Microwave Cleaner
It's easy to clean baked-on food and spills from your microwave Here's how: Partially fill a measuring or coffee cup with water and add a slice of lemon. Boil the water for a minute, and then leave the door closed and let the steam loosen the mess. After 10 minutes, open the door and wipe away the grime.
How to Remove Stains From Plastic Laminate Countertops
Soak stains with baking soda
Photo 1: Apply a baking soda paste to the stain
Mix baking soda with just enough water to form a thick paste. Apply the paste to the stain and lay a wet paper towel over the paste to keep it moist.
Stubborn stains on countertops can be frustrating, but they don't have to be permanent. Standard household spray cleaners will remove most of them. Check the label and make sure any product you use is recommended for laminate countertops.
The secret to success with these products is patience; let the cleaner work for five minutes or so before you wipe off the countertop. A plastic brush is helpful on stubborn spots. If a standard cleaner won't do the job, try baking soda.
Paste made from baking soda and a little water often removes stains left by fruit juices and other liquids (Photo 1). Baking soda is slightly abrasive and can leave fine scratches, so don't scrub. Just let the paste work for one to two hours and then wipe it off gently.
Tip:
Don't let any type of cleaner or solvent pool over seams in the laminate or along the edges. It can seep under the laminate, weaken the adhesive and damage the particleboard substrate.
Use solvents sparingly
Photo 2: Rub off stains with nail polish remover
Wet a rag with a solvent such as nail polish remover and rub away stains. Use white rags to avoid staining the countertop with fabric dye.
Gentle solvents like paint thinner, or harsher solvents like denatured alcohol, acetone and nail polish removers, often work on the toughest stains, including ink (Photo 2).
These solvents are flammable and give off nasty fumes, so the best way to use them is to apply a small amount to a soft rag or cotton ball. Most solvents won't harm or discolor plastic laminate, but play it safe and test them on an inconspicuous spot first.
Tip:
Don't clean laminate with abrasives like steel wool, scouring pads or scouring powder. They may remove stains, but they may also leave micro-scratches in the surface, making future stains more likely.
What about bleach?
There's no doubt that bleach is a great stain remover. Some laminate manufacturers suggest using it undiluted on stains, while others warn against using any product that contains bleach.
Since you may not know what brand of laminate you have, test bleach before using it. Wipe a little on an inconspicuous spot and let it dry. Check the spot for discoloration before you use bleach on a stain.
Stain prevention
Photo 3: Protect against future stains
Apply a protective coating to prevent stains. Spray or wipe on a product meant for countertops and wipe off the excess.
The best way to prevent stains is to wipe up messes immediately; the longer something sits, the more likely it is to leave a stain. A coating of countertop polish can also help (Photo 3). Coating products usually aren't necessary on newer laminate.
But years of wear leave the surface more porous and stain-prone; that's when these protective coatings can make a big difference. One such product, Countertop Magic, is available home centers and hardware stores. Any coating product will wear off and should be reapplied every few weeks.
Required Tools for this Project
Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration. [project-tools] You'll also need rubber gloves
Required Materials for this Project
Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here's a list. [project-materials]
Clean Range Hood Grease Filters With a Degreaser
Running your vent hood grease filter through the dishwasher can yield disappointing results. Likewise with 'grease cutting' household cleaners. Get great results with a water-based degreaser from the auto parts store. Fill the sink with hot water and degreaser, drop in the filter and let the degreaser do all the work. The filter will come out sparkling clean in just a few minutes. Then just rinse it off.
Scour Off Grime with an Electric Toothbrush
Now that discount and dollar stores carry cheap electric toothbrushes, you can add a modern twist to routine cleaning. Rapid vibration will quickly scrub out stubborn dirt, while the long handle can get to hard-to-reach places without all the elbow grease.
Clean Out Disposer Crud
Your disposer will smell better if you clean the splash guard. Lift the flaps and scrub them (especially the under side) with a toothbrush and grease-cutting cleaner.
How to Clean Oven Door Glass
Remove the door
Photo 1: Remove the panel
Remove the screws that secure the front panel to the oven door frame. Note their location and store them in a cup. Then carefully lift off the panel and set it aside. 
Photo 2: Remove the glass
Remove the screws from the glass hold-downs and set them aside. Note the location of the retaining tabs above and below the glass. Then lift off the glass and clean it.
It's a mystery how baking slop gets deposited between oven door glass panels. But it's clear that you can't remove it without disassembling the door. The job's not that hard and takes less than an hour.
Remove the oven door (consult the manual for how to unlock the hinges and lift the door off). Then remove the exterior trim panel (Photo 1) and the glass hold-downs (Photo 2). Lift out the glass and handle it carefully (it's expensive and breaks easily!).
Clean off the crud with a nylon scrub pad, hot water and degreaser. Rinse and dry, then clean with glass cleaner. Wear gloves to prevent fingerprints as you place the glass back onto the oven door. Be sure the glass sits inside the locating tabs before you reassemble the hold-downs. Then install the hold-down channels and screws and the trim panel. Put the door on the oven.
Required Tools for this Project
Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration. [project-tools]
Required Materials for this Project
Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here's a list. [project-materials]
Scuff Mark Eraser
Clean off shoe scuff marks from vinyl flooring with a clean, dry tennis ball. A light rub and heel marks are 'erased.' Get more ingenious cleaning tips like this one.
Marker Cleanup
When the permanent marker has ended up in the wrong hands, vegetable oil can clean it off lots of surfaces—even skin! Then just wipe up with a damp cloth and you're done.
Clean Hard Floors Faster
If you're still using a regular old mop for everyday cleanup of your hard-surface floors, there's a better way. Save the mop for really dirty or muddy floors and simply spot-clean using the tool the pros use.
Citrus Peels and Ice Cubes for a Stinky Disposer
If your disposer has developed an odor, it may contain bits of rotted food. Here's how to clean them out:
- With the water running at about half throttle, drop in orange or lemon peels. Run the disposer for five seconds. Citric acid from the peels softens crusty waste and attacks smelly bacteria. Give the acid about 15 minutes to do its work.
- Turn on the water and the disposer and drop in a few ice cubes. Flying shards of ice work like a sandblaster inside the disposer.
- Run the water until the bowl is about half full. Then pull the stopper and turn on the disposer to flush it out.
Plus: Bad Smell in the House?
Clean a Stinky Fridge
Stinky fridge to clean fridge
Absorb stinky fridge odor with newspaper and charcoal
Smash about 12 charcoal briquettes from your grill and spread the chunks on two trays. One goes in the fridge, the other in the freezer. Then crunch up newspaper and fill the shelves with it. Close the doors and walk away. Repeat every day for a week.
When your power goes out and the food in your fridge and freezer goes bad, you’ve got a really stinky mess on your hands. Obviously the first step is to remove the food and wipe everything down with a disinfecting cleaning spray. But our appliance expert, Costas Stavrou, gave us the rest of the story.
Turns out the most common mistake DIYers make is not cleaning all the nooks and crannies inside the freezer. The biggest culprits? The shelf supports in your freezer. Costas says to remove them and clean behind them with detergent and disinfectant to get rid of any blood or crud. If they’re permanently attached, soak them with cleaning spray. Next, forget about those expensive charcoal odor removers or coffee (which is even more expensive). Just use newspaper and charcoal briquettes. Finally (and this is the most important part), replace the old newspaper and charcoal with fresh stuff every day for about a week or until the smell is gone. Don’t think a single treatment is enough. It isn’t.
Required Materials for this Project
Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here's a list. [project-materials]
