Episode 1903
Revolutionize Your Cleaning Routine: 2025's Best Hacks!
Get ready to elevate your cleaning game in 2025 with Eric G's top 10 cleaning hacks for your home. This episode focuses on easy cleaning strategies that won't ruin your belongings, emphasizing the importance of using the right methods and products. From avoiding common pitfalls like bleach and pumice sticks to maintaining your appliances, Eric shares practical advice to help keep your home clean and fresh. He dives into specific tips for dishwashers, washing machines, and even refrigerators, ensuring they operate efficiently and stay odor-free. Tune in for valuable insights that will make your cleaning routine more effective and less stressful, enabling you to enjoy a sparkling home without the hassle.
Eric G. dives deep into the world of home cleaning with his top 10 cleaning hacks aimed at making 2025 the year of effortless upkeep. He emphasizes the importance of cleaning appliances, starting with the dishwasher, where he shares tips on maintaining its efficiency by regularly checking and cleaning filters and ensuring the water lines are in good condition. The conversation then shifts to washing machines, where Eric enlightens listeners on the hidden grime lurking in top-loaders and offers a genius hack for cleaning them using hot water cycles. He passionately advises against common cleaning mistakes, such as using bleach and magic erasers, which can damage surfaces rather than clean them. Instead, he encourages the use of specialized products and techniques that protect and enhance the longevity of home fixtures.
As the discussion progresses, Eric highlights the significance of maintaining a clean and functional kitchen, sharing insights on proper use of kitchen appliances, and effective cleaning routines that promote a healthier cooking environment. He stresses the necessity of using the right cleaners for specific surfaces, particularly with kitchen cabinets and countertops, thereby preventing damage and maintaining their aesthetic appeal. Listeners are treated to practical advice on keeping their refrigerators and ranges in top shape, including the importance of replacing water filters and understanding temperature adjustments in ovens.
The episode wraps up with Eric addressing outdoor cleaning, particularly for composite decks, and even offers a clever hack for cleaning coffee mugs. His unique approach to cleaning emphasizes prevention, proper maintenance, and the use of safe, effective products, leaving listeners empowered with actionable tips that will not only simplify their cleaning routines but will also protect their home investments for years to come.
Takeaways:
- Always clean your dishwasher's filter and check for leaks to maintain its efficiency.
- Avoid using bleach on surfaces like toilets, as it can cause damage over time.
- When cleaning appliances, remember to use the right products to avoid scratching surfaces.
- Run a cleaning cycle on your top load washing machine to eliminate built-up grime.
- Regularly clean under your refrigerator to prevent overheating and improve its longevity.
- Consider investing in a good vacuum system for your garage to keep it tidy.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Monument Grills
- Toto
Mentioned in this episode:
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Transcript
It's around the house.
Eric G.:Problem is with a top load machine, nobody cleans them.
Eric G.:So if you've ever taken one of these apart and you take the inner drum out, there's that outer drum that's back there.
Eric G.:Take a look.
Eric G.:It's nasty.
Eric G.:It has oils, body oils, soap scum, all this junk back there.
Eric G.:So what I would do is I would run that through a cycle in your top load machine as well.
Eric G.:On hot, get it as hot as you can, run it through there, let that go through that system and clean it out.
Eric G.:Because I tell you what, anytime you can get that junk out of there, that's what your clothes are getting washed in every single day.
Eric G.:So the more you can get that other junk out of there, the better off you will with a top load machine since you're only going to get it.
Eric G.:When it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to know.
Eric G.:But we've got you covered.
Eric G.:This is around the house.
Eric G.:Welcome to the Round the House show, the next generation of home improvement.
Eric G.:Thanks for joining me today.
Eric G.:Happy New year's everybody.
Eric G.: Happy: Eric G.:Hopefully everybody made it through the holidays.
Eric G.:Had a great R and R type week, weekend or whatever your days off were.
Eric G.:Hopefully got some time to spend with family and friends, maybe even tackle a few home improvement projects today.
Eric G.:This episode is brought to you by our friends at Monty McGrills.
Eric G.:Check them out at monument grills.com if you need that barbecue for the big game.
Eric G.:Your favorite team might be in the playoffs.
Eric G.:Mine isn't, but maybe yours is.
Eric G.:And if that's the case, might need a brand new barbecue.
Eric G.:Check them out.
Eric G.:MoneyMcGrills.com Today I wanted to share with you my top 10 cleaning hacks and this.
Eric G.:I usually make it a few more than 10 when I get into this because I have a few honorable mentions in there as well.
Eric G.:But we're going to get into spring cleaning one of these days even though we're in the throes of winter.
Eric G.:And what are some great ways to clean things without ruining them?
Eric G.:And that's the big battle that we see out there.
Eric G.:How do we clean things without ruining them?
Eric G.:And there are things that we can do out there to ruin things as we clean them.
Eric G.:And the number one is grabbing that bottle of bleach.
Eric G.:And I tell you what, this is where so many people destroy bathrooms with bleach.
Eric G.:When you take a gallon of bleach and you pour it right into that toilet bowl, that bleach is etching, making little tiny Pinholes in that slick porcelain surface that was made to be slick so you didn't have things sticking to it in the toilet.
Eric G.:So as soon as you go in there with bleach, you etch that, which gives little micro pores, which lets things stick to it.
Eric G.:So that's a big one right there.
Eric G.:That is my biggest one of damaging.
Eric G.:Number two is that pumice stick.
Eric G.:Now, if you're trying to remove carefully that hard water ring around the inside of the toilet bowl or on a sink, just keep in mind a pumice stick is sandpaper.
Eric G.:You are scratching that surface, and you are.
Eric G.:So just keep in mind you're much better off down the road dealing with your hard water issues, making sure that's running well.
Eric G.:Test your water, get it taken care of, and then replace those toilets and put in something that's got a good surface on it.
Eric G.:And the best one out there that I've seen is Toto.
Eric G.:Those guys do a great toilet.
Eric G.:They do another finish over the top of the porcelain that fills in all those micropores, which means you have a lot less cleaning.
Eric G.:So if you don't like cleaning a toilet, make sure and grab the toto one, because that special finish keeps things from sticking to it.
Eric G.:So it makes it so much easier for cleaning.
Eric G.:And that's something they've been known for decades.
Eric G.:It's something patented.
Eric G.:You'll do much better than going to the home improvement store and grabbing something off the shelf that's not made by toto.
Eric G.:They don't pay me to say it.
Eric G.:It's just the truth.
Eric G.:It's just what I've dealt with for the decades.
Eric G.:And that's why they're my favorite toilet brand.
Eric G.:So think about.
Eric G.:That's a big one right there.
Eric G.:The third one that creates the most damage inside the house from cleaning.
Eric G.:And this one's a big one.
Eric G.: ite scrub brush, that's about: Eric G.:So when you go scrubbing around the kitchen.
Eric G.:I have had a kitchen that was a little over a year old that we had this warranty claim on the finish.
Eric G.:We're like, what is going on?
Eric G.:Why is this finish looking like it's sanded through?
Eric G.:Open up the cabinet doors.
Eric G.:And there was.
Eric G.:The house cleaner was going through and taking any little mark that was on the kitchen with the magic eraser and erasing it off there.
Eric G.:This family had kids.
Eric G.:The used kitchen.
Eric G.:She literally sanded the finish right off of this thing, and that wasn't covered by warranty.
Eric G.:You can't sandpaper the finish off and say, hey.
Eric G.:So they had to spend thousands of dollars to get new cabinet doors for that project.
Eric G.:Wasn't covered by warranty, but it was just a big mistake by the house cleaner.
Eric G.:So put away the magic eraser, put away the bleach, put away that pumice stick, unless you want to do damage to things inside your house.
Eric G.:The first one here, that was your little public service announcement there.
Eric G.:The first one I wanted to dive into on cleaning hacks here is a big one.
Eric G.:And this one's going to take up probably most of this hour here of this little bit of our first segment here and into the next segment because it's an important one.
Eric G.:That's appliances.
Eric G.:What can you do to keep those appliances working their best?
Eric G.:Let's start out with the dishwasher.
Eric G.:Make sure that you've checked down below in that little basket down there.
Eric G.:Each machine is different.
Eric G.:So there's a screen, there's a basket.
Eric G.:There's something down there to catch food scraps, hard pieces, like if somebody had nuts or a piece of glass, maybe that broke.
Eric G.:Keeps that out of the pump.
Eric G.:So it's down there that can get plugged up.
Eric G.:There's also micro screens down there, too, that might need to be cleaned so that can get buggered up down there.
Eric G.:Because the newer dishwashers reuse water more, that screen system should be maintained and cleaned.
Eric G.:The other thing I always recommend is take a peek under the dishwasher when you're cleaning it.
Eric G.:Take that little cover off the toe kick.
Eric G.:Make sure you don't have a leak down there.
Eric G.:Because if that pump's leaking, that can really damage your hardwood floors or tile floors or linoleum floors, whatever you got.
Eric G.:So make sure you double check that down there to make sure that's not an issue.
Eric G.:And then make sure that the water line is not just one of those cheap plastic hoses in there.
Eric G.:That comes from the angle stop valve for it's coming in.
Eric G.:Make sure that's a braided hose or something like that.
Eric G.:If it's a rubber one, Change that every four or five years.
Eric G.:That's gonna get worn out.
Eric G.:So make sure you don't have a broken one down there.
Eric G.:Those rubber ones love to fail.
Eric G.:So if you've got one of those on there, swap it out.
Eric G.:Put a good one on there.
Eric G.:The drain line I'm less worried about.
Eric G.:That's gonna be going in.
Eric G.:Just make sure it's not kinked.
Eric G.:It's got the right loop per the manufacturer's directions in it.
Eric G.:And you should be good to go.
Eric G.:Now, if your dishwasher has a white or almond or whatever plastic interior, those are the cheap dishwashers out there.
Eric G.:The problem with those, the problem that you see with those are big ones.
Eric G.:Because what can happen with that is you'll get on the inside, that'll just get smelly, and there's not much you can do about it.
Eric G.:And that's why they've all gone to stainless steel on the inside.
Eric G.:So for the stainless steel and even the plastic ones you can buy online or your favorite grocery store in the detergent aisle, they make dishwasher cleaner to go through there.
Eric G.:That'll refresh that up.
Eric G.:Do that.
Eric G.:Take a nice clean rag, wipe wet wag, wipe down all the seals, anything that closes up, keep it all clean that way.
Eric G.:Make sure that's good to go.
Eric G.:And of course, make sure that you're using that rinse aid dispenser in there to make sure that that's working well and that that is part of the functioning system.
Eric G.:So if you're not using rinse aid, that's the key right there.
Eric G.:And make sure.
Eric G.:Here's the key.
Eric G.:This is one of the biggest myths with dishwashers.
Eric G.:Do not pre rinse those dishes before you go in there.
Eric G.:Scrape them off, put them in the dishwasher, run the cycle.
Eric G.:They need to have food on those plates, because if not, what happens is there's nothing to activate the detergent.
Eric G.:It needs that for the enzymes.
Eric G.:Leave stuff on the dishes when they go in there.
Eric G.:Not big stuff, but just scrape them off.
Eric G.:If you've got a badly working dishwasher and you say, I have to pre rinse them, then your dishwasher is broken and you need to get a new one or get it repaired.
Eric G.:But really you need to have a dishwasher that is cleaning correctly.
Eric G.:And for it to clean correctly, it does need food on there.
Eric G.:So if you need to get it fixed, I would recommend getting it fixed or replaced.
Eric G.:There's a lot of great sales this time of year out there for appliances because we have a lot of new models coming out.
Eric G.:And that's one little tip here going out.
Eric G.:We have a lot of new models coming out here in the spring kind of start.
Eric G.:A lot of stuff starts coming out in February in the home improvement world with the big kitchen and bath show, that's where they reveal that stuff.
Eric G.:And the new models come out just right after that.
Eric G.:So it's end of year for many models.
Eric G.:Something to consider now.
Eric G.:I've got a lot more appliances when I come back here that we're going to touch on like a front load washing machine, refrigerator, dryer, range oven, all those things.
Eric G.:We'll talk more about those when we come back.
Eric G.: ning hacks for your house for: Eric G.:Don't change that dial around the House.
Eric G.:Be right back after these important messages.
Eric G.:Don't go anywhere.
Eric G.:The kids these days will never understand what it's like to play an instrument, like being a fan.
Eric G.:What's up?
Eric G.:This is Sticks it in Ya and Satchel from Steel Panther and you are listening to around the House with Eric G.
Eric G.:Yeah, we love Eric G.
Eric G.:And you should too.
Eric G.:Welcome back to the around the House show, the next generation of home improvement.
Eric G.:I'm Eric G.
Eric G.:Thanks for joining me today.
Eric G.:If you're one of our new affiliates out there on the Talk Media Network now that we're in January, thanks for tuning into us.
Eric G.:A little bit about us here we are a 36 year old radio program that has been podcasting for nearly a decade now and so we are out all over the country.
Eric G.:I do appreciate you guys tuning in.
Eric G.:To find out more about us, head over to around the house online.com and you can find out more about us there with all of our social media channels, YouTube, all that stuff.
Eric G.:And you can join the conversation there seven days a week now.
Eric G.:This episode is brought to you by our friends at Money McGrill.
Eric G.: cleaning hacks for: Eric G.:And we were just diving into appliances when we went out to break.
Eric G.:We were just talking about dishwashers.
Eric G.:The next one here is a front load washing machine.
Eric G.:And maybe I was predicting this year was going to be the end of the top load washing machine.
Eric G.:But there is a chance that with the new administration in the United States that many of those energy things might get put on the back burner.
Eric G.:So if that's the case, we might see the front load washing machine not being exclusive for everybody out there.
Eric G.:Even though I do like them, I've used them for probably 20 years now.
Eric G.:But I know there's people out there that are saying, hey, take away my top load machine out of my cold dead hands.
Eric G.:And I totally get it.
Eric G.:If you get a new front load though, use a lot less water.
Eric G.:You don't have to worry about the smell in them anymore.
Eric G.:And They're a lot easier on your clothes.
Eric G.:Your clothes will last twice as long using a front load machine than a top.
Eric G.:But that's just me not going to try to change you into using a different type of machine.
Eric G.:That's up to you, my friends.
Eric G.:Now here's the thing with a front load washing machine.
Eric G.:A lot of these things with washing machines do relate and one of them is keeping them clean.
Eric G.:Like I have a self cleaning cycle on my LG that I have.
Eric G.:So I just have to tear off a little container of a special detergent.
Eric G.:Mine's made by Tide, you can get them done.
Eric G.:A bunch of different companies I poured in there, put it in the self cleaning, cleans out everything in the inner and outer tub, makes it smell clean and fresh, does a great job, gets rid of that soap scum.
Eric G.:The problem is with a top load machine, nobody cleans them.
Eric G.:So if you've ever taken one of these apart and you take the inner drum out, there's that outer drum that's back there.
Eric G.:Take a look.
Eric G.:It's nasty.
Eric G.:It has oils, body oils, soap scum, all this junk back there.
Eric G.:So what I would do is I would run that through a cycle in your top load machine as well on hot, get it as hot as you can, run it through there, let that go through that system and clean it out.
Eric G.:Because I tell you what, anytime you can get that junk out of there, that's what your clothes are getting washed in every single day.
Eric G.:So the more you can get that other junk out of there, the better off you will with a topload machine since you're only going to get it running on the highest water cycle you can in there because that's where a lot of that oils float towards the top.
Eric G.:So you want to make sure you're running it on a high load.
Eric G.:So make sure you do that.
Eric G.:Don't put the clothes in it, just run it through that way and that should help you out.
Eric G.:Now with a front load machine, you do have a filter on almost everyone out there that is changeable.
Eric G.:It is a drain filter.
Eric G.:So follow the directions on your unit, get down there.
Eric G.:Like on my lg, I've got a little thing on the front where I can open the door on my older GE actually had to take the front panel off, take a look at the directions on your unit to do that.
Eric G.:But if your unit is not spinning, if you run a load of towels and they're still wet, they're soppy, they're heavy when you pull them out, probably the filter that's plugged.
Eric G.:No need for a service call.
Eric G.:Drain the water out of it, clean it out.
Eric G.:It will make a mess.
Eric G.:So make sure that you follow the directions on how to take the water out of there.
Eric G.:Then you'll be good to go.
Eric G.:And then you can change that out.
Eric G.:It's not a filter you have to buy.
Eric G.:Just knock it out, clean it up, put it back in, and you're good to go.
Eric G.:Now, on the dryer side, this is an important one as well, because that dryer has one thing that you need to do.
Eric G.:Unless it's one of the new heat pump dryers, that's the only one that doesn't vent outside.
Eric G.:Now, I hope none of you are running a regular dryer and venting it into a building someplace.
Eric G.:Unless you want lots of mold and air pollutants, that's not a thing to do.
Eric G.:But with the dryers, you should be every year cleaning out that dryer duct.
Eric G.:And you can just jump over to Lowe's or jump online, pick up one of the flexible dryer cleaning ones.
Eric G.:I just turn my dryer onto on the vent, basically just an air dryer.
Eric G.:And then I'll run that up through there and get that cleaned up.
Eric G.:And every year I get a ton of buildup in there, and I've got a great dryer, so just get it out of there.
Eric G.:That also takes care of that, having a fire hazard there as well.
Eric G.:And the next important part is to make sure you don't have that plastic dryer duct.
Eric G.:That's not even dryer duct.
Eric G.:Guys, if you have that white accordion style on the back of your dryer, swap it out.
Eric G.:That stuff is flammable.
Eric G.:It is a fire hazard.
Eric G.:That stuff is not really meant for a dryer.
Eric G.:It is meant for doing ducting on, like, a vent fan, but it doesn't meet code for that either.
Eric G.:So it's just junk.
Eric G.:Put a metal one back there.
Eric G.:Because if you have a fire, that will actually stoke the fire and that plastic burns like nobody's business.
Eric G.:So put one of the metal ones on, you'll be good to go.
Eric G.:And that will take care of the dryer.
Eric G.:Now, when it gets into refrigeration, of course we know we got that filter that's always screaming at.
Eric G.:And I'll be honest, it seems like that filter.
Eric G.:They're in the money of selling filters because that filter goes really quickly.
Eric G.:So I wait a little bit on mine, but I've got really good clean water, so I don't worry so much about that.
Eric G.:I've had good water testing Here, so know what you're testing.
Eric G.:But I do change that filter from time to time just because I don't want anything growing in it or be an issue that way.
Eric G.:So do that.
Eric G.:But the thing that everybody forgets is cleaning out underneath it.
Eric G.:Down where the bottom.
Eric G.:On most refrigerators, unless you've got a built in unit, there's that little grill across the bottom of the floor, underneath the doors or the pull out, that there is where you have that big coil down there.
Eric G.:And so that's where the heat is coming out and that's dissipating into the room right there.
Eric G.:So you need to make sure and get all the dust bunnies, small animals, hair pieces, your uncle's toupee that's down there.
Eric G.:It's going to look absolutely horrible if you've never cleaned that out.
Eric G.:But that can burn up the fridge.
Eric G.:So make sure you clean that out periodically.
Eric G.:If you got pats, that should be every six months.
Eric G.:If you don't least do it once a year and get under there and get that cleaned out.
Eric G.:That'll make it a much better working system and it really makes a big difference on how it operates.
Eric G.:So no need to put a blanket around that down there when it's trying to be working correctly.
Eric G.:So that's a big one.
Eric G.:Now in the range, this is an interesting one.
Eric G.:Make sure of course you're keeping it clean, keeping the stuff off the glass, keeping that clean.
Eric G.:But did you know that you can on many ranges out there, you can actually adjust the temperature.
Eric G.:So jump online with your model number and see if there is an adjustment.
Eric G.:Many of the American brands, like your whirlpools, your GEs, that kind of stuff, you can actually put an oven thermometer in the oven, set it to 425, see where the temperature swings are and don't be shocked.
Eric G.:You could have a 50 degree temperature swing during that heating cycle.
Eric G.:But once it's the temp, you can go in there and go, holy smokes, this thing is way too high.
Eric G.:And you can on some of the digital ones, you can hit two buttons and change that up plus or minus 20 degrees, 30 degrees to get it more dialed in.
Eric G.:But then just remember, you're going to have to sit there and recalibrate all of your, you know, recipes you were doing because you were looking at it going, oh my gosh, I got to add 20 minutes to this.
Eric G.:Now you've reset all that.
Eric G.:So that's really the appliances there.
Eric G.:The other one is if you've got a garbage disposal and it gets a little funky smelling in there.
Eric G.:But what you can do is get a put some ice, you know, get a small bucket, get like three cups of ice, shove that down into your garbage disposal and then take half a lemon, throw that down in there, turn it on and run the water.
Eric G.:And that will really sanitize that citrus, will really kill stuff in there as well as the ice fills it up and moves it around in there and the ice breaks up pretty easily.
Eric G.:If you want to find out more about us, head to aroundthehouse online.com we'll be right back after these important messages.
Eric G.:Don't go anywhere.
Eric G.:Hey, this is Ron Keel, the metal cowboy from Keel, the Ron Keel Band and Steeler.
Eric G.:We are rocking or around the house with Eric G.
Eric G.:Raise your fist.
Eric G.:Welcome back to the around the House show, the next generation of home improvement.
Eric G.:I'm Eric G.
Eric G.:Thanks for joining me today.
Eric G.:If you want to find out more about us or you got a question for me, head over to Aroundthe House online dot com.
Eric G.:This hour is brought to you by our friends at Monty McGrills.
Eric G.: cleaning hacks for: Eric G.:And many of these things, I tell you what, are just getting on the cleaning a little bit early.
Eric G.:If you see something like we're talking barbecues here.
Eric G.:When you're out on the barbecue, if you let it get really bad, it's much harder to clean it versus just staying on top of it.
Eric G.:So take a look out there.
Eric G.:If you're, you're keeping the barbecue clean, just keep it clean and don't ruin the taste of it.
Eric G.:But at the same point, you don't need to have a barbecue fire because of all the grease and stuff out there.
Eric G.:So, you know, just use a little common sense and you'll be good to go.
Eric G.:Well, we've been talking about these cleaning things.
Eric G.:You know, we talking appliances.
Eric G.:We are going through, you know, dishwasher, front load, washing machine, refrigerator, dryer, range, all those, even the garbage disposal.
Eric G.:The next one here is a big one.
Eric G.:This is my coffee mug hack.
Eric G.:You know, you got that thermostyle or your insulated cups.
Eric G.:And if you drink coffee, you see the bottom of that thing, the stainless starts to get funky and it's hard to clean out here is what I do.
Eric G.:And this works really well.
Eric G.:So what I'll do is I'll take either dishwasher, detergent or one of the pods.
Eric G.:I use pods.
Eric G.:So I'll put a Pod in there and fill it up with hot hot water.
Eric G.:So I'll, you know, grab the stove, I'll get it about 140, 150 degrees.
Eric G.:I want that nice and hot, not too hot.
Eric G.:I don't want it boiling nice and hot.
Eric G.:Pour that in there, drop the pot in, close the lid most of the way and then put it up next to the sink on the counter right there and let those enzymes do the working.
Eric G.:That will take all of that coffee buildup in there and it has been foolproof for me.
Eric G.:Maybe it's my coffee if it should work for everybody out there.
Eric G.:But any of those stainless steel mugs like that where you've got coffee built up on the inside, it just eats that stuff out.
Eric G.:You can just take a white rag, clean it out on the inside, you'll go, wow, this thing is perfectly clean.
Eric G.:And so many of those you can't run through the dishwasher.
Eric G.:It works really well of cleaning that up.
Eric G.:So hot water, dishwashing pot or you know, or the detergent, you're putting way more in than you need, but that's just letting it do its thing and that will really clean that up.
Eric G.:So there's my little trick for cleaning up that coffee mug.
Eric G.:Now the next one here is a big one in the bathroom.
Eric G.:What can we do for cleaning tricks in the bathroom?
Eric G.:Well, we started to the hour talking about toilets for a minute about never use bleach in there.
Eric G.:Now you can use the cleaning chemicals and a scrub brush, you know, no problem.
Eric G.:You just don't want to use on any surface in there that is other than, you know, any of these hard surfaces.
Eric G.:Never use like the comets or any of those soft scrubs, any of those abrasive cleaners.
Eric G.:You will scratch.
Eric G.:It doesn't matter if it's cast iron, doesn't matter what it is metals.
Eric G.:If you're working with the grain, that'll do it.
Eric G.:But if there's a clear coat on it, it'll take that off.
Eric G.:So you want to use a good bathroom cleaner.
Eric G.:Turn the fan on in there while you're doing this.
Eric G.:Make sure that that's venting all the way outside and clean away.
Eric G.:You know, just use a good non abrasive cleaner and you'll be good to go on that toilet.
Eric G.:Sometimes you got to replace them when they get too beat up from lack of maintenance.
Eric G.:When that finish goes, you're just going to be cleaning that thing all the time.
Eric G.:So don't use the bleach, don't pour it in there.
Eric G.:You'll Be good to go.
Eric G.:So that's a big one at the toilet.
Eric G.:Now the shower can be a little more interesting depending on what your shower is made of.
Eric G.:If you've got tile and grout, if you don't have one of the new grouts that are self sealing on the grout, whether that are, you know, out of the box ready to go, then you probably need to go through there with a steamer and a scrub brush, maybe some grout cleaner and spend a few hours in the shower scrubbing away, getting that grout beautifully clean.
Eric G.:Now can you hire that out and have a company come do it?
Eric G.:Sure, they'll charge you through the nose for it, but that's what they do.
Eric G.:And then they'll come through and treat it and you can get some years out of that depending on the situation.
Eric G.:But steam scrub brush and just going after it and making sure that you seal it afterwards, let it dry, seal it and then you'll be good to go for a while.
Eric G.:Now if you've got caulking in there, that is discolored molding, just get your X acto knife in there, get your razor blade, clean that out, pull the caulking out and then come in with either a color matched or a clean silicone.
Eric G.:Never use a latex in the showers.
Eric G.:It's not going to work.
Eric G.:Go in there with that, you'll be good to go.
Eric G.:Pure silicone.
Eric G.:The trick with that when you're doing it is get some of that.
Eric G.:You know the metal spray cans that has the foaming window glass cleaner.
Eric G.:I put that over the top of it and then so I'll put the caulking down, nice clean bead.
Eric G.:I'll spray it out of the top, spray my hand with it and I can run my finger or the caulking tool and clean it up that way it cleans up better than latex if you use that because it doesn't stick that way.
Eric G.:Much easier to keep that looking good.
Eric G.:So use the spray.
Eric G.:And I've got that video over on, on the around the house Facebook.
Eric G.:You can see it over there.
Eric G.:There's a great trick that I do over there with that works out really well.
Eric G.:We did it in the show last year, so that's a great tip right there for doing that.
Eric G.:Now if you're going to be putting in a new shower, think of air Mata.
Eric G.:Airmada is a self drying system for that shower.
Eric G.:So all you do is you're putting in air jets.
Eric G.:There's a little fan system that goes in there and you can hit the button and in 15, 20 minutes you have a dry shower.
Eric G.:It is a must have.
Eric G.:If you have a steam shower, take a look at Airmada.
Eric G.:That will keep that shower so clean in there because it doesn't get a chance to get moldy or mildewy, especially when it's an enclosed shower system.
Eric G.:So take a look at that.
Eric G.:I have that in my showers and it is the only way to fly.
Eric G.:It's awesome.
Eric G.:You sure can't beat it.
Eric G.:So give a thought to that.
Eric G.:That's an important one if you're going to be redoing that.
Eric G.:So prevention is key with any of this stuff here.
Eric G.:You know, keep things clean if you can keep.
Eric G.:This is the other nice thing.
Eric G.:If you've got your water quality dialed in, you're not going to get the buildup on the shower doors and stuff where you can just be cleaning the soap scum off versus having water deposits that etch into the glass.
Eric G.:When it etches into the glass, you're replacing it.
Eric G.:There's not much you can do.
Eric G.:Sometimes it can polish it, but really when it's etched into the glass, you're toast.
Eric G.:So that's where you want to have a new shower door put in.
Eric G.:But before you do that, get your water quality dialed in so you don't have to worry about the hard water deposits.
Eric G.:They're going to be trashing everything.
Eric G.:Because really, no matter how hard you try, you're not going to out clean bad water quality.
Eric G.:And make sure you're testing that water.
Eric G.:You could have other stuff in there, especially on wells and things like that.
Eric G.:You know, all you need is radon in there and then all of a sudden you've got some serious issues with that.
Eric G.:So want to make sure that you can have radon in your water coming out of a well.
Eric G.:So just make sure you're good to go on that kind of stuff.
Eric G.:So test the water quality, make sure you know what you're dealing with and then you can deal with a filtration system that'll take care of what you want and leave the stuff in there that you need.
Eric G.:So that's a big one right there.
Eric G.:So just make sure you got that water quality dialed in beautifully.
Eric G.:Now the next one here, let's step outside for a minute.
Eric G.:That composite deck, they do make composite deck cleaners out there.
Eric G.:But I'll tell you what I do and this works out pretty well.
Eric G.:I will go out there in my area, in my climate this time of year, it gets slimy out there.
Eric G.:It just gets slimy because you get that kind of mildewy, mossy stuff starting to grow.
Eric G.:And so what do I have?
Eric G.:I have a truck cleaning brush on a stick, you know, like on a pole, like a broom.
Eric G.:And what I do is I get out there and I'll take dawn liquid soap, and I will go out there, wet the thing down, and then I carefully put the dawn right across the deck.
Eric G.:You know, I put maybe two cups on my.
Eric G.:On the deck out there of dawn I use a lot.
Eric G.:I go out there and then I just scrub it by hand.
Eric G.:You can use a pressure washer.
Eric G.:I'm not a big fan of using a pressure washer on it.
Eric G.:I like just doing it with that in a hose, and you're good to go.
Eric G.:If you've got a bigger problem, like with tree SAP or stuff like that, of course, you're gonna have to probably get into one of the deck cleaners and use something a little more harsh.
Eric G.:But for me, for just dirt and that kind of stuff, that tends to work really well.
Eric G.:And I just let it do its.
Eric G.:You know, I'll scrub it.
Eric G.:I'll let it sit for a minute.
Eric G.:I'll go over the top of it again and just basically mop the deck with that.
Eric G.:Looks great.
Eric G.:Hit it with the hose.
Eric G.:Good to go.
Eric G.:Got a clean deck.
Eric G.:And it's a good spring trip to do when it's icy out.
Eric G.:Not the day.
Eric G.:Not the day to do it.
Eric G.:Now let's step into the kitchen here.
Eric G.:When we come back, I've got some hacks there that'll save you some time and money as well.
Eric G.:We'll do that just as soon as around the House returns.
Eric G.:If you're new to the show, thanks for joining us today.
Eric G.:To find out more about us, head to aroundthehouse online dot com.
Eric G.:We'll be right back after these important messages.
Eric G.:Don't go anywhere.
Eric G.:All right.
Eric G.:Welcome back to the around the house show, the next generation of home improvement.
Eric G.:I'm Eric G.
Eric G.:Thanks for joining me today.
Eric G.:If you want to find out more about us, head to aroundthe house online dot com.
Eric G.:Make sure you check out all our social media channels as well as our two YouTube channels.
Eric G.:One for around the house northwest, and of course, the around the house show here that you're listening to today.
Eric G.: cleaning hacks for: Eric G.:But we're just going by room right now because I gotta jam these all in so we can get it in this last segment of the show.
Eric G.:So in the kitchen is A big one.
Eric G.:First off, make sure that you've got that range hood that vents outside.
Eric G.:And yes, it should always vent outside.
Eric G.:If not, that's a great DIY project.
Eric G.:Make sure that goes way outside needs to go out there.
Eric G.:That way you get that unhealthy air out of the house.
Eric G.:Make sure you clean that up in there.
Eric G.:Make sure you go through.
Eric G.:And again, if a lot of these more commercial style hoods, you could actually take the filters out after the big metal ones, run through the dishwasher and let that do the cleaning for you.
Eric G.:Or you can get in the sink and hot water and some sudsy water and get it cleaned up yourself.
Eric G.:But make sure that's cleaned up and looking good.
Eric G.:Last thing you want to do is have some kind of a hood fire because you had something burning on there and all of a sudden you catch that on fire.
Eric G.:So make sure you got that dialed in.
Eric G.:We talked about the appliances earlier in the show.
Eric G.:So make sure your dishwasher and your refrigerator and your range and your ovens and your cooktops all dialed in, looking good.
Eric G.:And then just make sure in your kitchen while you're working, if you're cooking something on the cooktop, always have that range hood on because that's a secret to keeping that space clean.
Eric G.:If you can get that oily, greasy, dirty air out of there, it's not going to be settling on other things in the kitch.
Eric G.:Now, when it comes to cabinets, you gotta be really careful with kitchen cabinet finishes.
Eric G.:You don't want to use any cleaners on them other than maybe a gentle soap and water, like a little bit of dawn or a little bit of dishwasher detergent like that.
Eric G.:Not the stuff you put in the dishwasher, but just washing dishes and a damp rag.
Eric G.:Because what happens is some of the finishes out there, if you use like Windex, some of these finishes will break down with ammonia style cleaner.
Eric G.:So don't use a glass cleaner anywhere near them.
Eric G.:That can be a problem if you know the manufacturer cabinets, find out what they use.
Eric G.:Many times, just a damp rag with a little bit of soap on it is all you need to get that done to get that cleaned up.
Eric G.:Water is going to be its major enemy.
Eric G.:So just use a little bit and be careful with the cleaners.
Eric G.:Now, one of the things that I always say, and I learned this from my friend Caroline Blazowski, America's healthy home expert, be careful with those cleaning wipes.
Eric G.:Those things give off so many dang chemicals out the lids of those snap lids.
Eric G.:I don't recommend them having in your house, they are nasty.
Eric G.:And that finish, that could hurt a cabinet finish.
Eric G.:So be careful with that.
Eric G.:But those things, even though they do sanitize, they do give off a lot of chemicals.
Eric G.:So use that at your own discretion.
Eric G.:Just know that is hurting the indoor air quality in your home.
Eric G.:So if you've got a few of those, Caroline will do an air test in your house and she could probably tell you by how many.
Eric G.:How high your chemicals are in the house, of how many those you have in your house.
Eric G.:So be very careful with the chemicals that you have underneath that sink and what's down there, because that could be contributing to your lower quality indoor air quality.
Eric G.:So something to consider there.
Eric G.:So keep the kitchen clean.
Eric G.:Countertops, be careful with wood cutting boards with meats and things like that.
Eric G.:And those might need to be sanitized as well with a good sanitizing spray.
Eric G.:There are sanitizing sprays that you can get out there to spray on things to make sure that they are clean and ready to go.
Eric G.:So other than that, just keeping that kitchen wipe down and keeping the tchotchkes out of there, anything that is clutter contributes to keeping that oily, greasy stuff in there.
Eric G.:And that'll help keep that kitchen clean and ready to go.
Eric G.:Next up in the garage is a big one.
Eric G.:And here are my quick tips on keeping this as clean as possible, especially doing woodworking projects.
Eric G.:If you like to cut wood, whether you're doing some framing or finish work or whatever, and you're working in the garage or around the house, invest in a good vacuum system.
Eric G.:I have had to switch over to one for a couple different reasons.
Eric G.:One, I am getting sensitive to certain woods.
Eric G.:I've been doing this a long time.
Eric G.:My skin is not happy with some woods like walnut, even fur, I have to be careful with it.
Eric G.:So in TV segments, you're going to see me covering up a little bit more and using more vacuums because I break out.
Eric G.:Looks like I get a sunburn from this and it's not good for me.
Eric G.:So these are things that I'm having to be a little more careful with as well.
Eric G.:So these, some of these woods are toxic out there.
Eric G.:So make sure that you're using the right vacuum system and a dust mask when you can.
Eric G.:For me, I get a little bit of a problem running desk mask because when I'm on camera, all it sounds like when I have a microphone on is this right here and nobody likes to hear me.
Eric G.:A muffled voice like that where you can't understand What I'm saying while I'm working.
Eric G.:So one of the things I have to do sometimes, but that vacuum system gets 80, 90% of that out of the way.
Eric G.:So it's a great thing for tackling that project.
Eric G.:Now, cleaning up messes on the garage floor out there, that's a good one.
Eric G.:Have a spray bottle of a good high quality degreaser.
Eric G.:You can get it at your favorite automotive store for any of those oily things that you get cleaned up there you want to get cleaned up.
Eric G.:That really works on getting those things cleaned up.
Eric G.:So you can get in there with some paper towels, get that oil up before it soaks in and you're good to go.
Eric G.:Now the other thing is too is make sure that you're storing all those dangerous chemicals outside of the garage.
Eric G.:So that way that doesn't work its way inside in an attached garage situation, because that will really come through that door.
Eric G.:So just make sure any of those harsher chemicals store them out in the shed outside so they're not getting inside the house.
Eric G.:But really keeping that garage clean, it's something I always have to battle.
Eric G.:But having the right tools to clean up messes out there is super important.
Eric G.:No matter what the project you're working on, have some, some cleaners and stuff available.
Eric G.:That way you don't have to go running for the store really quick.
Eric G.:And it's also good to have some goof off or things like that to pick up wet latex paint in case you spill it inside the house on a painting.
Eric G.:Have some things like that ready to go and you'll be good to go.
Eric G.:The other thing that I like is the crocodile wipes.
Eric G.:Those things are great for cleaning up.
Eric G.:They make them for barbecues.
Eric G.:The crocodile cloth.
Eric G.:Those guys are great as far as having cleanup stuff for your hands.
Eric G.:They've always supported me here in the show really well as far as sending products out for me to use.
Eric G.:It's what I use.
Eric G.:It's great stuff and it's a great overall cleanup tool.
Eric G.:You can get those at I think Home Depot online.
Eric G.:Most of the stores are carrying them now.
Eric G.:They're a big name brand.
Eric G.:Good stuff right there.
Eric G.:Now the next one here is a big one.
Eric G.:And this is mold.
Eric G.:If you've got mold on the wall, you've got mold in a shower.
Eric G.:First thing is don't go use bleaches.
Eric G.:Not the right chemical to use.
Eric G.:Don't use bleach to clean mold, period.
Eric G.:Don't use it.
Eric G.:There are plenty other cleaners out there.
Eric G.:Conchrobium I can say that is another good one out there.
Eric G.:There are great cleaners that will kill mold out there.
Eric G.:When in doubt, remove the product that is moldy.
Eric G.:Make sure that you test the mold to see what you're working with.
Eric G.:If you've got a lot of it there, test it to see what it is before you dive into it so you know what you're working with.
Eric G.:If you've got a serious mold issue in the house, I would.
Eric G.:First thing I would do is do some testing.
Eric G.:Get ahold of America's healthy home expert, Caroline Blasowski and her examiner.
Eric G.:She can do some mold testing in the house, air quality testing.
Eric G.:So that way you know what you're dealing with.
Eric G.:And the most important thing is when you're done, you think, okay, I got it cleaned up.
Eric G.:I've run the.
Eric G.:I've got fresh air in the house.
Eric G.:We're good to go.
Eric G.:Now you can see if it's hiding anywhere else.
Eric G.:If you still have mold, then you know it's still someplace to find and you can figure out and get your indoor air quality dialed in.
Eric G.:So that's a must right there.
Eric G.:But put the bleach away.
Eric G.:Don't use that for cleaning mold.
Eric G.:It doesn't work well.
Eric G.:The bleach actually has water in it.
Eric G.:So what doesn't kill on a surface that's porous, it actually feeds the stuff behind it.
Eric G.:And if there's anything left, it can just make it clear.
Eric G.:So then you don't see the mold.
Eric G.:It's still growing.
Eric G.:So stay away from the bleach.
Eric G.:Next one here is working with auto parts, and you're working on a car.
Eric G.:You need something.
Eric G.:Couple things you can do.
Eric G.:If you have a detached garage, you can get those parts cleaners run down to Harbor Freight.
Eric G.:Get one of those.
Eric G.:Get one of your favorite ones like that and use the.
Eric G.:The parts cleaner in those.
Eric G.:Just be very careful with what you put in those.
Eric G.:They can be flammable, the chemicals so that you don't want to have a bigger cleanup problem.
Eric G.:And the parts can be the.
Eric G.:The cleaner can be a disaster to try to get rid of.
Eric G.:That can be a hazardous material.
Eric G.:Sometimes it's just easier to take it down to your local machine shop and have them hot tank it and dip it for you, and you get it back clean.
Eric G.:That might be a better way to go when you're working on those projects with auto parts.
Eric G.:Now the other one here.
Eric G.:How do I clean up my boots?
Eric G.:My favorite thing is using my crocodile cloth hand wipes.
Eric G.:Those work so good because they're designed to not take all the oils out of your hands, which means they're not going to take all the oils out of your boots.
Eric G.:So I like to use those on the outside to get all the junk off the top for cleaning up those boots.
Eric G.:Those work boots that get just absolutely hammered.
Eric G.:So that is a great one right there.
Eric G.:I use those for that.
Eric G.:Usually with boots, unless you're absolutely crazy, you can use one cloth per boot.
Eric G.:And they do a great job of cleaning up those work boots and getting them looking a little bit better so you can get half the junk off them.
Eric G.:All that dirt and stuff just takes the oils out anyway.
Eric G.:Now you can treat them.
Eric G.:Then once you get them cleaned up, if you need to put more waterproofing on them or just throw some oil on them to make them look good again, treat them as needed.
Eric G.:But really, that's my hack is using those crocodile clothes, hand wipes for cleaning up boots.
Eric G.:It gets all the oils and junks off the top, Does a great job of cleaning them up.
Eric G.:All right, everybody, we're out of time.
Eric G.:Thanks for tuning in to around the house.
Eric G.:For more information, check us out@aroundthehousonline.com I'm Eric G.
Eric G.:Thanks for tuning in to around the house.
Eric G.:Happy new year, everybody.
Eric G.:Somewhere unseen and on disposal Discovered Any way out beyond the me Love is a love song let's be lovers we're all over the radio Take my hand out Nowhere to go all over the radio With.
