D.I.Y. Tip Of The Week – Small Appliances,Cleaning And Maintanence

I'll have to admit I use these tips and hints religiously and like any thing else the more you maintain the longer they last, let's jump right in shall we?

• Cleaning that Blender -  pretty simple operation just add a small amount of dishwashing liquid to the blender and fill it up about halfway with hot water and blend equals clean.
• Mixers - a great way to prevent splatters from happening when using your mixer is to put aluminum foil over the bowl, punch two holes for the beater shafts and go to it. no mess which is nice. You can lubricate the beaters before use, makes easy cleaning.
• Can Openers - this works for both electric and manual openers, simply by running a piece of wax paper through the can-opening process will give you a smoother operation.
• Coffee Maker - If you love coffee as much as me, you'll appreciate this tip fill the reservoir with water and about 2 Tbsp of water softener and run through the cycle.
• Garbage Disposal - this might be a little loud but it will clean and sharpen the blades simultaneously. fill an ice cube tray with equal amounts of water and vinegar, freeze and drop in disposal and grind away. For odors a cup of vinegar down the unit and then run cold water for about 3 minutes helps tremendously.
• Meat Grinders - a raw potato will clean both manual and electric grinders by running one through them.
• Electric Frying Pan - should you still own one of these classics, blanket the surface of the pan with baking soda for 15 minutes, rub out with a wet cloth and rinse with warm water, this will get rid of the caked on grease.

Vinegar seems to be the secret ingredient for not only cleaning but has many uses and we'll see how with more tips and hints to come.

A special thanks to Graham and Rosemary Haley for being a valuable source of information (www.haleyshints.com). I had an opportunity to chat with Graham on air once in my career and was amazed at some of things I learned.