These two things are a combination from helpful hints from a number of different sources and people. This may be old news for the rest of you, but for me they have made the last year of my life so much easier and even satisfying. Aren't you dying to know?!
My 4th favorite thing is Microfiber cloths and vinegar.
First the microfiber cloths. I love these things! I got mine from the automotive section in Tar-jet. They were a bit cheaper and bigger. Wally world would probably have them too. The great thing about microfiber is they are lint free. (Just as long as you don't wash or dry them with fabric softener). No more wiping down your mirrors and leaving behind a nice little dust trail like paper towels tend to do. I use these cloths for just about everything...dusting, mirrors, windows, and wiping down my stainless steel appliances. You could use a special cleaner for your appliances, but I have found a little warm water does the trick. Just put enough warm water to dampen one half of your cloth. Wipe off the surface of your stainless steel appliances, and then use the other half to dry it off a bit. Presto! Fingerprints gone (at least until lunch the next day). I even keep a cloth in my car to quickly dust off my dashboard while I am waiting in the school pick up lane.
Then there is the vinegar. I know there are books written about the many uses for vinegar. One favorite is a nice sweet vinaigrette for one of my favorite recipes, but that's for another time. There is one use that's my favorite by far...wiping down my glass cook top. Other than for the fact I would love for it to be a gas stovetop, I really don't mind having a glass cook top. I like the look, but I don't like cleaning it. No matter I often I would wipe it down with my all purpose cleaner, I would end up with streaks and a nice little film over the cook top. Enter the blessed union of microfiber and vinegar.
Cook top with half wiped down with the cleaner that starts with a "L" and ends with a "ysol" and the other half wiped down with the happy couple. Can you tell which side was which?
The left side was with a microfiber cloth dampened with straight vinegar and the right side is with the evil streaky cleaner. I think it's pretty impressive! I even use the cloth and vinegar on my granite island counter top. It makes it clean and shiny. I like clean and shiny. Definitely a favorite thing.
microfiber feels weird on my hands... maybe because they are always dry. not one of my favorite things. ;)
ReplyDeleteI will be buying some microfiber cloths next week. I want one to clean my dashboard! And the house now. I clean my counter top with LL glass cleaner (with vinegar) and it works great.
ReplyDeleteYou know those special cleaners for getting off the grime around the burners on a glass stove top? mix some cream of tartar with your vinegar (it should be a runny-creamy texture). I have found it works about the same (they both take a little elbow grease).
ReplyDeleteI'm with Anna. I can't stand the feel of the cloth in my hands. Makes me all twitchy. But I do know that if you burn something really bad on your glass cooktop, like plastic, you can cover it with a paper towel, soak the paper towel in vinegar, and let it set for awhile. Makes it much easier to clean afterward.
ReplyDeleteVinegar works for most anything. Moping floors is what I use it for the most. I have started using it with a microfiber cloth since you told us about it Reb. I have one by my sink all the time now. Thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteI will have to try the baking soda added trick. I have brushed my teeth with baking soda when I didn't have tpaste before, workds but not the best taste :-(