Cleaning Guide & Tips

We use these sinks many a times, daily. Most of us do not pay much attention to how they are being cleaned if servants does it. You can spend some time on a weekend, the whole process takes 15 - 30 minutes to clean 2 sink and one bath room. You do not need anything special but the readily available stuffs at home to clean.

Here are the tips and procedure.

Brush/Scrubber
Lime juice / Lemon peel
Disinfectant solution such as Lizol
Vinegar (to clean strong stains)
Bleaching powder (If you do not have vinegar)

Cleaning Sink:

1. Dilute Lizol with water in a mug, add little lime juice of you have, pour over the sink, tab and around.
2. Rub the lemon peel on the tap, if there is stain.
3. Use brush to scrub after 10 minutes, and wash it way cold water.
4. If there are still stain marks, dab a cloth with vinegar and rub on the areas where there are stains be it sink or steel tap. (Ensure your hand or finger does not touch Vinegar it would make you feel itchy. Do wear glows)

Cleaning Bathroom Tiles:

Its usually the same process as above.

1. In a bucket take around 2-3 Ltrs of water, mix 2 caps of Lizol and little lemon juice if you have.
2. Just pour this mixture on the walls unto your neck level if possible using a mug, and on the taps
3. Sprinkle bleaching powder on the floor, if its slippery.
4. Rest it for 15 - 20 minutes.
5. Scrub using a brush with long handle.
6. Do the flooring first, then walls and taps. Finally wash with cold water.
7. For thick/strong stains repeat the cleaning method using Vinegar as mentioned in cleaning sink (Step 4)

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Cleaning Kitchen Sink / Remove stains from Kitchen Sink

You can follow the below easy steps to clean your kitchen sink. It not only clear the odor but also removes the hard water stains and gives a fresh & shiny look. I clean them once in a week to keep insects, bad odor aside.

1. A Scrubber/Brush - can be a brush with handle, if you use glows can use a small scrubber
2. Lemon juice or Lemon Peel (Optional)
3. Vim Liquid - couple of drops (if you do not have lemon)
4. Disinfectant Agent - Lizol (1 Cap)

Dilute Vim liquid/lemon juice with water and sprinkle all over the sink and the tap followed by Lizol.
After 15 minutes, wet the scrub/brush
Rub the Lemon peel on tap to remove the marks if you have, Lime is a natural bleach and cleans up real nice.
Run cold/normal water all over the sink, do a final wash.
Leave it to dry before use.

The same can be followed for tiled sink. 

Helpful Kitchen Tips

I have listed all the helpful kitchen tips learnt from my mother, few shared from friends and some out of my experience. These tips helps you in saving time while cooking, leaving a hygienic and clean storage area in your refrigerator during regular use. All you need to do is spend few extra minutes before dumping vegetables & greens bought from markets. You can share your thoughts too by posting a comment.

How to store vegetables

• To store curry leaves for a longer period, remove the leaves from the stem wash and keep in sun or under fan for the water to dry off. Store in a small container in fridge. While cooking you can use this directly, do not need to wash and this is off water.
• Green Chili - Remove the stem, wash and store in a container before refrigerating. Chilies would be fresh for almost 2 - 3 weeks.
• Avoid storing coriander leaves in a poly bag or as it is. Cut off part of stem along with root, wash remove excess water and then store in a box and refrigerate. All you need to do is chop when needed. If you prefer only leaves, while washing take only the leaves and then store them.
• To avoid ginger from drying, you may make ginger paste or chop ginger and store in air tight container ready to be used.
• Spinach is mostly seasonal, if you like cooking it. Don't worry you can store it for a week fresh before using. Chop off thick stems along with root. If you prefer to only leaves or cook leaves / small stems separately do the following:
• Cut in small pieces that fit in the zipper lock or container if you prefer to store it as whole
• Remove leaves and stem separately if you prefer this way. 
• Wash the cleaned spinach, drain the excess water. 
• Store in container or zipper bags. I personally store all stuffs in freezer safe containers or boxes based on the quantity.
• Stems can be used as supporting ingredients while making vegetable stew or Dal. Will post a separate recipe about using spinach stems.
• You may also refrigerate ready to cook cut and cleaned vegetables such as tapioca, green peas, carrot etc. for couple of days by storing in air tight containers. My mother usually cuts while watching television and store it to cook for upcoming days, this saves her time.

How to Store Green Leafy Vegetables for Indian Weather

This has always been a pain. Truly a painstaking job too. Many of us would have tried to toss the washed leaves in a box and refrigerate only to discover the rotten leaves after few days.

The culprit is the moisture, all excess moisture should be removed from the leaves before refrigerating. I have tried all these and tried to describe with simple pictures. Hope it would be helpful for you ladies!

Cleaning and Storing Mint Leaves or Pudina

We use the leaves in lot of beverages and dishes seldom stem is used. The pudina bunch we get in Indian markets are mostly dirty with perished leaves in it. Simply remove the leaves and wash.Strain excess water using a colander. After this you would still have plenty of water in the leaves which should be wiped with cotton cloth or kitchen towel/tissues. Layer leaves over tissue so that the excess water is absorbed. The final product should have no or too little moisture in it.

Tada it's now ready to be stored. Try not to store right below the chiller. You may also toss in the freezer if you need to store it for a month longer.

Cleaning and Storing Palak / Spinach

Follow the same procedure as Mint leaves. Remove all spoiled leaves before washing and straining the water.

Cleaning and Storing Coriander Leaves / Dhaniya

Cleaning coriander leaves would be time consuming, but it's one time job. Remove dirt & Spoiled leaves, chop off root, Wash and strain water. Follow the above method to dry the leaves. 

You can store in 2 ways either in a container half filled with water to cover the stem or in a box.

Cleaning & Storing Lettuce

Follow the same procedure as above.

Please do post your suggestions and comments, it would be helpful for other readers. 

Cleaning Ceramic Sink & Bathroom Tiles

We use these sinks many a times, daily. Most of us do not pay much attention to how they are being cleaned if servants does it. You can spend some time on a weekend, the whole process takes 15 - 30 minutes to clean 2 sink and one bath room. You do not need anything special but the readily available stuffs at home to clean.

Here are the tips and procedure.

Brush/Scrubber
Lime juice / Lemon peel
Disinfectant solution such as Lizol
Vinegar (to clean strong stains)
Bleaching powder (If you do not have vinegar)

Cleaning Sink:

1. Dilute Lizol with water in a mug, add little lime juice of you have, pour over the sink, tab and around.
2. Rub the lemon peel on the tap, if there is stain.
3. Use brush to scrub after 10 minutes, and wash it way cold water.
4. If there are still stain marks, dab a cloth with vinegar and rub on the areas where there are stains be it sink or steel tap. (Ensure your hand or finger does not touch Vinegar it would make you feel itchy. Do wear glows)

Cleaning Bathroom Tiles:

Its usually the same process as above.

1. In a bucket take around 2-3 Ltrs of water, mix 2 caps of Lizol and little lemon juice if you have.
2. Just pour this mixture on the walls unto your neck level if possible using a mug, and on the taps
3. Sprinkle bleaching powder on the floor, if its slippery.
4. Rest it for 15 - 20 minutes.
5. Scrub using a brush with long handle.
6. Do the flooring first, then walls and taps. Finally wash with cold water.
7. For thick/strong stains repeat the cleaning method using Vinegar as mentioned in cleaning sink (Step 4)

It would take good 15 minutes to clean a bathroom if its very dirty. I use a small stool to sit while cleaning the lower part, and the floor.

Hygienic Kitchen & Tips

Cleaning Kitchen Sink / Remove stains from Kitchen Sink

You can follow the below easy steps to clean your kitchen sink. It not only clear the odor but also removes the hard water stains and gives a fresh & shiny look. I clean them once in a week to keep insects, bad odor aside.

1. A Scrubber/Brush - can be a brush with handle, if you use glows can use a small scrubber 
2. Lemon juice or Lemon Peel (Optional) 
3. Vim Liquid - couple of drops (if you do not have lemon)
4. Disinfectant Agent - Lizol (1 Cap)

Dilute Vim liquid/lemon juice with water and sprinkle all over the sink and the tap followed by Lizol.
After 15 minutes, wet the scrub/brush
Rub the Lemon peel on tap to remove the marks if you have, Lime is a natural bleach and cleans up real nice.
Run cold/normal water all over the sink, do a final wash. 
Leave it to dry before use.

The same can be followed for tiled sink.