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Q: Is it okay to wash and re-use disposable dishes and utensils? We do a lot of casual entertaining and it seems wasteful to keep buying new.
A: As long as they are washed in hot water with soap, there’s certainly no reason you can’t re-use most disposable plastic dishes and cutlery. Exceptions to reusing disposable tableware include paper, foam or the newer bamboo disposable items. Why? They are too porous and manufacturers don’t use any sort of sealant on them. Plastic…
March 11, 2019
Do the Dishes Every Day
Help kids think of "doing the dishes" as a daily routine. Cleaning up every night makes for a brighter morning … makes the work easier, as it prevents additional "stuck-on messes" to be scrubbed, and even helps reduce bugs and other pests in the kitchen!
SAFETY TIP:
Be extra careful when handling kitchen knives! Don’t pile them in the sink; instead, wash them one by one and immediately place them handle-up…
December 6, 2018
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the single most important thing we can do to keep from getting sick and spreading illness to others is to wash our hands.
When should you clean your hands?
Regular handwashing with soap and running water is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others. If soap and water are not…
February 4, 2019
Q: My kids love the Cookie Monster, and he inspired them to help me make holiday cookies. But our cookie decorating sessions always end up with food coloring stains on their clothes. How do I remove them?
If you treat the stains as soon as the decorating session is over, they will be easier to remove.
Start by sponging the stain with cold water to remove as much of the food coloring as possible. Then pretreat with a prewash stain-remover and launder. If the…
February 8, 2019
The majority of laundering questions that arise today have to do with poor cleaning results, poor soil and stain removal, residues of lint and scum, and fabric damage. Here are the typical problems with causes and treatments most likely to solve them. Ways to prevent problems from occurring are also given. Our laundry basics guide has more information on how to do laundry.
Greyness-Overall / Uneven
Yellowing - Body Soil Build up
Fabric Discoloration
Blue Stains
Yellow / Brown…
December 6, 2018
Image used with permission: Ramona Lynam
These special-occasion items should be hand washed to preserve their finishes:
Crystal
Decorated glassware
Hand-painted ceramics or stoneware
Milk glass
Pewter
Silver
Items with precious metal (such as gold or platinum trim)
HOW
When washing by hand, follow these easy instructions:
1. Use clean, hot water and liquid dish soap.
2. Start with lightly soiled items, followed…
February 8, 2019
No matter the type of product you are using (soap or detergent), good cleaning takes a lot of energy. Three different kinds to be exact:
Chemical energy, provided by the soap or detergent
Mechanical energy, provided by a machine or by hand
Thermal energy, provided by heating water Let’s look at how all these elements work together.
Assume we have a great, big, oily, greasy stain on one of our favorite shirts…
December 6, 2018
If you take public transportation, this is a place where germs can spread quickly, especially during cold and flu season. Washing your hands before and after your commute can help.
If you bike to work, be sure to wash any grease off your hands when you get to work. If you’ve gotten grease on your clothes, take care of the stain until you have a chance to go home and do laundry (always following the fabric care label). Dab a very small amount of liquid …
February 8, 2019
Cleaning fine washables for picture perfect portraits
Holiday portraits, with family members dressed in their best, are cherished momentos. Whether it's a once-in-lifetime event or a yearly tradition for your family, looking good is the goal.
Portrait-worthy Fabrics
Clothes that are clean and sparkling are the perfect complement to those smiling faces. To make sure your garments are portrait worthy, the American Cleaning Institute urges gentle care for fine fabrics:…
March 4, 2019
Clean water is a critical element of cleaning.
The vast majority of water on Earth’s surface, over 96%, is saline water in the oceans (USGS). Which means, even though water is plentiful there are limited resources of fresh water to relay on. Beyond cleaning, we also need water to drink and to grow food. The average household may use 88,000 gallons of water per year (REU2016). Within your home, faucets and clothes washers make up a significant portion of…
December 6, 2018