Countertop Appliances Make Sense for Summer Cooking

July 30, 2014 By Michele Peterson

Slow cooker meals are good for summer cooking

It’s hard to get excited about cooking in the summer …

The kitchen gets hot from the stove and oven … the heat from the kitchen can make the rest of the house hot … it makes YOU hot!

Luckily, there are quite a few alternatives to you slaving away over a hot stove and oven. Simply pull out those countertop appliances and use them!

Countertop appliances like slow cookers, roasters, indoor grills, rice cookers, countertop convection ovens, and microwaves all help you prepare healthy, delicious meals at home … while still keeping your cool!

Let’s take a look at some ideas for using these helpful appliances during these hot summer months …

Slow cookers. The beauty of cooking in a slow cooker (like a CrockPot) is that you can put all the ingredients in and then forget about it. For example, put all the ingredients for chili into the cooker in the morning, then enjoy a no-fuss dinner when you get home.

Roasters. Countertop roasters can give you perfectly roasted meat — even a whole turkey — without the heat and mess you get from roasting in your oven. Put it outside in the garage or on the back porch to keep your kitchen even cooler.

Indoor grills. Sometimes it’s just too hot to even think about standing outside in front of your grill, and an indoor grill can be a good alternative.

Rice cookers. These handy appliances give you perfect rice every time without heating up the stove. Win-win!

Countertop convection ovens. These small ovens allow you to prepare all your family’s baked favorites in less time and with less ambient heat than your conventional oven, making them perfect for summertime use. Don’t let their smaller size fool you … these countertop appliances are great!

Microwaves. Of course, most of us use our microwaves year-round. But especially in summer, try to think of meals that you can prepare entirely in the microwave. Casseroles, baked potatoes, steamed veggies … the possibilities are endless!

Your turn … If you have a favorite countertop appliance that you like to use in the summer, tell us about it in a comment below!

Mini Mops, Inc. is a professional house cleaning company serving residential and commercial clients in the Fresno-Clovis CA area since 1975. We are currently accepting new clients. Please call (559) 264-6677 for more information.

5 Ways to Keep Flowers Fresh and Beautiful in Your Home

May 9, 2014 By Michele Peterson

fresh spring tulips in vase to illustrate the Mini Mops House Cleaning article - 5 Ways to Keep May Flowers Fresh and Beautiful in Your Home

You love the beauty of fresh flowers in your home … the sight and fragrance lifts your spirits and makes each day feel special.

But the blooms fade way too fast, and you’re left with droopy and dying bouquets. Right?

Here are five ways to keep your “May Flowers” fresh and beautiful:

1. Give your flowers a sip of soda. Add ¼ cup of regular soda (not diet) to the water in the vase. The sugar in the soda makes the blooms last longer. Use clear soda if you’re using a clear vase.

2. A sweet and sour bloom booster. Add 2 T. apple cider vinegar and 2 T. sugar to the water. Like with soda, the sugar keeps the flowers fresher longer, while the acidity in the vinegar inhibits bacterial growth.

3. Take two aspirin and call me … Actually, you only need one! Put a crushed aspirin in the water to relieve your flowers’ “aches and pains.”

4. Another reason to love bleach. Add ¼ t. of bleach to a quart (4 c.) of water. The bleach will kill the bacteria, which, in turn, will keep your flowers fresher.

5. A penny for your thoughts … Drop a copper penny along with a sugar cube into the vase. The copper acts as an acidifier to inhibit bacteria, while the sugar nourishes the flowers.

Whichever method you choose, you also need to change the water every few days and reapply your “bloom booster” of choice.

We’d love to hear from you! Tell us which of these you’ve tried, and which works best. And if you have another tried and true way to keep your flowers fresh, do let us know in a comment below!

April Showers … 7 Helpful Shower Tips

April 23, 2014 By Michele Peterson

In 1557, Thomas Tusser compiled “A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry.” In it, he wrote, “Sweet April showers, do spring May flowers.” His saying evolved over time into the springtime rhyme we all know — “April showers bring May flowers.”

In honor of Tusser and his “sweet April showers,” we’d like to share some tips that will keep your showers sweet. Here they are:

1. Squeegee the glass doors.

Everybody, every time. It really does make a big difference in keeping the glass cleaner longer.

2. Replace bar soap with liquid soap.

Liquid soap leaves less residue (on your body AND your shower), so you’ll have less soap buildup to remove when cleaning.

Thumbs Up for bathroom exhaust fan to illustrate shower tips by Mini Mops House Cleaning

3. Use the bathroom exhaust fan.

And keep it running for at least 10 minutes after you’ve finished showering. This will allow all the moisture in the air to be removed.

Wash or replace shower curtains regularly to illustrate shower tips by Mini Mops House Cleaning

4. Wash or replace plastic and vinyl shower curtains.

Shower curtains accumulate soap buildup, and they also can become moldy if not allowed to dry between uses. So you need to wash or replace them regularly. Some shower curtains can be washed in a washing machine (check yours). Otherwise, replace once or twice a year.

5. Soak showerheads in vinegar.

The vinegar will help remove mineral buildup from hard water. If you can easily remove the showerhead, do so and soak it in a bowl of vinegar. If you can’t remove it, fill a plastic bag with vinegar and tie it around the shower head. Let it soak for at least a few hours or overnight.

Shower head to illustrate shower tips by Mini Mops House Cleaning

6. Consider replacing an old showerhead with a new, low-flow model.

The EPA says an average family could save 2,900 gallons of water per year by installing WaterSense® showerheads. That’s important in drought years like this one! We suggest you call our friends at Bob’s Plumbing (559-260-1220) if you have questions or need help with replacing plumbing fixtures.

7. Repair missing caulk or grout.

Gaps in the caulk or grout can lead to structural damage and expensive repairs. Fix them now!

This list of shower tips clearly is not exhaustive. If you have another tip you’d like to share, please tell us in a comment below!

How To Determine if You Have a Hidden Leak

February 24, 2014 By Michele Peterson

Leaks Can Be Costly

Drip … Drip … Drip … Water dripping from a leaky faucet is a sure sign of a household water leak. But what about leaks that aren’t so obvious?

Hidden Leaks

If you’re on a water meter, an easy way to see if you have a “hidden” leak is to check the meter readings before and after a period of time when no water is being used. A 2-hour period is a good amount of time for evaluation.
If the meter does not read exactly the same after your evaluation period, you probably have a leak.

Toilets

A common hidden leak occurs in toilets. To find out if your toilet flapper is leaking, put a drop of food coloring in the tank. Do NOT flush the toilet. If the color shows up in the bowl within 15 minutes without flushing, you have a leak.
Be sure to flush the toilet immediately after the food coloring test to avoid staining your toilet!

It’s a good idea to fix little leaks right away to prevent them from causing more costly problems down the road. Hope this has been helpful!

3 Easy Ways to Conserve Water at Home

February 24, 2014 By Michele Peterson

Conserve Water

California is in the middle of a severe drought, and we all need to do our part to help conserve the little water we have. You’re no doubt already doing things like limiting your outdoor watering and not letting the faucet run constantly while brushing your teeth.

Here are three easy ways that you can cut down on your household water consumption:

1. Install Low-Flow Shower Heads

A standard shower head has a flow rate of 2.5 GPM (gallons per minute). So if you take a 10-minute shower, you’ll use 25 gallons. A low-flow fixture with a flow rate of 1.5 GPM uses just 15 gallons for the same 10-minute shower … so you’re conserving at least 10 gallons of water with every shower! Multiply that by the number of people showering in your household each day, and the gallons really start adding up!

2. Install Low-Flow Toilets

If you’ve got a newer home, you may already have a low-flow toilet. You can tell if yours is by looking for a “1.6 gpf” stamped into the porcelain, usually near the tank. Low-flow toilets have been specially designed to work with less water per flush — 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf), or even less. Older toilets can use 5 to 7 gallons per flush. So by switching, you save at least 3 gallons every time someone flushes a toilet in your home.

3. Fix Leaks

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average household’s leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year. The EPA also reports that ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. Common sources of leaks are faucets, toilet flappers, and shower heads … all easily fixed without a major investment.

If you want professional help installing new plumbing fixtures or toilets, or if you have a leak that needs to be fixed, we recommend Bob Sheue at Bob’s Plumbing. You can reach him at (559) 260-1220.

Mini Mops, Inc. is a professional house cleaning company serving residential and commercial clients in the Fresno-Clovis CA area since 1975. We are currently accepting new clients.