HOW TO KEEP YOUR KITCHEN FREE OF GREASE

Cleaning the kitchen and working platform is vital to ensure that your family is protected from contaminated food. A dirty kitchen and platform could lead to contamination of food that is to be consumed, further leading to an illness or ailment of the digestive system.

Indian cooking involves usage of oil in almost every dish be it a curry, a chutney or a fry item. The chances of oil spread is very high. The oil and smoke circulates along with the air and settles down on all open surfaces.

Cleaning the oil spots from your kitchen cabinets is a quick and easy task if you know how to clean it. How does the oil settle on the kitchen surfaces which includes tiles, exhaust, cabinets etc. You will observe that oil splashes and spread all over the counter when we do seasoning for curries, deep fry eatables.

The oil vapors settles on the cupboards and cabinets. Dust in the air is attracted to this oil droplets and this becomes a layer. The vulnerable areas in the kitchen is the area behind the stove, the stove top exhaust , exhaust fan fixed on the wall. All tile surfaces get affected if not cleaned for some time.

The product you use should be capable of removing the stubborn grease on surfaces. You can clean kitchen cabinets made of wood with warm water diluted with liquid soap cleaner in a 1:2 ratio. Use a good scrubbing pad to dip in the solution and clean the surfaces.

Oil spread or spilled on clothes is another mis. Read this article HOW TO REMOVE STAINS FROM CLOTHES to understand the solutions

The inner surfaces of cabinet door handles will be very sticky and you need to use a small tool to dig the grimy oil collection. If the cabinet surfaces are colored wood, do a spot test and confirm prior to proceeding further.

However, if the oil stains, grease build-up high then opt for the natural way of cleaning, use vinegar. It is a natural cleaner and removes oil stains pretty easily.

• If you use vinegar then use a solution of half part vinegar and half part water if the stains are light.
• If the oil stains are stubborn, then you can use vinegar without using water. Pour undiluted vinegar into spray bottle and spray onto surface. Let it remain for 10 to 15 minutes. Wipe clean with dishcloth or non-abrasive scrubber.
• Lime and club soda can also be used to clean the oil spots and grease build-up from the kitchen cabinets.
• You can clean stove top exhaust hoods with baking soda. On a damp sponge add some baking soda and wipe the surface down. Immediately follow wiping of the surface with a clean cloth to remove any powder residue.
• Clean the kitchen platform by wiping with a cloth dipped in vinegar. The acidic content of the vinegar cleans and removes all grime that accumulates on the platform.
• Similarly, cleaning your stove with a cloth dipped in vinegar removes all spill stains and leaves your stove shining.
• Do not allow water to stagnate on the platform. Clean dry the stove and platform.
• Clean your stove and kitchen platform after cooking. This will remove all dirt, oil and will keep insects in the kitchen. If the platform is left uncleaned, lizards, ants and cockroaches will crawl all over the area.
• Watch out for the cupboards that are fixed on the wall. Check if the plaster on the wall facing the kitchen platform is intact. I’ve observed cracks in our neighbors home where thin layer of plaster keeps breaking and falling on the platform. This mainly occurs when the cabinets are opened to take out kitchen groceries.

To keep your kitchen neat and orderly spend 15 to 20 mins daily to organize and segregate. This will keep insects and chaos at bay.

PRESERVE CLOTHES FROM PESTS USING NEEM LEAVES

Your favorite silk saree gifted on your 1^st wedding anniversary is smelling foul as it is seldom used. You are also seeing signs of damage at the folds of the sari. This is a common observation for clothes packed in boxes or covers and kept in cupboards. The problem is severe for clothes lying in open cupboards as it is exposed to dust and infestation of silverfish and mites. In the rainy season clothes attract fungus due to dampness in the air and they cannot be worn due to bad odor.

Maintenance of clothes and books is an essential factor for home management.  Naphthalene balls are commonly used in homes. The naphthalene balls evaporates in the air and will keep away mites and insects. Main disadvantage of using naphthalene balls is the strong odor on the clothes and discoloration to the metallic work done on clothes .You need to be careful with clothes that have zardosi work ,silver and gold threads used in embroidery work becomes pale.

The clothes that require delicate handling are silk saris, sari with zari work, Woolen clothes, Chiffon and other delicate materials. The mites and silverfish attack clothes stored in metallic cupboards too.

You can preserve your clothes and make them smell good. Nature has provided mankind with a natural ingredient to protect clothes from deterioration and lasts longer. Neem leaves are having anti-pest and anti-fungal properties. Use Neem leaves and preserve your favorite clothes so that you can wear them with pride.

Follow this procedure for protecting clothes from pests by using Neem leaves:

• Pluck 10 to 15 bunches of fresh green Neem leaves.
• Dry the Neem leaves under the shade.
• Take a cloth large enough to wrap your silk sari or favorite dress.
• Spread the cloth on a flat surface.
• Spread a handful of dry neem leaves on it. Place the sari or dress on the leaves.
• Spread another handful of dry neem leaves on top of the sari /dress.
• Wrap the dress with the cloth and store.

You can be assured that the clothes remain fresh even if you do not use the sari / dress for 2 to 3 years also. There will be no signs of pest infestation especially silver fish or mites and there will not be any odor or discoloration.

An important observation is that dry Neem leaves do not leave any color on the clothes.

Tips:

• It is important to dry the Neem leaves in shade . If the leaves are dried in the sun, the essential oil of the leaves will evaporate reducing the potency of Neem leaves.
• To avoid dry Neem leaves falling on the floor when the sari / dress is taken out from the wrapped cloth, place dry neem leaves in small cloth pouches. Place one pouch each on top and bottom of the dress.
• It will be convenient to place the pouches containing dry Neem leaves in the pockets of Coats, jackets and trousers. This will preserve the clothes.
• Pouches containing dry Neem leaves can be kept in the Books and clothes Almirah. This will keep away the musty smell which develops in the Almirah during rainy season.

You can preserve your costly and favorite clothes in an inexpensive and guaranteed method. Your clothes will remain fresh , smell fresh and will not develop and mite/silver fish . You can follow the same method and extend the life of books and clothes.

There are several benefits of neem leaves  at home.  Best Insect free Storing tips for Rice and Dhals