To clean that off with out lots of scrubbing, place a mug of water in the microwave, then heat on high for 1-2 minutes or until the food is loosened. The steam released from the water will weaken the hold of anything stuck to the inside. Afterward, just wipe down with a damp cloth, followed with a dry one.

*Remember to always cover your food to prevent the splatters*  If the dish you are using does not have a lid, you can place a paper plate, with holes poked in it for ventilation, over the top of it before heating it up.

Some foods leave nasty smells in your microwave, you can place a small dish of baking soda in the microwave (don’t turn it on), just let it sit in their for a little while, it will absorb any scents left behind from previous meals.

Be sure to remove the turntable (if there is one) and clean underneath it.  If it is glass, and it is dishwasher safe, you can place the turntable in the dishwasher for easy cleaning.

The interior is not the only thing that needs cleaning every once in a while.  The exterior, underneath and behind the microwave is exposed to the dust of everyday life.  Sometimes, the top of the microwave is used as a shelf for in-the-way-objects.  This is a good time to tidy things up a bit.

Clear off the top of the microwave, putting things in there places, of course.    *Ask for parental assistance in doing this next part please*  Unplug the unit and remove the turntable.  Move the microwave from it’s position and place on another sturdy, flat surface in your house.  Grab a dry dust rag and wipe away the larger amounts of dust and get another rag.  You can use cleaning liquid or just plain water.  Wipe away down the counter and the area around where the microwave sits.  Using a third rag, dry everything off.  Put the microwave back.

Before plugging the microwave back in, use the cleaning liquid to spray down the outside of the machine.  Using a dry rag, wipe off the front window, the keypad, the sides and the top.  Plug the unit back in and re-install the turntable.  Voila!  A nice, clean microwave.  Ready to be used!

Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter for deaf ministry, sings in a local choir, and is in training to be a homeschooling parent herself one day.

You will need to work quickly so that your food does not defrost and go bad.  Take all of the food out of the fridge.  Put all of the food that will perish quickly in an ice chest with a little bit of ice in the bottom of it.

Take all of the drawers outside.  You can use the hose and a little bit of cleaning solution to clean them.  Be sure to thoroughly rinse and dry all of the drawers before re-installing them.

While the drawers are still out of the fridge, use your favorite cleaning solution to spray down the entirety of the inside of the refrigerator.  Remember to completely dry it out before putting the food back.  If anything is left moist it may promote mold.

Re-install the drawers.  If your drawers have a crisping option, you can use that.  The lower setting is for fruit with tough skins, it will maintain firmness longer.  The higher setting is for vegetables, it will keep them crisp longer.

This would be a good time to organize your fridge.  At my house we organize it like this…

• Top left shelf is for anything leftovers.
• Top right shelf is for all of our bread items.
• Middle left shelf is for eggs, creamer and juice.
• Middle right shelf is for anything in a container that isn’t leftovers.  Sour cream, salsa, etc.
• Middle left drawer is for cheese and meats.
• Bottom right shelf is for larger containers of drink.  Milk, tea, etc.
• Bottom left drawer is for soda.
• Bottom right drawer is for vegetables and fruits.
• The door of the fridge is used for all condiments.  Butter, jelly, ketchup’s, mustard’s, etc.

The freezer is something that often is used to store large amounts of meats, fruits, vegetables and quick and easy lunch items.  Taquitos, chicken nuggets, etc.  You will need to gut out your freezer (transferring everything to an ice chest to prevent thawing) and throw away anything that is freezer burned or rotten.  Yes, even food in the freezer can go bad.

If your freezer has built up a thick layer of ice along the top, bottom and sides.  That is not a good sign.  You will need to scrape that off and throw it away (garbage disposal is best, since the ice will eventually melt and leave a bunch of nasty water that you do not want in your garbage can.  Just remember to run the water over your garbage disposal when you put anything down it to prevent items from getting stuck down in there.).

Use your cleaning solution and a dry rag to wipe out your freezer.  *Again, make sure that you dry the vessel out completely before putting the food back in there or else you will get those gross ice blocks back in there.*  Before replacing the food you can, if you want, purchase organizational containers from the office supply store.  Shelves, bins, etc.  putting them in your machine.

We also use the top of the fridge for storage.  To maintain organization we use those organizational containers from the office supply store to keep everything up there so that nothing falls down on top of us.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my organizational article!

Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter for deaf ministry, sings in a local choir, and is in training to be a homeschooling parent herself one day.