Since these are super simple green cleaning recipes, you may have heard of them before but questioned their effectiveness for cleaning.  Let me just let you know: these really WORK!  And what’s more, they don’t take up a whole bunch of extra space in your cabinets.  And don’t require an empty spray bottle – who has one of those laying around the house?

Here’s my list of super simple Pour and Clean recipes.

Drain Cleaner/Degreaser

• 1/2 c. vinegar
• 1/2 c. baking soda
• 1 c. almost boiling water (I heat mine up in a tea kettle and take it around the house with me).

To clean/degrease your drains, pour equal amounts of vinegar and baking soda down the drain.  Wait for the fizzing to stop.  Wash out the drain with the almost boiling water.  Rinse the sink to wash away any residue.

Faucet & Shower Head Cleaner

• about 1 c. vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. baking soda (if desired)
• a plastic zip bag
• heavy-duty rubber band
• an old toothbrush

To clean your faucets and shower heads (remove hard water deposits), pour vinegar (and baking soda, if you like) into a plastic zip bag.  Place the zip bag over the faucet or shower head and secure it closed over the spigot with the rubber band.  Let the vinegar work while you deep clean your bathroom (or overnight, if you want).  Remove the plastic bag and brush away debris with the old toothbrush.  Run water through the faucet/shower head to rinse it.

NOTE: This does not need to be done more than once or twice a year, if you use the faucet/shower head on a daily or almost daily basis.  But if you have been on vacation for a couple of weeks, this would be good to do before getting into the shower again.

Microwave Cleaner

• 3/4 c. cold water
• 1 Tbsp. vinegar
• citrus (if you like)

Fill a microwave safe bowl with water and vinegar.  Add a couple of slices of your preferred citrus.  Place in microwave and run at 70% power for 4-5 minutes.  After the microwave turns off, wait for a couple of minutes to open the door.  Use a sponge or microfiber cloth to remove the debris on the sides, bottom, and door of the microwave – it should just come right off.  I like to do this as part of my weekly deep cleaning of our kitchen.

Coffeemaker Cleaner

• 6 c. water
• 6 c. vinegar
• lots of clean cold water

Pour vinegar and water the coffeemaker’s water reservoir and run the cycle.  Once it is complete pour water/vinegar mixture out. Run the coffeemaker with two cycles of clean, filtered water.

NOTE: I use this same process with our Keurig machine about 3-4 times a year, but it sometimes takes an extra cycle or two to get the vinegar taste to go away.

As you can tell from this post, I LOVE the cleaning power of vinegar – I use it a lot of other places in my home, too.  We tend to purchase it in bulk sizes from Sam’s Club so we always have some on hand for the tough cleaning jobs.  On the same train of thought, I do NOT like using vinegar for cleaning glass surfaces in my home.  I have never had good luck with actually removing spots and stains from hard water on my glass surfaces using vinegar – I have tried all the Pinterest recipes out there, but I just find there are better things out there for cleaning glass.

Leah

Simple. Home. Blessings.

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I use Four Monks Cleaning Vinegar because it is an all-purpose cleaner that’s environmentally friendly and safe for my family. I recently discovered that they now sell it in super convenient spray bottles, and just in time too, because they have been a life saver ever since we brought our new puppy home!

I have always liked cleaning with vinegar but it has been so nice using it to clean up after Scarlett because I know that it’s non-toxic and won’t harm her in any way. Today I’m going to share 5 ways to use Four Monks Cleaning Vinegar, in the new spray bottles, to clean up after a new puppy (or any pet for that matter).

#1 Cleaning up potty accidents

This is probably the most common problem with new pets, as well as the most frustrating. I realized very quickly that potty training a puppy is not fun and even when you’re keeping a constant eye on them, they still somehow manage to have accidents in the house! I’m thankful that the majority of our house is wood flooring but she has managed to have a couple accidents on my new rug.

Using vinegar to clean up the accidents though has been a huge help because, not only does it clean up the mess, but it eliminates the odors so she doesn’t go back to the same spot to have another accident!

The spray bottles of vinegar just sit on the counter now, right next to my potty training schedule, and they are always ready if an accident does occur.

#2 Cleaning windows and mirrors

When we were thinking about getting a dog I didn’t even think about the fact that we have lots of doors with windows in them and mirrors in our house. I realize now that I’m officially a pet owner because the bottom half of all our glass doors and mirrors have smudges all over them.

Luckily vinegar is also great for cleaning glass! One quick spray and a wipe with a paper towel and it’s clean! I have a feeling I’m going to be doing this a lot from now on.

#3 Cleaning messy floors

I’m so thankful to have wood floors, especially with all the little puppy accidents, but one thing I hadn’t thought about was the smudges and general messiness that comes with a new puppy. I’ve always used vinegar to mop my wood floors but having the Four Monks spray bottles has made it really easy to spot-clean messes when I notice them.

#4 Cleaning out the kennel

This has probably been one of my least favorite things about training Scarlett. So far I’ve had to clean poop, urine, peanut butter and cottage cheese out of the kennel. For someone like me, that doesn’t really like to get my hands dirty, I realized very quickly that cleaning the kennel was going to be right up there with cleaning the toilets!

Luckily using vinegar to clean it out has made it a quick and relatively easy task. I remove the food or “potty accident”, then douse the entire kennel with vinegar, let it set for a few minutes, then wipe it down with a damp cloth. The vinegar works wonders with eliminating all sorts of kennel odors and it gives the kennel a “clean slate” so Scarlett isn’t tempted to go to the bathroom in there again, and she’s not licking or biting the kennel because she can still smell her food.

#5 Cleaning soiled laundry

As I mentioned earlier we’ve had quite a few “accidents” in the house and unfortunately a couple of those have been on blankets and even on her bed! Immediately after the accident I made sure to throw them in the washing machine, but not without spraying the soiled spot with vinegar first.

Just like with the floors, spraying the soiled area with vinegar will make sure to get rid of the odor, so the puppy doesn’t go back to potty on those things again.

We’ve only had our puppy for a week but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve grabbed one of my Four Monks Cleaning Vinegar spray bottles! I always knew vinegar was good for cleaning laundry, windows, floors, etc. but I had no idea how much I would depend on it with a new puppy! It nice to know that my house is still very clean but that I’m not having to use any harmful chemicals, that could potentially make our little Scarlett sick.

For more information, a coupon and cleaning tips, visit FourMonksClean.com!

Disclosure: I have included affiliate links in this post but if you purchase through them you will not pay a cent more than you would otherwise. Thank you for supporting Ask Anna!

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Today I’ll be answering a reader question from Tamara, who wrote in response to Anna’s post on getting rid of that “boy bathroom smell!” She asks:

“Any tips on how to clean toilet bowls, under the tank on the back ledge of the bowl, you know, that little space straight in front of a 4 year old’s aim?”

HOW TO CLEAN A TOILET (THE BACK LEDGE, UNDER THE TANK)

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Flat head screwdriver
• Rubber gloves
• Disinfectant of your choice
  • Disinfectant wipes
  • Paper towels and bleach water
  • Disinfectant spray

Start by laying a towel, or a few paper towels, down on the ground, for 2 reasons: 1- to save your knees from hurting while you’re on the ground cleaning, and 2- to keep any unwanted yuck from the toilet, off the floor surface. Next, before doing any cleaning, make sure to flush the toilet. No one wants to hover over a dirty toilet bowl!

Under the tank, on the back ledge of the bowl, is kind of a tricky little place to get into! First try using an old toothbrush or a pipe cleaner. If you aren’t able to scrub all the gunk out, grab a plastic knife, wrap a disinfectant wipe around it, and slide it along.

If the toilet seat seems to be in your way (and you have an extra 10 minutes) take it off. This will not only give you more room, but it’s great for getting around, and underneath, the hinges of the seat, which are also hard to clean areas, but a place where germs and bacteria can hide out. If you don’t know how to take the seat off, no worries – read on!

How to Remove a Toilet Seat

Step 1: Use your fingers to pull the plastic covers off the hinges.

Step 2: Take your flat head and turn each screw counterclockwise until either the screw itself pulls out, or the the entire seat pulls up.

On the underside, you can see there is a bolt. It may help to hold the bolt with one hand while unscrewing with your other.

Step 3: Lift the seat off. You should be able to completely remove it now do a thorough deep cleaning of all that build-up!

To clean my rim, I use a disinfectant wipe, then I wrap a clean one around my flat head screwdriver, and stick it in the holes where the bolts were.

Removing the seat gave me the added room I needed to really get inside that small crevice under the tank. I also gave the seat and hinges a good rinsing in the sink, with soap and hot water, before screwing them back on!

Before putting the toilet seat back on, use a sponge and some toilet bowl cleaner, to give the rest of the toilet a thorough deep cleaning. I always prefer to use a sponge, instead of a toilet brush, because a sponge is more absorbent and is better for grabbing bacteria, and other unwanted yuck.

Simply screw the lid back on when you’re finished cleaning!

There you go – that’s how to clean a toilet and remove the backsplash.

If you prefer to use natural ingredients, you can use baking soda and white vinegar (like Anna does in THIS POST), instead of using disinfectant wipes, or bleach.

And I couldn’t help but share this little saying that kept popping in my mind as I wrote this post. I saw it back in high school at a friend’s house and have never forgotten it!

Here is a printable version if you want to hang up a little reminder in your bathroom!

Kim

A Real-life Housewife

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The post How to Clean a Toilet – the Back ledge under the Tank appeared first on Ask Anna.

Reader Question:

Do you have a hint for cleaning the vents on the oven door that are behind the handle? I have tried small paint brushes, Q-Tips, toothbrushes, and it never looks clean. Wondered if your vinegar trick from window tracks might work. Any more ideas?

Answer:

Oh, I hadn’t ever thought of using a small paint brush to clean in between tight areas. That’s a great idea! But before we talk about how to clean the vents behind the oven door handle, let’s discuss what exactly is on the vents. Here is a picture of mine, which I’ve never cleaned. I moved into my place 8 months ago, so it’s been at least that long, most likely much longer since they’ve had a good wash. 

As you can see, they are filled with dust along with some dried on food particles. Determining what is on your vents, and I imagine they are similar to those pictured above, will help you decide on a cleaning solution. A paper towel wrapped around a knife and dipped in hot soapy water worked like a charm to remove the dust and food off of mine! This is the perfect option if there also happens to be grease build-up. Anna’s vinegar trick from window tracks (use a Q-tip dipped in vinegar then wipe with a paper towel) would also work great! Or how about using a can of compressed air?

The Paper Towel Butter Knife Method

Tear about 1/4 of a piece of paper towel off, immerse it in hot soapy water and ring it out. Then wrap it around the top half of a butter knife.

Slide it across the slats of the vents behind the oven door handle. Try to push dust and food from the back to the front.

Replace with a clean, wet paper towel as necessary!

And enjoy your clean oven vents! It’s all in the details, right?! 

Do you have a cleaning or organizing question you need answered? Leave it in the comments and you may see it featured in an upcoming Reader Question post!

The post How to Clean the Vents Behind the Oven Door Handle appeared first on Ask Anna.

Today we are Spring Cleaning the windows so I’m doing a round up of all the great posts the co-hosts and I have, about cleaning windows! Don’t worry, it’s not as daunting as it might seem.

Inside the house

We talked a little about washing windows last week, when we spring cleaned the dining room but today we are going to wash the windows in the rest of the house.

We have a lot of windows in our house so if I were still buying a window cleaning product it would cost me a small fortune! Instead, for the easiest, all-natural method for cleaning windows use an Antibacterial window cloth and water. You can read more about it in my post about All-natural Spring Cleaning.

After washing all the windows in the house make sure you don’t forget about the window tracks! This post will give you the full instructions and tutorial.

Kim, over at A Real-Life Housewife also has a great tip about cleaning window tracks with an electric toothbrush.

Outside Windows

After washing the windows inside the house, it’s important to head outside to clean the exterior too. If you only wash the inside you won’t get the best view because the outside of the windows gets really dirty with all the winter rain, snow, wind, etc.

There are two methods I like for cleaning windows outside, both are very easy. The first is the water and squeegee method. For the water and squeegee method you will need, you guessed it, a squeegee! You will also need a bucket full of warm soapy water, a clean cloth (in the water) and a clean, dry cloth. You can get all the instructions on this post.

The second method is the SteamMachine method. You’ll need the HomeRight SteamMachine, which is available on Amazon. I discovered cleaning windows with the SteamMachine last fall and I love this method because it’s SO easy and all it takes is water! Get the full instructions on this post about Fall Cleaning.

Now all your windows are sparkly clean, inside and out, and you’ll have great views again! Here are some other great window cleaning tips from our co-hosts:

• Homemade glass cleaner from Stain Removal 101
• Washing windows with Clean Mama

 The Challenge

• Day #1 Make a plan and get prepared
• Day #2 Bedrooms
• Day #3 Closets
• Day #4 Dining Room
• Day #5 Kitchen
• Day #6 Catch Up Day
• Day # 7 Bathrooms
• Day #8 Living room
• Day #9 Kid’s Stuff
• Day #10 Laundry Room

This post contains some affiliate links, for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

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