The holidays are here, and your house is a mess. You need a game plan to get your home ready for unexpected guests and celebrations. We'll show you how.
Skip the bleach, ammonia, and other harsh chemicals. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner is Safer Choice-certified and works on any washable surface. It's a one-product solution for a variety of the toughest messes and stains, from your kitchen to the bathroom. We can help you tackle the most intimidating tasks on your holiday cleaning checklist, so you can relax and enjoy the season.
When you're ready to give your house a good holiday cleaning, there are certain cleaning jobs that people often dread the most.
Here's how to tackle five of the biggest items on your holiday cleaning to-do list.
When's the last time you gave your oven a good cleaning? If you can't remember, then it probably needs to be cleaned. Grease splatter on the door, gunk on oven racks, and charred food stuck to the walls… ovens can be one big mess! Before you start your holiday baking, show your oven a little love.
If your oven has a steam-cleaning or self-cleaning function, remove the oven racks and wipe away any loose debris or grease. Then follow the owner's manual.
To manually clean your oven, remove the racks for easier access and place them in the sink for cleaning. Pre-spray the entire oven, including the door and racks, with warm water or use a damp cloth to wipe out burnt food bits before cleaning.
Spray full-strength All-Purpose Cleaner on the entire oven and racks (including the outside if necessary). Let the solution soak for up to 5 minutes to penetrate any baked-on grease.
Then scrub with a stiff-bristled nylon brush or non-abrasive pad to help loosen any remaining stuck-on food gunk. Rinse by wiping the surfaces with a warm, damp cloth, then dry with a clean microfiber cloth and replace the oven racks once you clean them in the sink.
A dirty, cluttered fridge is no way to start the holiday season. Here's how to give your fridge a thorough scrub down to keep your fridge fresh and organized.
Remove all food items from the fridge and pull out any removable drawers and racks to clean separately. Spray All-Purpose Cleaner on the entire surface area inside the refrigerator.
Allow it to soak for a minute or so on heavy soils and greasy spills. Then scrub away any food gunk or dried globs of sauce by scrubbing with a bristled nylon brush or non-abrasive scrubbing pad. Repeat this process in your sink for any drawers and racks you removed.
Rinse by wiping everything down with a clean, damp microfiber pad or non-abrasive cloth, ensuring a residue-free surface. Dry and polish with a separate clean cloth, and voila! Your fridge is sparkling clean, without streaks.
Toss any old, out-of-date food items and put the rest back in your fridge. This is a great opportunity to organize each shelf by category and make it easier to find ingredients when you're cooking.
Want to get cozy and warm this holiday season? You'll want to grab a comfy blanket and throw a few logs into your wood-burning fireplace.
But before you light a fire, you'll want to clean your fireplace to improve its look and safety. Soot, ashes, and even embers can easily become airborne and potentially create a breathing or fire hazard inside your home. Instead of using a cleaner that leaves behind harsh chemical residue, reach for a bottle of non-flammable All-Purpose Cleaner. It's powerful enough to remove tough, blackened buildup in your fireplace.
Here's how to tackle your fireplace cleanup. First, protect the surrounding area by covering any nearby furniture and carpet with trash bags or newspaper. Keep a trash can lined with two bags nearby to dispose of any ash, soot, and debris. Don't forget to check the flue for bird's nests or other debris that needs to be removed before cleaning.
Next, remove the andirons and grates and take them outdoors. Spray everything down with Simple Green and use a stiff-bristled nylon brush to remove any buildup or stuck-on carbon deposits. Rinse thoroughly with water and dry with a towel.
Then clear debris from the firebox using a fireplace shovel and dump the ashes into your waiting trash can. Use a fireplace brush to gently sweep the inside of the chimney and firebox. You may also want to use a hand-held vacuum to remove any loose dust and ash.
Clean the firebox and fireplace screens/doors by spraying them with Simple Green and using a stiff-bristled nylon brush to scrub away any visible buildup, then rinse and air-dry or dry with a paper towel. Replace the andirons and grate, and your fireplace is ready to go!
If you've got smoke stains on nearby walls, use this helpful smoke stain cleaning tip.
The walls in your home can become dirty and caked in grime, especially in the kitchen. Cleaning painted walls with Simple Green is easy and effective. Dust the wall before cleaning, then dilute 1 ounce of All-Purpose Cleaner to 4 cups of water to avoid damaging the paint. Spot test a small, hidden area before use to be sure the color won't fade.
Then spray the solution directly onto the area and allow the product to soak for a minute or so on heavy soils such as scuff marks or crayon. Use a damp, clean non-abrasive cloth to remove dirt and grime, then wipe the walls completely.
Finally, use a clean, non-abrasive cloth to wipe down oil-based gloss or semi-gloss walls for a clean and streak-free surface.
Grimy grout on your tile counter or floors is not a good look. You want your kitchen and bathroom to shine for the holidays!
But don't go reaching for a steel-bristled scrub brush, which can actually scratch and damage grout lines. Simple Green penetrates the tiny pores of dirty grout to eliminate deeply ingrained stains at the source without damaging the grout itself.
Start by spraying grout with water to help the cleaner better penetrate soils. Then mix 1 ounce of All-Purpose Cleaner to 1 cup of water and spray the area down. Allow a few seconds for the solution to really get into the pores of your grout. Then use a toothbrush or soft-bristled brush to scrub the dirty grout areas.
For heavy-duty grout cleaning jobs, you can make a homemade cleaning paste by mixing baking soda and All-Purpose Cleaner to pull deeply embedded soils to the surface. The mix is an easy blend of three parts baking soda to one part Simple Green, which will form a loose paste that you can apply directly to the grout.
Allow 10 to 15 minutes for the mixture to penetrate, then scrub with a wet toothbrush or soft-bristled brush. Rinse with clean water. Wipe away any remaining residue with a clean, non-abrasive cloth. Now you've got a truly clean bathroom worthy of holiday guests.
Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner is a versatile cleaner that can be used to clean any washable surface, from kitchen counters to your garage. Instead of reaching for five different products, choose one that can do it all.
It's available in original Sassafras, Lemon, and Lavender. For a fragrance-free option, check out Crystal Simple Green. It's the same degreasing formula you know and love, but with industrial power and no added scent or color. Stock up now for all your holiday cleaning needs.
