I found it interesting yesterday when I went through my Pinterest board "Household Tips" to find the recipe for cleaning my stovetop grates, how many of these I have pinned but never tried, even when I could have used those tips so many times in the past, and struggled with stuff that hasn't worked. I thought I would share some of what I have found in hopes that it might make your life so much easier and to get through those chores we all dread.
It is funny, that some of the chores I dreaded doing as a child, I know LOVE doing as I am older. I actually LOVE doing laundry. I find it gives me some time to catch my breath and I love folding clothes and smelling how fresh and clean everything is. I even pray over some of my families clothes knowing that each article of clothing can be a blessing in some way. My family never knows what putting those clothes on is really doing for them. One day they will :D
Glass Shower Doors: My first dreaded chore, that I abhor is cleaning my bathroom shower. I have one of those kinds with glass doors that seem to collect hard water stains like most women collect shoes and like I, collect books! Because our shower is pretty small, it is hard to get in there and really scrub the areas on the glass and tile to get all that shampoo and soap reside off along with the hard water stains. I've tried several tips from slicing grapefruit and using salt, (DOESN'T Work but smells great!)
What I have found that works fairly well and smells pretty good is toothpaste. Take some inexpensive toothpaste and put it on a sponge. I used a tube of the stuff we get when we go to the dentist, I have several of them and wanted to see if it would really work. I would have to say it got rid of all my soap and shower scum from the glass as well as about 50% of the hard water spots. I had to work pretty hard on some of them just to make a dent in the hard water spots. But I have to say, I was more than impressed, plus my shower smells minty fresh.
Next to clean the dreaded Shower floors. Since ours are textured, it makes getting most of the grime hard to get off, and takes a fair amount of scrubbing. I discovered Magic Erasers (Bath Scrubber).
Within a few minutes my shower walls and floors looked amazing with a fair amount of elbow grease. Trust me, these babies work great. A word of caution, apply a little elbow grease not too much or you might wear down the surface, especially if you have had yours reglazed before.
Stovetop Grates: Because my stovetop grates are double what most people have on theirs, I found most of the tips on Pinterest are for the small grates. I opted to take my grates and do the same thing, but on a larger scale. You will need Ammonia, (You wouldn't believe how hard this was to find in the stores) and a couple of large trash bags, and rubber bands. Take your stovetops grates and place them inside a couple of trash bags, carefully to avoid ripping your bags. We actually used about 4 since ours are so big and bulky. Add about 1 cups of ammonia to the bag, keeping your face far from the bag opening. Tie a rubber band around the bag. It is the fumes that cut through the baked on crud, for me about 10 years worth. LEAKS: Yes the ammonia will leak from the bag so please make sure to place it well away from sensitive plants, I placed mine in the sun on the concrete.
Wait about 24 hours, and then carefully open the bag, again away from your face. The fumes are pretty powerful. Wash off the grates in warm soapy water. If there is still stuff remaining, place them back in the bag for another treatment. I had one grate that needed more time in the bag because I removed them about 14 hours and thought they might be done. I am fully impressed because I had tried Bar Keeper's friend, Soft Scrub, and you name it, and NOTHING worked. Now my babies look almost brand new. Only the area around where the flame comes into contact with the grate is still discolored but I think this is a success. Dispose of your bags following directions according to the back of the ammonia bottle.
Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide: Making a paste of these simple ingredients will take all the discoloration off your stainless steal pots and pans. I used it on my tea kettle and cookie sheets and now these look amazing!!! Simply make a paste and rub the stains off using a paper towel or cotton rag. Then rinse clean.
Stainless Steel Appliances: Best trick I've discovered it using WD-40. That's right that can that probably exists in your garage if you have a husband.
Simply get a cotton cloth and spray a small amount into the towel. A little goes a long, long way. And wipe down whatever it is you're cleaning. I did my sugar canister to show you the before and after I captured here. I use it on my microwave trim, my stove front, dishwasher and canister sets, but it works amazing!!!
That's it for now. I will be posting more tips including how to get your whites really WHITE next week. I'll be sure to post before and after pictures too, since I didn't consider that before trying these tips! Would love to know how these worked for you or if you have any ideas to share!
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