It is a fact that there is much more to what life is all about than cleaning houses and toilets, but what feels "freeing" about cleaning is its beautiful promise of a fresh start. The good thing is, this "fresh start" can always be done anytime. You can clean anytime! This improves not only your house, but your outlook towards life.



But just when you thought it's all over once you are done using that sponge, you are all wrong. Whether it's the burned edges of your toaster, the tomato sauce splatter on your dishwasher or the coffee splash on your microwave oven that's annoying you, it pays to discover ways to deal with those pesky home appliances.

See how reheating a dish can turn a shimmering-clean microwave to an orange-stained, sticky, spice-smelling mess? Get rid of the stuck food and nasty odor. Position a water-filled coffee mug with a few lemon slices at the central part of the microwave. Run the microwave on its high level for about three minutes. Allow the water to sit inside for about three minutes more to give way for the steam to soften the spills of food and drinks. The lemon can also effectively remove odors. You can wipe the walls of the microwave using a cloth soaked lightly in soap.

Calcium and stains can build up a mess in your dishwasher. A useful tip is to dump one packet of powder lemonade to a detergent cup. Run the solution into the emptied washer. The mixture's citric acid makes the stains break up.

Meanwhile, the coffeemaker's water chamber is its major challenge because it stacks up water deposits, usually calcium deposits. To clean it up, pour two to three cups of water along with same quantity of vinegar unto the machine's water chamber. Brew the mixture thereafter. Halfway through the cycle, turn the coffeemaker off to allow the solution to sit for about one hour. After which repeat the procedure and hit back the brew button until the cycle is completed. Run two more cycles using plain water after the process in order to rinse out the vinegar. You don't want some tinge of sour taste to your coffee the next morning.

Remaining bread burns at the inside parts of a toaster is an ugly sight. To get rid of these, unplug the toaster and empty its tray for the crumbs. Dislodging the old bread burns can be done by using an unused card or a toothbrush. Make sure to use a lightly watery pastry brush to reach the slots of the machine. If the toaster's exterior is of the chrome type, try crumbling an aluminum ball using the shiny side of foil. Rub the spots of rust off using that ball.

While all garbage goes down the drain, the sad part is that the odors often stay. Cleaning the garbage disposal can actually be done simply. You can grind lemon, orange or lime skins inside the drain with ice cubes. The fruit peels' citrus scent naturally clears the air. Meanwhile, the texture of the ice cubes can effectively sharpen the garbage disposal blades.

Cleaning your home appliances is a must, just as food prepared through these should be completely safe. Ultimately, there is safety in cleanliness.