How To Clean The Icemaker On Your Refrigerator

Automatic icemaker is one part in a freezer that most people forget to clean. By the virtue that it’s near the freezer doesn’t mean it doesn’t get dirty. Luckily, it is one area that anyone can clean seamlessly. Here are a few steps that you can follow to clean your refrigerator icemaker :

Clean Out the Unit

Before you begin cleaning the automatic icemaker, it is pertinent to clean the whole unit to give you more space to work and ensure that you don’t ruin any food item that you may need later. Store the food items in separate unit so that you can reuse them later on. Ensure that you check at their expiry dates to ensure that you don’t hold an item that you shouldn’t.

Defrost

After getting the food out of the freezer and the whole refrigerator, you can begin defrosting the unit. Although each unit has its unique cleaning procedure, the rule of the thumb is to simply switch off the whole unit and leave the doors open for approximately three hours. Remember to lift up the arm of the icemaker (if your unit has one) to prevent it from making ice while you are defrosting.

Clean the Ice Tray

Remove the ice tray from the refrigerator (if you haven’t done this already). Dump out the water and spotlessly clean the tray. Dry the tray by turning it upside down to ensure that it gets completely dry.

Clean the Ice Maker

If you don’t have some in your house, now is the time to walk to your local store to get some commercially made icemaker cleaners. Add the solution to the icemaker based on the manufacturer’s directions.

Plug the Unit In and Run A Few Cycles

After adding the cleaning agent, plug the refrigerator in. Turn on the icemaker and allow it to run a few cycles (3 to 4 is enough) to allow the cleaning agent work through the system and to ensure that everything is getting completely cleaned.

Once you are through with running the cycles, throw all the ice made because nobody would love to use ice that contains a cleaning agent. Clean your ice tray once again and replace it. This is it. You’ve finished cleaning your automatic icemaker.

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Clean Your Kitchen With UV Light

The rising popularity of UV disinfectants has been exceptional to say the least; however, a lot of people are still skeptical if they work or not. After all, the idea of killing bacteria without sprays or bleaches may seem a little farfetched. Nonetheless, the truth is, UV light can actually be used to kill off germs in any surface and if you have been looking for a perfect cleaning solution for your kitchen, perhaps using UV light cleaners is a great start. There are some notable benefits of UV light as compared to other cleaning options. These include:

• Safer: The chemicals and bleaches used to clean and kill off germs are not as safe as you think. The chemicals they contain can be toxic and if you can avoid them, the better. UV light offers a more realistic cleaning and disinfection option that is far much safer compared to bleaches and chemicals. It is the perfect solution for people who don’t want to take any chances with the chemicals found in disinfectants.

• Very Effective: UV light cleaners can actually kill up to 99.9% of all germs found on the kitchen surface and anywhere else in the house for that matter. Not many cleaning agents can boast that record. Besides, using the UV cleaner is so easy. There is no mess involved; you just light it up and pass it over the surface you want to disinfect and you will be done.

• Far Much Cheaper: When you compare the amount of money you spend on bleaches and other cleaning detergents with the cost of a UV light cleaning solution, you will realize that there is a huge price difference. UV is cheaper compared to chemical detergents that would probably not give you the same result as the UV light.

Keeping your kitchen clean and disinfected is a very easy thing provided you know how to do it. However, if you are looking for an effective solution, you can try out UV light cleaners today. The Family Dining Room is a resourceful blogs that provides useful tips on food, home, and kitchen. Follow us for more articles and ideas for your kitchen and home.

Tips For Cleaning Brass Or Copper Kitchenware

Metal kitchenware always looks so shiny and inviting when you see them on the store. They are so irresistible that you buy them without a thought. After a while, though, the shine fades and you are faced with the unappealing task of cleaning them. Cleaning brass or copper kitchenware does take some effort but it really isn’t all that complicated. Here are some tips regarding the materials you need and the steps you have to follow when cleaning them:

Have the Cleaning Materials Ready

For copper, prepare a cloth-based scouring pad and copper cleanser. Go to the hardware store and ask the sales people about these. Don’t use a very rough pad as it might damage the surfaces. Cloth is the best material for polishing these things. As for brass, collect some household items like vinegar, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Find a used toothbrush that you no longer need and mild dish soap. Have plenty of clean water on standby.

Cleaning Brass

Submerge the brass items in a strong solution of either vinegar water or lemon water. Let the acid work its way to the dirt on the surfaces. Leave them in this state for up to two hours. After this long acid treatment, get the items and begin to wash using the mild liquid soap. It’s best to use soft toothbrush as it is small enough to get to hard to reach surfaces. Once you are satisfied with the dirt removal, rinse with water and dry with a clean cloth.

Cleaning Copper

Soak the copper pieces in water then take them out. Get the cleaning powder and add bit of water. Mix until you create a paste. Use the cloth pad to apply this paste on the copper surfaces. Work your way carefully through each one. Give them a few minutes to allow the chemicals to lift the dirt but be careful to prevent drying. Scrub them again, rinse with water, and dry with a clean cloth. Keep your brash shiny with the help of olive oil. Rub a thin layer to prevent tarnishing.

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Tips For Cleaning Strainers And Sieves

The strainer or sieve is definitely one of the most widely used kitchen accessories, but it is also the most commonly ignored one when it comes to cleaning and maintenance of the same. We start to notice that our strainers or sieves need to be cleaned only when we notice those ugly hard debris that get lodged near the perforations. It is recommended to clean out the strainers from time to time so that the debris would not build up. Some of the things that you’ll require for conducting such a task are: dish soap, scrub brush, sink plug or a large bowl, an old toothbrush and a kitchen towel.

The very first thing that you need to do is to plug the sink and fill it up to 60% of its capacity. Alternatively, you can use a large bucket or pot, whichever is preferable to you for cleaning strainers and sieves. Next, mix a bit of the dish soap into the water to create a frothy and soapy water. Now, put the sieve or strainer into the soapy solution and allow it to soak for fifteen minutes or so. This will loosen up the hard residue and make it easy to clean. After that, dip your brush into the soapy water and begin scrubbing the strainer. Additionally, you can also use your old toothbrush to scrub the hard to reach places. However, do make sure you sterilize the toothbrush first before using it.

Sometimes, when one has not engaged in cleaning strainers and sieves for a long time then the debris would be very stubborn. In such a scenario, one can use a kitchen towel for deep cleaning. Simply hold the towel against the outside of the area to be cleaned and scrub the inside part with the brush vigorously against the towel. Also, it is important to ensure that you rotate the sieve while cleaning it so that you can thoroughly clean the entire surface of the sieve. Once you are satisfied with the cleaning process, you can rinse the sieve or strainer under running tap water and then allow it to air dry.

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A Quick Guide To Kitchen Knives

Chefs are only as good as the tools they use, so having access to quality knives is critical whether you are preparing food for an elegant dinner party or the next family meal. Purchasing knives can be challenging because of the large number of options available. While there are many different specialized knives designed for performing specific tasks, our basic kitchen knife guide addresses the three basic tools that can do it all.

Paring Knife

Most paring knives have a blade length of two to four inches. This is the ideal tool for small jobs, including chopping green onions, radishes, cherry tomatoes and other small vegetables. The sharp point is useful for removing eyes from potatoes, hulling strawberries, and other delicate jobs. Most chefs prefer a spear-shaped paring knife, although they are available in a variety of other shapes.

Bread Knife

The bread knife is from 10 to 12 inches long and is scalloped or serrated along the length of the blade. The teeth allow you to slice cleanly through foods that require you to use a sawing motion. In addition to cutting through bread without squashing it, you can use a bread knife to cut into pineapples and other fruits with hard rinds.

Chef’s Knife

Almost any professional cook will tell you that the chef’s knife is the workhorse of the kitchen. This type of knife can handle every other cutting task in your kitchen. Most chefs prefer a blade from eight to 10 inches but they can be as short as six inches or as long as 12 inches. Different designs are available to suit different cutting techniques. A Japanese-style knife has a straight edge and curved spine while a French-style knife has a thin, triangular blade especially designed for slicing.

You can go ahead and purchase an expensive butcher block full of specialty knives that you are never going to use, but you do not have to. You will receive more value for your money if you spend a little more on three high quality knives. With a paring knife, a bread knife and a chef’s knife, you are ready to tackle any cooking project, big or small.  Follow us for more articles and ideas for your kitchen and home.

The Easiest Plants To Grow Indoors

Many people would like to add Indoor Plants to their home, but they don’t have a lot of time and energy or patience to devote to it. In this case, it would make good sense for most people to get a plant that was easy to care for. There are a pretty good number of really easy to grow Indoor Plants to choose from overall.

The easiest plants to grow indoors require very little maintenance although all plants require some watering. Indoor plants require also at least a little additional maintenance from time to time beyond the scope of normal day-to-day (low) maintenance, as all plants will. The easiest plants of all to grow require very little water and can grow in most average temperatures.

There are a large number of plants in the world, and there is a basic list of the indoor plants that are the easiest to grow and maintain. Some of the plants on this list includes many plants that most people are familiar with. The basic list includes wonderful plants such as aloe, rubber tree, areca palm, shamrock plant, heart-leaf philodendron, ficus, and the snake plant.

There are additional plants that are also easy to care for, but these are the most common. You can find them at most home gardening centers or home improvement stores. If you are really pressed for time concerning your plants, you could hire someone to take care of them for you; perhaps a college student you could pay a few dollars.

Remember to take additional steps to take care of your plants on occasion, besides your regular watering. These steps may include pruning off dead leaves and adding fertilizer to the soil. Sometimes you will re-plant the Indoor Plants into different containers. You will want to make sure that your plant is healthy and the room is the right temperature for the plant.

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Different Uses For Limes

Lime is one of the most important citrus fruits that one can get at the grocery store. It can be eaten as a fruit, consumed as juice or used in various dishes. There are several types of lime that one can choose from. They range from green to yellow. Therefore, the choice is yours. Limes are known to have many health benefits. In order to understand them, one has to know the different uses for limes.

Applications

All around the world, lime is used to make a variety of pickles, jams, snacks, sorbets, confectionaries, candies, cocktails and other beverages. Apart consumption, the oil that is extracted from lime peels is used as an ingredient in toothpastes, mouthwashes and skin and hair care products. This shows that lime is composed of many nutritional and nurturing chemical and organic compounds.

Composition

The reason why lime has a great number of uses is because it contains very many antioxidants. Some of them include citric acid, vitamin C and flavonoids. These antioxidants are very beneficial to the skin.

Treating Dark Spots

Lime juice is said to be a natural bleaching agent. This is because it contains skin lightening properties. The juice lightens dark spots when it is applied on the skin and left for 30 minutes. It is advisable to avoid direct sunlight when undergoing the treatment.

Treating Acne and Blemishes

Acne is caused by bacteria that is present in facial pores. Lime juice has antibiotic properties and can be used to inhibit the growth of acne causing bacteria. The pimples can be kept at bay by applying a mixture of honey and lime juice on the affected areas.

Anti-Aging Properties

Due to prolonged exposure of UV rays, melanin can build up and bring about dark spots and other signs of ageing. However, this does not have to be the case, since lime peels inhibit melanin production. Therefore, rubbing the skin with lime peels can rejuvenate the skin.

There are many other uses for limes available. Researching on them can help one to fully exploit all the health benefits of limes.

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All Of The Tools That You Need For Your Kitchen

There is a wide range of kitchen tools that you need to have in your kitchen. These tools help to make it easy for you to go about the activities in the kitchen without any hassles.  When you are in the kitchen, you most definitely want to have all the necessary tools at your disposal. Apparently, many homeowners do not take heed of the need to have such tools and you will find that some of them will be missing in the set.

Contrary to common perceptions, kitchen tools are not in any way limited to knives, and chopping boards alone. There are other tools such as ladles, locking tongs, spoons, metal spatulas, rubber spatulas, slotted spoons and whisks. These are tools that should be part of a basic kitchen setting. They enable you to carry out a range of functions when you are in the kitchen.

When you have fruits, cakes, bread or anything that you need to slice, there are kitchen tools that you should use.  The chef’s knife, garlic press, grater, kitchen shears, lemon press, microplane grater, paring knife and potato masher are some of the slicing tools that you should have in your kitchen today.  You can also add the vegetable peeler and the serrated bread knife in this list.

A range of other tools are also required in a modern type of a kitchen. They include can openers, corkscrew, thermometer, measuring cups, peppermill, measuring spoons, salad spinner, timer and wire mesh colanders.  This is a comprehensive checklist that aims to help you understand the various kitchen tools that you need to have in your kitchen. As much as some of them might not be very necessary, a large number of them are vital in any kitchen setting.

Apart from the actual cooking, other activities in the kitchen involve cutting, slicing, grating, grinding, frying and serving. Therefore, to make sure that you can carry out all of these activities within the kitchen without having to move out, you need to make sure that you have all the necessary kitchen tools.

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Vegetables You Should Start Planting In The Month Of May

Different types of crops grow well in different months of the year. For instance, there are certain crops that can only be planted in the month of May because the temperature, humidity and rainfall are conducive. If planting vegetables for home dining is on your to-do list, you may want to consider planting the following plants in the start of May.

Carrots

Carrots grow very well in warm weather. After two and a half months, you will start harvesting the veges for home dining. Some of the best carrot varieties that you may want to plant include; Scarlet Nantes and Little Finger.

Cabbages

One of the easiest crops to grow in an outdoor garden is the Golden Acre cabbage. Other varieties that can be grown in May include; Michihili and Flat Dutch. It is important that you choose a suitable variety for your garden. When the cabbage head starts to form, be sure to add water-soluble fertilizer in the irrigation water.

Beans

People often make the mistake of sowing all their bean seeds at once. When the crop matures, most of it goes to waste because of oversupply. Ideally, beans should be planted continuously over a period of ten days. This will ensure that you have a continuous supply. Furthermore, no crop will go to waste. Some bean varieties that can be grown in May include; Kentucky Wonder, Contender and TopCrop.

Cucumbers

This fast growing vine can give you a steady supply of cucumbers for several months to come. When planting vegetables, especially vines, be sure to consider the size of your garden. After all, you do not want a single crop to occupy the whole garden. Alternatively, you can grow bush varieties of cucumber. Some popular cucumber varieties that you may want to grow include; Marketmore 76 and Muncher.

Melons

Water melons are great for hot summers. They are also easy to grow. One plant can give you as many as a dozen melons, or more. Depending on the type of soil in your garden, you can plant Hales Best or Sugar Baby varieties among other varieties.

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Cleaning Cutting Boards Naturally

Keeping the kitchen clean is important for cooks, especially when prepping food for cooking. Plastic or wooden cutting boards are used in most kitchens. Cleaning them is a challenge since using chemicals is not the favorite choice for everyone, making a natural method of cleaning have a lot of appeal. To clean cutting boards naturally, you’ll need several common items. These methods are preferable to using water and dishwashing detergent to clean a wooden cutting board, because these elements actually weaken the wood fibers.

Natural and effective cleansers include coarse salt such as sea salt and a whole lemon; white vinegar and baking soda; and white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. All of these combinations disinfect and deodorize the board. Even though these elements are more natural they kill dangerous bacteria: E. coli, Staphylococcus and Salmonella.

When using either of these cleaning elements, you’ll need to follow certain steps. For instance when cleaning your cutting boards with sea salt and whole lemon, you can make a paste and rub it into the board or you can sprinkle salt on the board and rub lemon into the surface.  Let the mixture stand for a short while and then scrape of the surface.  What is scraped off the board may appear gray and offensive. It’s just the lemon reacting to the food juices and particles left on the board. The residue from the surface should be scraped off and dumped into the trash.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Cleaning Method

Another method of cleaning you might choose to use is spreading baking soda over the surface of your cutting board and then spraying white vinegar over it. When the two substances begin to clean, they will create bubbles or foam on the surface.  After that happens, it’s safe to rinse the board and allow it to dry for further use.

To clean cutting boards naturally wipe down the surface with a paper towel saturated with vinegar. Follow the first wipe down with a second wipe down.  Saturate another paper towel with peroxide and wipe down the cutting board a second time.

All of these methods leave your cutting boards free of bacteria and smelling fresh. They are more natural than the harsh chemical cleansers that are available and your cutting boards will last longer.

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