Here is a good home remedy for oven cleaning, if you have the patience and don’t want to use harsh oven cleaning chemicals.  I do find that the typical store bought oven cleaners are very effective when using them correctly, although they are harsh chemicals that require care when using, you must wear gloves etc. So if you have the patience then maybe a good home remedy might be a good alternative.

Use an empty spray bottle and mix three or four table spoons of baking soda in the bottle and mix with plain water.  Use about 1 litre or pint and a half of water. Baking soda is a good all purpose cleaner and can be used for cleaning your stainless sink as well, just sprinkle and wipe.

Oven Cleaning

Shake the water and baking soda mixture until the baking soda dissolves. When the oven is cool spray the solution on the blackened build up in the oven, do this at least once per day or more. Use your oven like normal applying the baking soda solution between uses, the wet baking soda will break up the build up which will settle on the bottom of the oven as a black power which can be easily wiped up. This will make the oven look messy, but like I say it requires more patience to clean the oven this way.

As the build up breaks down and the oven is cool wipe with a wet or damp cleaning cloth.  Depending on the amount of build up this can take more or less time. Using the baking soda mixture works over time and can be used on other pots/dishes with carbon accumulation.

This technique a green and inexpensive way to clean an oven. You’ll notice that the main ingredient in many commercial oven cleaning products is baking soda (also known as sodium bicarbonate).

One disadvantage to this approach is that it takes time for the baking soda to chemically react with the carbon. Time and repeated applications of the spray bottle solution are your keys to success.

A clear advantage to this approach is that it is not very labour intensive. But you have to remember to spray the carbon stuck to the interior of the oven until it all flows to the bottom of the oven. Then wipe it all out with a damp cloth.

One more thing to consider: It takes a lot of baking soda to remove a lot of carbon. Be sure to apply a significant quantity of baking soda before giving up on the project. Significant quantities of wet baking soda and the passage of time are your keys to success. Remember! The baking soda does not react with the carbon unless it is wet.

On particularly difficult spots, you may want to dampen the baking soda in a bowl and apply it directly on these spots as a wet paste. If you do this, keep the baking soda wet for an extended period of time by coming back often and spraying it with your spray bottle.

If the accumulation of carbon is particularly heavy on the bottom of your oven, you can sprinkle baking soda on to the bottom as a dry powder and then dampen it with your spray bottle.  For those of us who don’t have the time to invest in the slow but sure way to clean an oven a conventional store bought chemical is the best method for oven cleaning.

For a fridge that has a day or two of odors, baking soda will work, however if the fridge has been absorbing  fragrant odors for several months, you have to be more aggressive to remove the smells.

The first step,is to thoroughly clean the fridge removing all the items shelf by shelf and wiping down with a general purpose cleaner will go a long way to removing smells. For more persistent smells try a shallow pan of active charcoal, which you can find at your local pet store or aquarium supplier. Let this sit for a few days and see if it helps enough to make it tolerable. Another great hint is to fill a shallow pan with fresh ground up coffee. This smell is very powerful, and is easily absorbed by the plastic. This masks the problem rather than removing the odors, but it is likely better to smell coffee, than, well, whatever it smelled like before.

For more  severe smells that will not be removed by conventional means, we have one final idea. Empty the fridge being sure that it is turned ON. Crumple up some old newspaper, and mist the paper with water. Stuff the fridge full of these big balls until it is entirely filled. Replace the old newspaper, with new, freshly moistened newspaper balls every other day. Repeat this four or five times (yes, this will take a week to 10 days!).

It is possible the fridge will require defrosting once you have done this, if the moisture has migrated up the freezer, and don’t forget to empty the drip tray as well!

Even when you are done all this, the baking soda, and/or ground coffee won’t hurt, although the coffee may tend to flavor unsealed food as well.  Fridge smells can be persistant but remember to faster you clean messes or throw out old food the easier it is to keep your fridge smelling fresh.

Number one…load large items at the back or sides, so you do not block other dishes on the bottom or top racks from getting sprayed/cleaned.

Number two…the dirtiest dishes get placed near the centre of the dishwasher where there is more spray action.

Number three…don’t allow your utensils or dish nest, alternate spoons and forks etc to be sure they are cleaned with maximum efficiency.

Number four…place delicate or small items on the top rack, don’t allow stemware or other delicate items touch each other to prevent breakage or chips etc.

Its important to not overload the dishwasher either, however just having 3 plates on the bottom rack and a few cups on the top rack while half the sink is still full is not great either.  That’s just being a lazy teenager, think of it as saving the environment by packing and using the dishwasher efficiently.

I removed a rubber backed mat from my white floor in front of my kitchen sink, and the area under the mat has turned yellow. What will remove this stain?

The short answer is nothing. It is likely a linoleum floor, which as a result of have moisture trapped under the mat, has left this permanent yellowing. There is no way to remove this type of stain. The best solution is yet another mat to hide the stain, or to replacing the flooring. A jute or natural backed mat will permit moisture to escape, and will not cause further damage.

I also sometimes add a slice of lemon (if I have any) to make the aroma more pleasant.  And if the teenagers have been particularly messy I may have to repeat to procedure a few times to get the inside spic and span…

Also be careful not to burn your self with the hot water etc.

Using a mild soap and water Wipe the butcher block and wipe dry immediately.  Don’t allow moisture to sit on butcher block it give bacteria etc. a breeding ground to grow.