Two Tips for an Even Cleaner Home

It’s that time of year again — time for some spring cleaning! We have a couple of tips to ease your cleaning burdens, particularly for those things that often get forgotten in the rush. Here’s what you can do to have the freshest

… Garbage Disposal

This tends to be one of those appliances that gets forgotten until that smell starts to invade the kitchen. While specialized cleaning capsules are available, they aren’t something you typically keep around. What you probably do have is citrus: oranges, lemons, and limes.

Toss citrus waste into the garbage disposal with a few ice cubes. Turn on the appliance for 20 to 30 seconds. Once the disposal sounds clear, run hot water for another 30 seconds to rinse. Done! Not only will your garbage disposal be nearly as clean as the day it was installed, your kitchen will smell citrusy-fresh!

… Pillows

No, we’re not talking pillow cases — this is a tip for the actual pillow. You may have washed your bed pillows before, only to be left dissatisfied with the results — if you’ve ever washed your pillows at all. No matter what you do, they stay lumpy and dingy. Well, no more! Add a little extra cleaning power to your regular laundry detergent: powdered dishwasher detergent, bleach, and borax.

As a general rule of thumb, add about one part of each ingredient. Then, run the pillows on a cycle with hot water. To dry, you’ll get the best results from leaving your pillows under the sun for a few hours. However, if you’re crunched for time or the weather isn’t on your side, you can put your pillows (but no more than two at a time) in the dryer. Be sure to toss in a couple tennis balls to avoid lumps!