Get some work done on those cabinets

Call me superficial, but I dare say the way a cabinet looks on the outside is just as important as what’s on the inside. And it wouldn’t hurt to have a little work done on those cabinets. But this work will be a lot cheaper and easier than an episode of “Extreme Makeover”.

I like to use Simple Green all purpose cleaner because it’s nontoxic, biodegradable, and smells nice in either original or lemon scent. Simple Green works wonders on all sorts of kitchen, bathroom, and household items. For cabinets, Simple Green should be diluted 1:20 with hot water in a spray bottle or bucket.

1. Take everything out of the cabinet including the shelves.
2. Wipe down the cabinet with a dry cloth, to get dust and debris out of the way, so you can focus on more important things like grease and gunk.
3. Start at the top and evenly cover with Simple Green. Let it set for a couple of minutes.
4. With a clean hot wet sponge, cloth or brush start at the top and work those arm muscles and scrub the cabinet. If you’re worried it’s not clean enough, there is no harm in scrubbing it again.
5. With a different hot clean damp cloth, wipe down the cabinet with water.
6. Then using a clean dry cloth or paper towel, wipe down the freshly cleaned cabinet.
7. Use steps 2-6 on the shelves before putting them back into your beautifully clean cabinet.

Want to know if you need to do a little more work on those cabinets. You’ll know by just feeling them. Run your hand over them.(if they’re sticky, that’s a bad thing.) Unlike plastic surgery, (think Joan Rivers) it’s unlikely that you will go overboard with the work you have done on your cabinets. If you frequently fry your freakin’ food, have fondue food fights, or have kids that climb on the counters to get bowls with their honey-covered hands, you might want to clean more often.

Fake 'tilll you Make it

So I was recently asked by the activities organizer for our student housing community to write a weekly article with cleaning tips for the other residents. She said that someone from our community reported that I was the person to talk to about cleaning. I almost laughed out loud (LOL). I really did think she was joking. Then I thought that someone else must be pulling a trick by recommending me. Apparently the source was quite serious about her recommendation.

After I got over the initial, and then residual surprise, I thought, "Why not? I can do field research, and get paid to write about it!" So I discussed it with Hans and then accepted when he said that he'd help make it fun. I started with what I knew, which I learned here in MN. Here is the premier 250-word article.

I’ve lived at CSCC for almost 5 years. I will be writing short articles on cleaning so that your mother-in-law will be impressed when she comes over, or more importantly, so that you can get your full deposit back when you eventually bid farewell to CSCC. So let’s get cleaning!

Lovin’ Your Oven

I never cared much about the inside of my oven. Don’t get me wrong, I love to bake and cook with a vengeance, but when things would splatter in the oven, like Rex-Kwon-Do, I would just close the door and walk away. I'd occasionally think, "I should clean that oven, it looks like I've coated it with lava rock.” But it was always hot when I thought of it, and I didn't want to burn myself.

Then one day I went over to a neighbor's house. She opened her oven, and it gleamed. She said she cleaned it once per month and that she would just:

1) liberally spray the inside of the cooled oven (not hot) with oven cleaner (fume-free Easy-Off is my fave),

2) let it sit overnight (or at least two hours),

3) leave a note as a reminder to finish the job, and

4) effortlessly (but thoroughly) wipe it clean with an old, warm and damp rag, sponge, or paper towel in the morning.

I love it when something (or someone) else does the work for me, so I tried it and BAM it works, every time. Now my oven sparkles (almost) every month, with minimal work. But don’t forget to write yourself a note! More than once I’ve turned on the oven, only to remember that I forgot step 4. Don’t forget step 4. That stinks! Really!

By the way, which color do you like best? I'm torn between orange and periwinkle and Hans prefers the cherry red.