It’s Time to Ditch Dishwasher Germs!

You probably think of your dishwasher as a handy kitchen appliance that you can’t live without. But it’s so much more than that—it’s also your best defense against kitchen contaminants, as long as you’ve kept your “dry” cycle turned on. That “dry” cycle reaches a temperature of at least 170°F, which is the magic number when it comes to attacking harmful microbes that may be hanging onto your dishware. So if you’ve turned your “dry” cycle off in an effort to save energy, do yourself a favor, and switch it back on!

Also be sure to clean your dishwasher between cycles. Here’s a few easy ways to do so:

• Pour 1 cup of white vinegar into a sturdy mug or bowl, set it in the top rack of your dishwasher, and run through a cycle on the hottest setting—with nothing else inside.
• Cut greasy crud with a simple bleach treatment. Pour 1 cup of bleach into the bottom surface, and run it through a full cycle.
• To tackle mineral deposits, use the bleach treatment (above), then when the cycle is finished, pour 1 cup of white vinegar into the bottom, and run it through again.
• Freshen up the insides by using Coca-Cola® to clean up the crud. Pour a 2-liter bottle of the real thing (use the “classic,” not diet, version) into the bottom of your machine, and run it through a full cycle. And if the bottom tray is really grungy, let it soak for a few minutes before you start the cycle.
• Denture-cleaning tablets will dissolve dishwasher grime in no time at all. So if you have plenty of tablets on hand, drop a couple in the bottom of your empty dishwasher, and run it through a regular cycle.

For more tips, tricks, and tonics for cleaning everything in your home, check out our bestselling book, Speed Cleaning Secrets! You can even try it out for FREE with our 21-day Free Preview!

Easy DIY Gutter De-Gunk

Fall is here, the trees are changing, and before you know it, the leaves are going to start falling like crazy. And unfortunately, that means leaves piled on your lawn, all over your car, and especially stuck in your gutters—yuck! But don’t worry. We’ve got a no-fret, no-mess way to help you clean out your gutters fast—and all you need is an empty plastic bottle. Here’s our 5-step secret solution:

Start with an empty plastic bottle that’s no wider than your gutters (a fabric softener, detergent, or bleach bottle is perfect). Make sure it has a handle.

Rinse the bottle out, replace the cap, and lay it on its side with the handle facing up. Then, draw a diagonal line with permanent marker from one side of the lid to the base (see Figure 1 at right).

Use scissors or a sharp knife to cut along your guide line, and then continue cutting all the way around the bottle, matching the angle of the first side. And voila—you’ve made a handy-dandy homemade scoop! (See Figure 2 at right.)

Grab some garden gloves and an extension ladder, and dig into those gutters. Start by sliding your scoop along the gutter. Scrape up any and all leaves and debris. Just make sure you get down off the ladder and move it with you as you work, so you don’t lose your balance. And never, ever hang on to the gutter, or it could come loose!

Find even more super solutions for cleaning your whole house, inside and out, in our bestselling book, Speed Cleaning Secrets! It’s yours to try FREE for 21-days with our Free Preview.

Store Your Bulbs for Winter

Instead of spending your hard-earned money on new dahlias, tulips, lilies, or other tender bulbs every year, why not simply keep the ones you already have? As soon as their leaves start to turn color in the fall, dig ‘em up and wash them in a bucket of our Terrific Bulb-Cleaning Tonic (below), then tuck them away in a frost-free place until next spring. Here are the easy bulb-cleaning instructions:

1. Mix up a batch of the Terrific Bulb-Cleaning Tonic: 2 tablespoons of baby shampoo, 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide, and 1 quart of warm water in a bucket.
2. Gently drop your bulbs into the mixture. Let them soak for a minute or so, remove them, and set them on a wire rack to drain.
3. Be sure to let them dry thoroughly before you put them away; otherwise, they’ll rot.
4. When next spring rolls around, pull out those bulbs, plant ‘em as usual, and enjoy the beautiful blooms—and that extra money you saved!

For more great gardening tips all year ‘round, check out our bestselling book, Old-Time Gardening Wisdom! You can even try it out for FREE for 21 days with our Free Preview. Happy growin’!

Goodbye Grass Stains!

Ahhh, summer! The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and the grass is oh-so green. Unfortunately, so are the stains that are ground into the knees of your kids' favorite clothes! Here’s a laundry-basket-full of cleaning tricks that are sure to mow down grass stains:

• Pour rubbing alcohol onto the stain, and let it soak for an hour. Then rub the wet spot with a sponge that’s been dampened with more rubbing alcohol, using a circular motion to lift the dye out of the fibers. Next, rub in some liquid detergent with color-safe bleach.
• Rub some Karo® syrup directly into the stain with your fingers, and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
• Soak the spots in a small bowl of whole milk for about 15 minutes. Scrub it with an old toothbrush, and let it soak for another 15 minutes.
• Mix 1 cup of laundry detergent, 1 cup of ammonia, and 2 cups of water in a handheld sprayer bottle. Apply this solution directly to the stained area before tossing the clothes into the wash.

No matter which trick you try, always wash the item ASAP. Don’t let it dry, or the stain could set back in. Don’t wash a grass-stained item before you treat it, or that green may never disappear. And whatever you do, don’t put the clothing in the dryer until you’re sure all of the green is gone.

For more stain-bustin’ secrets, check out our bestselling book, Speed Cleaning Secrets! It’s jam-packed with smart tips and fast tricks that’ll make any mess disappear in a flash. Visit our website to try it out FREE for a full 21 days! And don’t forget to sign up for our Free E-newsletter—you’ll be the very first to find out about new products and exclusive offers. Plus, first-time subscribers get a special discount right off the bat!

Hosting a Memorial Day BBQ?

Hooray! It’s Memorial Day weekend! Warm summer weather is here in all its glory, so take full advantage of it by getting outside as much as you can. But before the gang arrives for the big holiday cookout, make sure your outdoor furniture is ready for company. Here’s how:

Sponge down aluminum furniture with a mix of warm water and dishwashing liquid. Pay particular attention to the joints and crevices of the frame, and sponge the cushions or webbing with the same mix to freshen up the seats. Finish by rinsing everything off with a garden hose until all the soap bubbles are gone. 

If a nearby shade tree has showered your patio furniture with sap or pollen, dissolve the sticky mess with a mix of 1 part glycerin and 1 part warm water. Wipe the furniture with a clean, moist sponge. 

To clean canvas chairs or chaises, wet the fabric with a garden hose, rub a scrub brush across a bar of soap, and give the canvas a good going–over. Rinse thoroughly, let the chairs air-dry, and you’re done. 

Spruce up grungy outdoor cushions by wiping them down with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of borax, 1 teaspoon of dishwasher detergent, and 4 cups of warm water, soaking the seams and creases. Let the solution sit for 15 minutes, then rinse it off with a garden hose. Set the cushions on end to air dry. 

You’ll find even more solutions for cleaning everything from A to Z in our jam-packed bestselling book, Speed Cleaning Secrets! It’s filled with over 2,000 terrific tips to get your whole house (indoors and out!) clean as a whistle. Just visit our website at www.jerrybaker.com to try it out for a full 21 days, absolutely FREE!

Happy Memorial Day!