Reviews of the various services here in Baltimore as well as tips and advice on how to keep your home clean
 
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Good news to any of you that have gone through the pains of trying to clean a burnt pan. The solution that I'll be sharing today will half the scrubbing time while still allowing you to get a super clean pan. The best part is that the solution is chemical free and cheap!

What You'll Need:

  • 1 cup of vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons of baking soda
  • A scourer


Instructions

  1. Fill the bottom of the pan with a layer of water and then add a cup of vinegar.
  2. Bring the pan to the boil.
  3. Remove from heat, add the baking soda and watch the fizz!
  4. Empty the pan and scour as normal, if necessary add an extra bit of dry baking soda.


Your pan should be looking like new now. While you can clean the pan with just baking soda, water and scour, following the above instructions makes it much quicker and easier to clean your pan!







 
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Neuroscientists say humans can distinguish 10,000 scents, though we don’t have names for a lot of them.

Our sense of smell has the ability to alert us to potential dangers: harmful molds, spoiled food, rotten garbage, and decaying products. Many people try to use a variety of sprays, plug-ins, stick-ons, scented candles, and other products to try and make these odors. The problem with this strategy is that there are people who suffer allergic reactions to these products. In addition, many of these air fresheners contain potentially harmful toxins.



The good thing is that you can use natural products that you already most likely have in your home to help with removing these foul odors from your home. 



Try to determine what the odor is from -- throw out old food, take out the garbage, run the garbage disposal, clean smelly shoes and dog beds, change the cat box
• Open all the windows
• Soak a cotton ball in clove oil, lemon extract, peppermint or vanilla extract; place it in a plastic bag or container with holes, and place in the smelly room
• Boil lemon or orange peels in water, and let stand
• Leave a bowl of white vinegar in the room
• Run orange or lemon peels through the garbage disposal
• Boil cinnamon sticks

• Put drops of vanilla or essential oil on light bulbs

• Unpleasant odors can be removed with baking soda. Place it where necessary in an open can or bowl.
• Closets can be kept mositure and odor free with sidewalk chalk. The chalk can be kept in a smelly pair of shoes, on the floor, on the shelf, or in a hanging net bag.
• Give a fresh smell to a small item by placing it into a plastic bag for several days with a dryer sheet.


If you have any of your own tips, I would love to hear them. Please leave a comment below!




 
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Use of chemicals when cleaning is a concern of parents of children of all ages. This is also a concern for those who are caring for elderly patients or family members, as well as those who have allergies. And with the "green" movement growing in popularity, more and more people are looking for ways to keep chemicals out of their homes and use non-toxic methods for cleaning. Use of homemade products eliminates this concern, but there is a lot of skepticism surrounding whether or not these products work as well as their commercial counterparts. Let me say, there's no need to worry. Homemade cleaners work as well, if not better, than commercial products and their way cheaper too. Just check out this blog post that discuss the effectiveness of homemade cleaners.

Baking Soda

Even though we generally think of baking soda as a way of keeping our refrigerators and freezers from getting smelly or as an ingredient for our favorite recipes, it works great as a cleaner in many areas of the home. Adding baking soda anywhere that needs to be deodorized, not just in the refrigerator or freezer, helps eliminate even the toughest odors. This includes trashcans, in sneakers, and in kitty litter. Baking soda works as well as cleansers, but it is not as abrasive. You can also add baking soda to the laundry. Many chemical based cleaners add baking soda to their product formulas, but many households have found using baking soda without the chemicals works just as well.

Lemon

Lemons are not just for drinks and recipes! Did you know that, when you cut a lem
on in half and rub it on your shower fixtures, it gets rid of hard water stains? Lemon juice is also notorious for ridding homes of soap scum in kitchens and bathrooms, as well as for shining copper and brass. When lemon juice is mixed with baking soda to form a paste, it is just as effective as using industrial strength bleach. Lemon juice can also be mixed with a small amount of olive oil in order to polish wooden furniture pieces.

Vinegar

This is, by far, the most popular natural cleaning substances next to using baking soda. Because it is so versatile and can be used in so many rooms throughout the house, vinegar mixed with water is found in spray bottles under the sinks of many non-toxic homes. In order to get the solution so it works well, mix equal parts of water and vinegar. You can clean just about any surface using vinegar including windows, countertops, appliances, bathtubs, sinks, and toilet bowls. Vinegar can also be used in the washing machine because, when clothes are transferred to the dryer or hung out on the line, it acts as a fabric softener. Some people also add vinegar to their homemade laundry detergent to ensure all the soap rinses from their fabrics.

 




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