Cleaning Kitchen Appliances

I looked at my toaster the other day and realised it had been a long time since it was thoroughly cleaned. Crumbs had been removed from the tray underneath the item, but that was all.

Many kitchen appliances running on electricity have sections that can be unattached and submerged in water for washing, but toasters and sections in other appliances that house the electrics have to be cleaned carefully.  If water got into any part, it can cause a short, possibly injuring the next person using the appliance or trick the fuse box and blow out the power.

Obviously enameled or stainless-steel sections of these appliances must be cleaned, but how to do it safely?  Before you do anything make sure the power is turned off at the switch and the plug removed.  If the article is dirty, the power cord is bound to need a clean as well, so both can be done at the same time.

The best way to clean a power cord is to put a small amount of cream cleanser on a damp cloth and holding the cloth spread over the palm of your hand pull the cloth up and down from the plug to the item, through your hand, until it is clean.  If you are going to clean the plug itself only clean the back section, DO NOT CLEAN THE PINS.

If the cord is not too dirty, you could use the same rubbing method with a micro-fibre cloth sprayed with some glass cleanser.  This will bring the plastic coating back to its original colour.  It is wise to wipe over the cord again with a dry tea towel to ensure it is thoroughly dry.

The article or base of an appliance is best cleaned with a micro-fibre cloth sprayed with glass cleanser.  Put extra effort around areas such as knobs and dials.  These parts are touched with dirty hands and tend to get dirtier.  A thorough wipe over of the whole appliance with the cloth will remove any collected dust and dirt.  Make sure you only spray the cloth, not the appliance, as the spray could penetrate through small crevices and seep into the electronics.

Nothing metal or sharp should ever be placed inside electrical appliances, so if there is a wad of dust amongst the spindles and wheels, try flicking it out with an old dry toothbrush or small dry paint brush.

If they are in regular use, kitchen appliances should be cleaned at least three times a year.  This would include jugs, toasters and juicers.  Let the article dry out thoroughly before plugging in the cord and checking everything works.  If heated up prior to drying, the fumes from the glass cleanser can get into the article, contaminating food. 

Julie Finch-Scally

The Guru of Cleaning®

Author of

Stinking Cleaning

Asthma and Cleaning

For many years now I have been advocating that western society has been working with the wrong cleansers to keep their homes clean.  In a recent news article, my concepts have been confirmed.  The constant use of disinfectants around the home is stopping our children from building up immunities.

Fifty years ago, cleaning was done with soap and hot water.  No one considered cleaning with disinfectant as that was only used in hospitals and for bathing wounds.  In hospitals removal of all germs was necessary, but in the home, as long as it was cleaned regularly and food was protected and not contaminated, the majority of people remained healthy.

Talk to your grandparents and you will discover the amount of work put into scrubbing and cleaning the home.  The products used were simple, and hot water was a must for killing any nasty virus.

To cut down on the number of hours required to keep a property clean, time saving products were introduced.  TV had taken over from the radio, and people could see how easy it was to clean with these new products.  Over the years, these products and household surfaces have improved in such a way that now we can spray a product and wipe over most surfaces in our kitchen and bathrooms instead of scrubbing to make everything clean.

During the past twenty to thirty years the incidence of asthma, especially in children, has risen.  And, according to the article I read, scientists are discovering that when children are brought up on a farm, or have pets in their house, there is less likelihood of that child developing asthma.  What does this mean?  Bacteria in dust generated by animals, helps build up immunity in children.

Obviously, when a child is born, there is always a fear that it will develop something bad, and that is why we sterilize bottles and any thing that comes in contact with baby.  But as children grow the atmosphere around them is what their bodies have to learn to adapt to.  By using disinfectant to clean, the home atmosphere becomes unnaturally sterile; so much so that when the child goes outside there is no resistance to any of the germs and bacteria they come in contact with.

So, the answer?  Yes, we do need to clean our homes, and remove the dirt and germs, but having a sterile home is not a help to any child.  Regular cleansers and good old hot water and soap are the answer.  Use them and be assured your home will be clean, and your children still safe.

Julie Finch-Scally

The Guru of Cleaning®

Author - Stinking Cleaning

Do I really need a cleaner?

The world has become busy.  Now both partners work it is hard to find the time to keep the house clean.  There is also the other problem of knowing what and when to use the various new products and equipment.  But is this lack of time and knowledge a big enough reason for taking on the services of a cleaner? 

Surely if everyone in the family kept their room clean and tidy and helped with the rest of the housework, no matter what age, one wouldn’t need to hire a cleaner to keep the property clean?

This is not necessarily the case.  Keeping a house clean is an art and most people are not aware how it can be done thoroughly and quickly.  The baby boomers were taught how to clean, but that was mainly just the basics.  Over the years the ways of cleaning have changed.  Tips of how and what to do when cleaning a home have not been passed on to the current generation of Mums and Dads.  Also, surfaces, products and equipment have become so complicated it is usually only the professional cleaner that knows how to keep everything clean and streak free.

There are a multitude of cleansers on the super market shelves, which ones work?  There are many and varying different types of equipment we are encouraged to purchase to assist with our cleaning, but which ones are the best to buy?  On top of that, there are a heap of new surfaces used to modernize a home.  These are supposed to be easier to keep clean but what products works?  Cleaning today can be somewhat daunting, especially if the wrong product is used and the expensive surface is damaged.

Of course a professional regular clean of a home doesn’t mean it will always look like the pictures in the magazines (those homes have little furniture and no clutter), but it will mean the kitchens and bathrooms will be kept to a hygienic standard and the rest of the property will be tidier and dust free. 

The professional cleaner will know how much water to use when mopping the floating wooden floor.  Also, the best product to use on such surfaces as the Caesar stone bench tops and highly glossed laminated cupboards. 

But the main benefit of using a professional cleaner is the free time for all members of the family.  More quality time can be spent together enjoying the home instead of worrying about having to clean it.  Of course this shouldn’t stop members of the family keeping rooms tidy and cleaning up spills.  This has always been a family responsibility and should remain so.

But in this age when people can’t find the time and are not quite sure how, what, when and where to clean, hiring a professional cleaner is the sensible thing to do.

Julie Finch-Scally

The Guru of Cleaning ®

Author of

Stinking Cleaning