Your Local Hero

Posted on April 28, 2023 by stefan

Distilled White Vinegar. Your New Local Hero.

Trending: ecofriendly everything.

Are your social media feeds brimming with ads for new products designed to do a better job of cleaning all kinds of specific items with minimal packaging waste? I know mine are. We could all spend a fortune and clutter up our storage spaces with products galore. Seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it?

How about an alternative? It’s nothing new, newfangled, expensive, or “only available on line”. In fact, I’d be willing to bet you have a bottle in your cupboard. Let me reintroduce you to your new local hero: distilled white vinegar.

My admittedly dusty bottle of white vinegar sat in the back of my cabinet unused for ages. Not quite sure why I bought it; it just seemed like one of those must-have pantry staples. But then when I moved into an old (circa 1896) apartment in the historic district of Newport, KY and my bathtub drain ran super slow, Google taught me that white vinegar would keep my drain running clear. More on that later. That Google search opened my eyes to the almost magic trickery of distilled white vinegar which, as it turns out, is a workhorse in the kitchen, bathroom, garden, and more! Bonus: it’s cheap.

Here are just a few of the tricks white vinegar has up its sleeves:

All-Purpose Cleaning Solution. In a spray bottle, combine 1 cup of distilled white vinegar with 3 cups of water and use on just about everything. Don’t love the smell of vinegar? Let vinegar sit in a jar with strips of lemon zest and a spring of fresh thyme for a week or two in a sunny spot, then strain. Mix with water as described above. This can be done with any herb or fragrant plant like lavender or eucalyptus, just avoid anything that colors the vinegar if you plan on using it on a white carpet.

IN THE KITCHEN

Stinky Sink Drain. To keep kitchen drains fresh, pour 1 cup of distilled white vinegar down the drain once a week. Let it sit for 30 minutes and then rinse with cold water. Ahhh, fresh!

Dishwasher. Pour a small amount of white vinegar into the rinse-aid dispenser of your dishwasher. This will help prevent a cloudy residue on your glasses and keep cutlery-free of smears and streaks. And, once a year or so, more often if you have hard water, pour a cup of vinegar into an empty dishwasher and run it on a short cycle to remove lime and soap build-up.

Stainless Steel Cookware. Scrub with a mixture of white vinegar and salt.

Cutting Boards. Undiluted white vinegar cleans and disinfects cutting boards, especially those made of wood.

Microwave. To remove smells or cooked on food, combine ¼ cup of distilled white vinegar and 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe container. A slice of lemon will add a fresh, clean scent. Microwave on high until the mixture comes to a boil and steam forms on the window. Let cool slightly, then wipe away any food residue.

IN THE LAUNDRY

Stain Treatment. For removing stains like mustard, ketchup, tomato sauce, grass, and underarm deodorants, spray a little white vinegar onto the stain before laundering. Soaking whites in vinegar will help bring back their whiteness.

And just like in your dishwasher, vinegar helps to break down detergent when added to the rinse cycle, making clothes fresher, more colorful—and it gets rid of funky towel mildew. One cup should be plenty; add less when using a front-loading washing machine.

WARNING: Never add vinegar when using chlorine bleach; it will create noxious chlorine gas, a potentially deadly compound.

Laundry Softener. If you’ve run out of fabric softener, simply add about three tablespoons (or a scant ¼ cup) to your washing machine dispenser. Your clothing will be softer, but won’t smell like vinegar because of the limited measurement.

IN THE BATHROOM

Window/Mirror/Shower Door Wash. Spray the all-purpose solution on the glass surface and wipe it off with a clean, lint-free cloth or a balled-up piece of newspaper (does anyone still read the newspaper?).

Clean Faucets & Showerheads. White vinegar is effective in removing lime scale especially when mixed with hot water. Wrap your showerhead in a plastic bag of warm, white vinegar and secure it with a rubber band. Let it soak for an hour before rinsing it clean. Spray faucets, let sit for a bit, then wipe clean. If your toilet bowl, bathtub, or sink has lime deposits from hard water, soak or spray vinegar onto the grit. It should loosen the deposits enough to remove them easily.

Tile & Grout. Spray full strength white vinegar on mildewed or scummy grout and tile. Wait for about an hour, and scrub with a soft bathroom scrub brush.

Keep Drains Clear. To keep your sink or bathtub drain running clear, use a funnel to pour a half cup of baking soda down the drain followed by one cup of white vinegar. The concoction will foam up like crazy, so this can be a fun “science experiment” with the kids. Let sit until the foaming action stops, then rinse with hot water (this step should be kid-free). Not only will it clear your slow running drain, but it will also destroy any odor-causing bacteria.

IN OTHER PLACES

Pet Potty Accidents. Clean and refresh the soiled area by spraying vinegar. This may also deter your pet from soiling the same area. Read more in our blog post about cleaning carpet stains here.

Remove Stickers. Who hates price tag stickers?? They are a pet peeve of mine. I especially hate it when a price sticker is placed on the glass of a picture frame or in a very conspicuous place on a pretty vase. Dab white vinegar on the spot and let it sit for a minute or two. Afterward, it will be easy for you to scrape away the excess paper and gunk. And much less expensive than Goo Gone.

Relieve Sunburn Pain. No one ever plans a sun burn, so aloe is usually not close at hand. Instead, soak a washcloth in a 50/50 solution of distilled white vinegar and water and dab on your sunburn. Reapply as the washcloth warms. Or, add 2 cups to your bathwater.

Fresh Flowers. Add a few tablespoons of vinegar to your flower water to make your flowers last longer. When the water gets cloudy, dump it out and repeat.

So there you have it. Well not all of it, because the uses for white vinegar go on and on!

In closing, I’ll mention that vinegar is an acidic liquid originally created from wine gone bad. Wine gone bad is a very, very sad thought until you think of all the easy, effective, and inexpensive things that can be done with it.

Now go buy a gallon. Who doesn’t need a hero right now?

Resources: https://facty.com, www.foodandwine.com, www.thespruce.com

Cleaning As DIY Preventative Maintenance

Posted on March 14, 2022 by Janet Chiarella

Cleaning as DIY Preventative Maintenance

It’s never any fun when stuff in your home doesn’t work the way it should. Of course, if you live in an apartment, there’s maintenance service to handle any issues. However, there’s still a certain degree of effort on your part – making the call, taking time to be a home (if you are uncomfortable having maintenance in your apartment when you’re not there), and securing pets. If you own your place, it’s finding a trustworthy contractor, scheduling service, taking time off to be at home, paying the bill, and the inevitable wait for service. But if doing some simple things around your home could prevent future hassles, why not incorporate cleaning as DIY preventative maintenance into your routine? Today we’ll review some simple, easy, and effective things you can do to save yourself from future maintenance headaches.

Freshen Dishwasher

Are hard water stains, greasy deposits, or drainage issues plaguing your dishwasher? Follow these easy three steps every three months to ensure your dishwasher smells nice and works effectively.

To deep clean your dishwasher, remove any foreign material you find from the drain.
Place a small, dishwasher-safe bowl full of white vinegar on the top rack and run a complete wash cycle on the hottest setting.
Then sprinkle a handful of baking soda across the bottom of your dishwasher and run for a short hot water cycle.

Dust Fridge Coils

Condenser coils help cool refrigerant as it flows, maintaining the refrigerator’s temperature. If the coils get coated in dust and dirt, it becomes difficult for them to do their job, forcing the condenser to work harder to cool the refrigerant. When this happens, you may hear the refrigerator making noise as the condenser runs constantly. You may also notice these additional problems:

Extra energy usage and higher utility bills
Refrigerator doesn’t cool sufficiently
Condenser malfunctions

It’s recommended that you clean condenser coils every 6 months (more often if you have pets). Here’s how to clean refrigerator coils with the right methods and equipment.

Unplug the fridge.
Locate the coils. They are typically located on the back of the refrigerator or in the front behind a base grille or kick plate.
If the coils are in the back, move fridge away from the wall. If there’s any resistance, don’t force the fridge to move as you may damage vinyl flooring.
Use the hose attachment to vacuum in around the coils.
Vacuum any loosened dust from the floor.
Plug the fridge back in and push back into place.

Check HVAC Filter

Dirt and debris in your filter can obstruct airflow, increasing the workload of your system. By replacing the filter regularly, you can reduce wear and tear on your air conditioner while allowing the free movement of air for improved indoor comfort. To make sure your furnace and air conditioner run smoothly, check the filter periodically especially if you have shedding pets. Signs your filter might be ready for a change include:

Your AC is cold enough
Your electric bill has increased
There’s more dust near your air vents
Your HVAC closet is dusty

When vacuuming or dusting, don’t forget to dust your air vents and cold air returns.

Check For Leaks

When cleaning your apartment, be sure to watch for water around the toilet and under sinks which may indicate a leak. Do call your leasing/management office if you see any water where it doesn’t belong so the leak can be addressed before it becomes serious. If you own your place, now’s the time to find a reliable plumber or handyperson.

Fix Slow Drains

Don’t you hate it when you’re showering and the water starts backing up around your ankles? Then when the water finally drains, there’s a soap-scummy mess left to clean up. Most of the time, a slow bathroom sink drain or tub drain is a result of soap scum build up and/or hair clogs. Preventative maintenance is these areas is quick, easy, and inexpensive. Simply follow these steps:

Let the hot water run for a minute to warm up pipes
Pour about ½ cup of baking soda down the drain. If you have a pop up drain closure, use a funnel or a piece of paper to guide the baking soda into the drain.
Pour in one cup of white vinegar. It will fizz up like a science experiment; if you have kids (or are a kid a heart), they will love to watch this process.
Let sit for about 10 minutes.
Rinse with hot water.

Perform this preventative maintenance once every month or so to keep your drains flowing.

Clean Kitchen Filter

Whether you have a range hood or microwave above your stove, it’s important to clean the buildup of cooking grease on a periodic basis to keep the vent or microwave fan working properly. If you’ve never cleaned it, or haven’t cleaned it in a while, be forewarned: it won’t be pretty. Greasy buildup is, well, gross. Here’s how to get rid of the yuck:

Remove the filter
Fill your sink with boiling water
Add a generous squirt of de-greasing dish soap, like Dawn, and add ¼ cup baking soda. Swish with a wooden spoon or something with a handle so as to not burn your hand.
Submerge the greasy filter
Soak for about 10 minutes
Scrub with a non-abrasive scrub brush adding more dish soap if needed
Rinse thoroughly in hot water
Dry with paper towels or a clean cloth
Replace the filter

If you cook a lot, especially on the stove top, cleaning your vents once a month is a good maintenance strategy.

Garbage Disposal

When your disposal is working well, it’s such a great convenience. When it’s not, it’s a real pain. Using your disposal properly can prevent the headache of a backup.

DOs

Keep a steady flow of cold water during and after every use
Clean periodically by running a small amount of ice through the unit
Grind lemon peels to keep the disposal smelling fresh

DON’Ts

Don’t use hot water when actively using the disposal
Don’t fill the disposal before running. The unit will operate more efficiently if you add small amounts of food at a time.
Don’t use any harsh chemicals or cleaning products in the unit.
Don’t put anything in the disposal besides food

FOOD DON’Ts

It has been said that you shouldn’t put items in your disposal that you cannot eat. You know, like bones. Or paper towels. But there are some foods that will wreak havoc if you try to get rid of them in the disposal. Never put the following foods in your disposal:

Fruit pits
Fibrous veggies like asparagus, corn husks and celery
Coffee grounds (instead, sprinkle a thin layer of coffee grounds in the garden)
Starchy foods like potato peels and pasta
Grease and fat (a great way to get rid of grease and fat is to place in a bowl in the fridge. Once it hardens, you can pop it out of the bowl and into the trash.)

Now look at you, you are now on your way to becoming a DIYer with simple cleaning as DIY preventative maintenance. Feels empowering, right?

How to Keep a Squeaky Clean Shower

Posted on November 13, 2017 by Chance Cobb

Need some tips and tricks on keeping your shower or bath squeaky clean? We’ve got ’em!

Showers can be a hot bed for mildew and soap scum if not properly cleaned on a regular basis. Here are some tips to keep your shower fresh and clean.

Do these daily:

Squeegee water off walls, floor and door. This will prevent mildew growing in the warm water left behind.
Wipe all areas with a dry towel of any remaining condensation.
Run a vent fan during your shower or bath and up to 30 minutes afterward. This will help remove any humidity remaining in your bathroom.
Leave the shower door or curtain slightly open to release any remaining humidity in the shower and to help dry moisture.

Regular, weekly cleaning with ensure a clean shower and bath. You can use a gentle cleanser that can be purchased at most stores. However, be sure to check the bottle to make sure it is okay to use on your surface. A list is also provided in your move-in packet to all our residents at Fath Properties. If you need a copy, please contact the leasing office.

If you want an easy, non-toxic cleaner, try this. Mix white cleaning vinegar and a few drops of tea tree oil in a bottle. For every 2 ounces of vinegar, add one drop of tea tree oil. The vinegar helps to remove soap scum and slime while the tea tree oil fights mildew and mold. Vinegar can be found at numerous grocery stores while tea tree oil can be found at organic retailers like Whole Foods or online at Amazon.com. To use this vinegar-oil cleaner, simply spray on all walls, doors and floor and let it sit for 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. For hard to clean areas, apply baking soda and scrub with vinegar to the problem area, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing. Repeat as necessary.

Other tips and tricks:

Clogged shower head? Tie a baggy filled with white cleaning vinegar around the shower head. Leave on overnight. Remove the bag and run the shower to remove built up particles. This also works well on faucets in the kitchen and bathroom that may not flow smoothly.
Don’t sit bottles on the floor. Often times water can get stuck under the bottles and create a slime or mildew on the floor. Always keep bottles and other products in a shower caddy or shelf off the floor.
Magic erasers works wonders. If you have a hard to clean area between grout or in corners, try using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or similar product. It’s a non-toxic product and can even be used while you’re in the shower.
Funny colors appearing? If you see colors like pink, orange or yellow appearing in your shower, check your products. Some shampoos, conditioners or soaps have dyes that will leave residue in your shower.
Drop the bar. Go for gel. Bar soap will often leave soap scum and build up in your shower. Switch to a shower gel which is far less likely to result in similar build up.

Following these simple tips and tricks will keep your shower and bath clean and fresh!

As always, if you ever need assistance or would like a maintenance technician to check out your shower, feel free to call the leasing office or put in a service request online. We are happy to help!