I was so proud of myself yesterday. I had bought fruit at the farmers market and after juicing (yes, I’m attempting to juice) I used the peels to make my “everything” cleaner. Throw your peels in a mason jar and fill the jar with vinegar. In two weeks you will have an “everything” cleaner.

The citric acid in lemons have a low pH level which easily breaks down rust and mineral stains, but gentle enough not to dull surfaces. Double check your counter tops before you use lemon juice. Some marble counters may be sensitive to acid.

We are getting off track. I started thinking, while I was making my “everything” cleaner, about all the weird ingredients I use to clean things around the house.

Cream of tartar, coconut oil, soda water, vinegar, lemon juice, peanut butter. What kind of grocery list is this?

The amazing thing is that they all work…in their own weird way.

Did you know that if your kid gets gum in their hair, apply peanut butter? The oils in the peanut butter find it easier to stick to the gum base in chewing gum instead of the proteins in dry hair. The oils in the peanut butter get in between the hair and the gum which makes the gum stiff and less sticky. Salad oil and mayonnaise will work the same way because they are also oils.

Cream of tartar. I’m serious. It’s great for cleaning metals like aluminum, brass and copper. Cream of tartar is an acid salt, meaning when it is dissolved it will lower the pH of the liquid. Because of its acidic properties, it can be used to clean and remove stains or used for its mildly abrasive qualities. Try making a paste from cream of tartar and vinegar (or another acid, such as lemon juice) to buff and clean metals. And don’t worry, there will not be a chemical reaction from mixing the two.

Coconut oil has antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties because of fatty acids in the oil. The fatty acids are concentrated in coconut oil; making up 60% of all that is in the oil. Besides being used as a deep conditioner, aftershave and body lotion, coconut oil can also be used while cleaning. Equal parts of coconut oil and baking soda removes the sticker residue off any surface. You can also use coconut oil to condition and soften leather.

Soda water contains carbonic acid, which is helpful for removing stains and dissolving rust deposits. Try using soda water on your laundry, carpet and upholstery stains. The bubbly action will lift the stain to surface and you can blot it out easily. It’s also great for polishing chrome kitchen and bathroom fixtures.

Have you tried any of these tricks? Do you have any tricks with weird food you use for cleaning? Tell us about it at www.facebook.com/Miraclean

Happy cleaning!

Miraclean now offers a la carte cleaning to save customers time and money!

Have you ever wanted some help? Maybe you don’t need your entire house cleaned, but would like a deep cleaning in one area, like your bathrooms?

We are here to help! Miraclean is now offering a la carte cleanings! Check out our itemized list based on the areas of your home.

Bathrooms

• Scrub tile and grout in shower
• Clean garden tub
• Clean inside and outside of toilet
• Clean vanity/sinks
• Wipe mirrors
• Wipe door frames/door
• Dust light fixtures
• Wipe baseboards
• Wipe light switches
• Dust blinds
• Clean windows/windowsills
• Wipe fronts of cabinets
• Dust towel hangers, toilet roll holders, chrome fixtures
• Wipe accessories such as toothbrush holders, vases, picture frames, decorative pieces
• Sweep/mop/vacuum floors

This list is for bathrooms only, when paired as an a la carte cleaning. This does not include adjacent areas such as master closet, bedrooms, storage areas, etc.

Kitchen

— Clean windows/windowsills

• Wipe door frames/door
• Dust light fixtures
• Wipe light switches
• Dust blinds
• Clean windows/windowsills
• Wipe refrigerator: top and front
• Wipe countertops
• Clean microwave: inside and out
• Wipe front of dishwasher
• Clean oven door: inside and out
• Clean stovetop
• Empty toaster oven and replace foil
• Wipe baseboards
• Polish kitchen sink
• Wipe accessories such as: picture frames, cookie jars, vases, coffee pot, islands/bar area
• Sweep/mop/vacuum floor

This list is for the kitchen area only, when paired as an a la carte cleaning. This does not include adjacent areas such as entry areas, laundry rooms, wet room/mud room, foyers, garages, bathrooms, etc.

Living areas

• Dust blinds
• Wipe windows/windowsills
• Dust light fixtures
• Wipe light switches
• Wipe baseboards
• Wipe doors/door frames
• Dust fans
• Change linens
• Wipe head/foot boards and side of bed
• Polish desks, dressers, vanities, nightstands, armours, hope chests, jewelry holders, tv stands
• Dust picture frames, knick-knacks, shelving, televisions
• Wipe accessories such as: vases, alarm clocks, floor lamps, video game stations, dvd player
• Wipe mirrors
• Vacuum stairs
• Sweep/mop/vacuum floors

This list is for living areas only, when paired as an a la carte cleaning. This does not include pet areas such as litter boxes, toys, dog bedding, kennels, food/water dishes. This does not include adjacent areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, garages, etc. This does include laundry rooms, wet room/mud room, foyers, closets, bedrooms, stairways, hallways, offices, dining rooms.

CHECK OUT THESE SPECIALS!!!

As an introductory, we invite you to allow us in your home for a healthy, safe, detailed, deep cleaning.

These areas are on special for $50. Pick one of these five specials and only pay $50!

• Master bathroom and guest/child’s bathroom
• Five living areas

• Dust blinds and wipe ALL windows
• Master bathroom and kitchen
• Sweep/mop/vacuum all floors (baseboard cleaning is included!)

Miraclean’s products are all-natural and safe to use around children and pets. We provide a professional, detailed cleaning to save our customers time and money!

What are they teaching today’s children? How is it that children seem so censored to the real world? What is with this “everyone gets a trophy” business?

I hate to start this ‘back in my day’ conversation because in reality I’m 26 years old and that’s at least a 50-year-old’s reply to change. But, in all honesty, I understand the world is a different place and children can no longer run the streets with a curfew of “be home before the streetlights come on” mentality, but no Bugs Bunny?!

I was talking with a customer while finishing up a house cleaning and she told me that Looney Tunes is no longer a staple in a child’s life. (I cannot tell you how many episodes I’ve seen on a Saturday morning when I was a kid.) She told me that the episodes are considered violent with sexual innuendos and too much smoking for today’s fragile little minds. (Ok, the last part I added in, but you see where I’m going with this.)

Quite the opposite thoughts go through my head when remembering Bugs and Elmer Fudd’s constant feud or Wyl E. Coyote always trying to kill Roadrunner. I think that shows persistence and tenacity. Every week poor Wyl E.’s plan would always backfire on him and he would blow himself up with Acme fireworks or have an enormous bank vault flatten himself, but every week he was ready with a new plan!

Don’t get me wrong, I think it is very important for children to know what is nice and what is not nice, how to interact with people, how to get through this craziness that we adults call life, but I also don’t think they should be coddled into thinking that the world is full of unicorns and rainbows. If you’re little princess is addicted to Sophia the First, then let her watch Sophia, but to rule out an entire generation’s television programming because “it’s not nice” is ridiculous.

My fallback is always, “well, I did it and I’m fine.” Understanding that, yes, there are things that change and better processes to go about making a decision; but I never saw Bugs whack Elmer Fudd in the face with a frying pan, resulting in a flat face that Elmer himself would pop back to normal, and assume I could do that to my sisters and have the same result. I knew right from wrong, reality from fiction.

And who is my age and remembers Tiny Toons?! (“Ducky go down the hole! Elevator go down the hole.”) CLASSIC! and now their toys are sold as novelty gifts, with a statement on the box saying “this is not a toy, this is for novelty use only.

I’m not saying your kids should watch Cops because that’s the real world. I understand you want them to be kids and have an imagination and play and be free, but at the same time if we keep portraying the world as a do-good place filled with nice people who will never be mean or ugly to you, we are setting ourselves (and our children) up for disappointment.

Miraclean was started while I was still in college in an effort to make money throughout the semester, but still spend most of my time focusing on classes. I quickly realized that I could turn this into a full-time gig when it was time for me to graduate and I was making more money than entry-level newspaper jobs were offering me.

My college friends thought it had to be awesome to work for yourself. “What do you mean you have to wake up early and work? You’re the boss, go to work when you feel like going to work,” was usually what they’d say. If only it were that easy.

Since that time, I’ve impressed my friends by keeping Miraclean strong for six years. Most of my friends were offered entry-level positions upon graduating and sure they’ve moved up in the company, transferring to new cities, taking on new responsibilities, but they know where to find me.

My editor in college called me regarding an article she was working on about 10 things you should ask before hiring a cleaning company. “I thought of you, Kristin. You’re my expert!” was her response.

Imagine that. Me. The girl that scrubs other people’s toilet bowls is an expert. I gathered my information and thought you all would like to see the article. So, here is the link. Let me know what you think. What would you add?

http://www.infocities.com/articles/top-tips-before-hiring-a-cleaning-service