenware

Getting burned-on food particles and grease out of glass and ceramic baking dishes, nonstick frying pans, and enamel pans can sometimes be quite challenging, especially if you don’t want to scratch their surface with a scrubbing brush. 

 

Erase all that grime stuck to your kitchenware almost effortlessly with a few dental tabs. Just fill the dish in question with warm water, add in a couple of dental cleaning tablets, and leave it alone overnight. In the morning, give the dish a thorough wash, and you’re done! Note that dental tabs should not be used on cast iron skillets and stainless steel pans. According to The Spruce, using dental tabs can ruin the seasoning of uncoated metal cookware.

3. Lift persistent stains out of plastic cookware  

Tomatoes and brightly colored seasoning (such as turmeric or paprika) can tint plastic cookware an orange or yellow color. Cleaning such stained containers, cutting boards, bowls can be really tough. Try soaking them overnight in water and a couple of denture tabs - it is the most effective method we’ve tried to date. 

 

4. Turn the bathroom sparkling clean

Dealing with persistent limescale stains in your bathroom? Or maybe, you’re just out of bathroom cleaner… Just pop 5 denture tabs in a spray bottle filled with water, and use the mixture to clean the tile, glass, and even the grout. Spray liberally on the surface you want to clean, wait for 30 minutes, and simply rinse away with water and a sponge. 

 

Denture tablets can even be used to remove mineral deposits from showerheads or taps. To do so, simply fill a small plastic bag with water, drop in a denture tab, and secure the bag around the tap or showerhead with a rubber band. Leave the bag on the tap for several hours to clear away all mineral deposits. Finally, remove the bag, clean the tap with a brush to dislodge all the remaining deposits, and rinse clean with water. Easy peasy!

5. Clean the toilet

Denture tabs make an excellent 2-in-1 toilet cleaner because they both disinfect and remove hard water deposits from the toilet bowl. They are just as effective as a store-bought WC cleaner, but usually more affordable. Just drop 2-3 denture tablets in the toilet bowl, let them dissolve and stop bubbling, and give the john a thorough scrub. As the last step, flush, and you’re done.

6. Make your jewelry shine again  

“Jewellers have been using this trick from way back – so this is nothing new,” said Jo Carmichael, professional organizer to Realestate Australia. Soaking your jewelry in a glass of water and one denture tab for 30 minutes will refresh dull-looking jewelry. Rinse the freshly cleaned jewelry with plenty of water and pat dry using an absorbent cloth. 

 

Carmichael also points out that this method can only be used for gold and platinum metals and hard stones, such as diamonds. Pearls and silver jewelry can be damaged by the active ingredients in denture tabs.

7. Remove tea and coffee stains

Cups, teapots, and coffee brewers have the annoying tendency to develop brown stains from coffee or tea. And no amount of elbow grease is capable to get them out. What can help is, you guessed it, denture tablets. 

 

Just fill the stained cup or any other vessel with water, add in a tab or two, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. The coffee or tea stain will vanish on its own - all you have to do is give it a quick rinse with a sponge and water. Effortless, isn’t it?

8. Revive leather  

It doesn’t matter if you’re dealing with a worn and dull leather couch, a leather handbag, or a pair of old shoes, dental tabs can help brighten them. Dissolve 3 tabs in a spray bottle filled with water and spray the leather item, especially on the most worn areas. Leave the spray on for 10 minutes, and then wash away thoroughly with a damp microfiber cloth. Let the item dry completely before using. 

 

Note: we always recommend patch-testing when cleaning delicate fabrics. Before you handle the entire item, apply a few drops of the spray in an inconspicuous area and make sure that no damage or bleaching occurs. 

 

9. Clean away cloudy vases

Filling a vase with water and using it to hold flowers or propagate plants can leave a cloudy film on the inside of the vessel. Needless to say, cleaning the inside of a vase is super tricky, as no brush or sponge can get all the corners, so we recommend using denture tabs to lift the stain and restore the shine of the vessel. Fill the vase with water, drop 1 denture tablet and wait for it to stop bubbling. Empty and rinse the vase, and all that cloudiness should be gone! 

 

10. Brighten white shoes

Before you give up on an old pair of white converse or sneakers because their soles are too dirty looking or a persistent stain appears on the outer lining, try this trick. Fill a bucket that will fit your shoes with warm water and drop in 1-2 denture tablets depending on the size of the bucket. 

 

You know what’s next - submerge the shoes in the water and soak for 30 minutes or longer. The shoes must be free of dirt and debris at this point, so we recommend pre-cleaning them before using the denture tab method. Finally, rinse the shoes, pat dry with an absorbent cloth, and let them dry completely in a sunny, well-ventilated area.

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Coffee naker- how to clean.

 

Your daily cup of coffee could be providing you with more than just an energy boost. A 2015 survey published in Scientific Reports tested the coffee machines of 10 different families and found that every single one contained some sort of bacterium. Bacteria strains discovered included staphylococcus, streptococcus, and E. coli. These germs could potentially cause gastrointestinal issues. 

How to clean: Your coffee maker should be cleaned once a month, following the manufacturer’s instructions. The NSF recommends adding up to four cups of undiluted vinegar to the reservoir, letting it stand for 30 minutes, and then running the vinegar through the unit. To remove the vinegar odor, run the machine with fresh water for two to three cycles.

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9 Surprising Things You Can Do With A Coffee Maker

1. Make Pancakes

The heat plate that keeps your coffee warm can double as a little griddle! Cook up some pancakes by pouring a small amount of batter on the preheated plate.
Wait until small bubbles develop on the surface of the batter, then flip to cook the other side. Coffee and pancakes, anyone?

2. Make Grilled Cheese

But your coffee pot isn’t only useful for breakfast. Make a quick lunch by cooking up a grilled cheese on the heat plate! (Toss a small piece of tin foil on the heat plate first so you don’t leave behind a mess of melted cheese.)

3. Bake Mini Cupcakes

Depending on how hot your coffee maker’s heat plate gets, you can even use it to bake a cupcake! Just spoon cupcake batter into a metal measuring cup and set it on the preheated plate.

Baking time will vary, so I wouldn’t rely on this method if you’re in a cupcake-related rush. (But hey, it never hurts to know you could make a cupcake with your coffee maker if you wanted to!)

4. Melt Chocolate

The moderate heat of your coffee maker is perfect for melting chocolate! Just pour some chocolate chips into a metal measuring cup and place it on the heat plate.
Once melted, the coffee maker will keep the chocolate at the right temperature and consistency for hours. Use it to dress up homemade treats, or as a dip for fruit, marshmallows, or other snacks!

5. Prepare “Just Add Water” Foods

One of the most functional food-related ways to use your coffee maker is to make foods that just need hot water. This includes foods like cup noodles, instant mashed potatoes, instant oatmeal, and more!
Pour water into the machine’s reservoir and make sure the brew basket is empty. Run a brew cycle to heat the water, then pour the hot water from the carafe into your food container. Easy!

You can also use your coffee maker to make foods that need to cook in water for a bit, like instant rice and oats. Just add the food to the pot, start a brew cycle to add hot water to the pot, and let it sit until the food is cooked to your liking.

6. Boil Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are simple to make in a coffee maker! Just carefully place a few eggs in the empty carafe, then start a water-only brew cycle to cover them in hot water.
Let the eggs sit in the hot water on the heat plate for about 10 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. (A color-changing egg timer would really come in handy here!)

7. “Steam” Veggies

Use your coffee maker to cook up veggies as a side dish for dinner! Place chopped veggies in the basket, fill the reservoir with water, then run a brew cycle.
The hot water dripping over the veggies will gently cook them, and you can run another cycle to cook them even further. Use this method to cook broccoli florets, baby carrots, or pieces of asparagus!

8. Make Hot Cocoa

Looking for a hot drink without the caffeine? Use your coffee maker to make delicious hot cocoa!
Fill the carafe halfway with milk, then add about half a bag of chocolate chips. Add 1 cup of heavy cream, then set the carafe on the preheated heat plate.
The heating element will gently melt the chips and warm up the cocoa, and all you have to do is stir occasionally!

9. Cook Hot Dogs

Make an easy hands-off lunch by cooking hot dogs with your coffee maker. Just place the hot dogs (of the pre-cooked variety) in the carafe, then run a brew cycle with an empty basket.
After 10 minutes or so, check the temperature of the hot dogs, and continue cooking until they reach your desired temperature. Then pass the mustard!
Bonus Tip: How To Clean Your Coffee Maker

• Empty and replace the water reservoir and brew basket.
• Fill the carafe with equal parts white vinegar and water, then pour it into the reservoir.
• Run a brew cycle and let sit for 10-15 minutes to soak, then discard the vinegar water.
• Run two more brew cycles using only water to rinse the machine clean.
• Do this process weekly to keep your coffee maker clean and to prevent flavor transfer!                                              
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10 Different Coffee Stain Removal Tricks You Need to Know

Coffee is an extremely important and vital part of most people’s day. Over 10 million tons of coffee are consumed every year across the world. With all of its deliciousness and energy-boosting properties, there’s no getting rid of coffee from our lives. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to get rid of those nasty coffee stains that find their way into every part of our lives. A sudden brake while driving and your latte forms a pattern on the car seats. What you thought was a push door turned out to be a pull, and suddenly your white sweater is brown. Don’t worry, we have solutions for all of your coffee stain related problems. From coffee stains on your teeth to spilled coffee on your couch, these tips can make coffee stains a thing of the past.     
 
1. Removing coffee stains from furniture
Coffee stains on your furniture can be an undeniably irksome and persistent problem. Between guests, children and sheer bad luck, more coffee ends up on the sofa than in your stomach. Flipping the couch cushions can be a solution, but it only works once!

We have a quick fix method that will work every time on fresh spills! Start by soaking up as much of the spilled coffee as possible with paper towels. Then put a few drops of ordinary laundry detergent onto a sponge and rub the stain in a careful circular motion so the stain doesn’t spread any further. If it is an especially persistent stain, just clean the sponge and get to work with the detergent again until it’s faded. Then wipe the area down with a fresh wet sponge.  

2. Removing coffee stains from a carpet
Any kind of a stain on the carpet is a house owner's worst nightmare. Coffee stains are like the Freddie Krueger of all carpet stains. But much like Mr. Krueger, there is a way of defeating them, and it is as simple as white vinegar! White vinegar contains acetic acid, which is an excellent remover of stubborn stains.

1 tablespoon of white vinegar combined with an equal portion of liquid dish soap mixed in two cups of warm water will be your miracle solution. First, blot the spilled coffee with paper towels. If the stain has already dried out, add a little warm water and then blot with a dry cloth. Then, using a fresh cloth and the above-mentioned soap solution, rub the stain from the outside to prevent the spreading of the stain, until it is gone completely. 

3. Cleaning coffee spills from your car
Cup holders seem very convenient until that one day you push the brake pedal suddenly and you realize how loose a grip the holder actually has. Also, you get to know how sticky leather seats can get when doused with hot coffee. Nevertheless, with a quarter cup of white vinegar, a little dish-washing soap and just 1 cup of water, you can get those seats looking and feeling smooth again.

In case of dry stains, make sure to add a little warm water first, and then proceed to blot the stain with paper towels. Then you can use a dry clean cloth, dipped into the vinegar-soap solution to clean any and all affected areas of the car, from the cup-holder to the seats. In places where stains have occurred on any form of fabric, make sure to rub in a circular motion so the stain doesn’t spread outward. 

4. Removing coffee stains from mugs
The sad truth is, our coffee mugs might be the most affected items in our lives, at least when it comes to coffee. Even if you manage to avoid stains appearing on the outside, often caused by congealed coffee, it is almost impossible to stop the inside of your mug from steadily gaining a browner color over days, weeks, and months. Until one day you find yourself with a mug that is now an entirely different color than the one you purchased, and your partner, parent or friend informs you that it may be time for a new mug. You can stop the cycle from repeating itself with one simple product: table salt.

Just fill the mug with a good layer of salt and use cleaning gloves to scrub the inside of the mug. This should remove the stain completely, and if salt doesn’t work or, perhaps, you’re facing a shortage, baking soda is also known to be effective. After you’re done scrubbing the mug, make sure to put it in with the next load of dishes to avoid your next cup of coffee being a salty one! 

5. Removing coffee stains from a kitchen counter
If you’ve managed to avoid staining the outside of your mug, chances are it’s because any and all spilled coffee has ended up on your kitchen counter, where it has remained unnoticed until your return from work in the night. By then, this warm delicious liquid has become a cold, brown, and almost-solid mess, and the color has seeped into the marble, wood, glass, or any other material in question. Well, believe it or not, there’s a very simple way to restore the original color of your counter, and it’s sitting in your fridge waiting for you.

Crack an ordinary egg, very carefully into a dish, and separate the white of the egg from the yolk. Feel free to keep aside the white of the egg to use in your next healthy meal, and then beat the yolk thoroughly. Using a cloth, apply the yolk generously to the stained area and let it sit for a minute or two until it is semi-dry. Then rinse the area thoroughly, and your kitchen counter shall be stain-free!  

 6. Cleaning your teeth of coffee stains
Despite its wonderful effects on your energy levels, coffee isn’t great for your teeth. Sure, the sugar can do some serious damage, so you might think that coffee would be harmless if you remove the sugar quotient. But coffee can also severely stain your teeth, leaving them yellowish or light brown, particularly if you are a frequent and regular coffee drinker. To prevent this, you may need to up your dental hygiene routine.

For starters, use toothbrushes with slightly harsher bristles, and only toothpaste that contains hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, as the former acts as a natural whitener while the latter is an effective stain remover. Also, make a habit of brushing your teeth after consuming coffee, or at the very least, rinsing your mouth with warm water.  

7. Getting rid of fresh coffee stains from clothing
Spilling coffee on your clothes is a part of life, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with the stains forever. If you want to get rid of that stain as soon as it hits the cloth, we may be able to help. First things first, though, check the label of the clothing in question to ensure there are no special cleaning instructions or restrictions.

The main three ingredients we’ll be using are white vinegar, table salt, and laundry detergent. First, sprinkle the affected area with table salt so the stain cannot spread. After a minute or two, brush off the coffee-absorbed salt with a paper towel. Run the back of the stain under cold water for about 15 minutes, then treat with small amounts of laundry detergent. Finally, apply a little white vinegar onto the stain and scrub with a toothbrush. After that, let the garment sit for fifteen minutes and then put it in the washing machine. 

8. Getting rid of old coffee stains from clothing
Now, for older coffee stains, you will need a different solution because the coffee is likely to have seeped deep into the cloth fibers. Have no fear though, we have a quick fix for that as well. To start with, you will need either rubbing alcohol or lemon juice. Dab the part of the garment with the dried stain with an extremely small amount of rubbing alcohol or lemon juice.
Make sure the cloth does not become too saturated with the liquid, only a very small amount is required to soften the stain. After the alcohol or lemon juice has dried, rub some laundry detergent onto the affected area until the stain is removed. Then, you can rinse the garment with warm water and after it dries, it will be suitable for a normal wash in the washing machine.  

9. Removing coffee stains in a coffee maker
Nobody can afford to buy an expensive latte every morning, and if you have a particularly stressful job, having a coffee maker on hand, in an office, a study or at home, can be the best way to cut down on costs. But coffee makers are as susceptible to stains as our clothes, teeth, and furniture are. In fact, even more so, as coffee makers can be stained inside and out by spilled coffee grains and leftover coffee brew residue. To initiate the cleaning process, check the manual of your machine to see if it has any specified cleaning instructions. Keep in mind, on average, coffee makers need to be cleaned at least once every six months, if not more.
First, to clean the inside, use equal parts white vinegar and cold water poured into the pot of the machine, and hit the switch to make it brew. You can switch it off halfway through the cycle and then rinse out the container with soapy water. Then use clean cold water in a similar manner, allowing it to brew. Use clean water in the brewing cycle at least 3 times to clear out any residual soap or vinegar.
Once the inside is cleaned, you can use soap and water on a sponge, or straight vinegar on a cloth to wipe down the outside surface of the coffee maker. Clean any individual parts of the machine in a similar manner and then rinse thoroughly with cold water before leaving to dry. This will have your coffee maker looking as good as new! 

10. Removing burnt coffee from a coffee maker hot plate
Even if you’re using a hot plate designed for making coffee, it’s still likely to leave a big mess. Not including spilled coffee, which you now know the easy fixes for cleaning, with a hot plate there is the additional struggle of the stains left by burnt coffee. This, too, can be easily cleaned, though.
Start by ensuring the machine is switched off and unplugged. Then dip a cloth into a mix of dish-washing detergent and warm water, and scrub the cloth against the affected area until a majority of the burnt coffee stains are removed. You can scrub off the remaining residual stains with a sponge soaked in small amounts of white vinegar. Clean off the last of the residue as well as the white vinegar and soap with paper towels soaked in cold water. Finally, a dry paper towel will have your hot plate sparkling.

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