Heather Solos's Blog, page 12

Deep Cleaning Your Table/Dining Area

You’ll notice this week isn’t necessarily a whole room. Homes vary a lot. Some small apartments may have just a nook in the kitchen. Open floor plans may have a corner in a wide space. You get the idea. The goal today is to take control of that space and make it shine.

By now you know the drill, so grab your earbuds and load up your audio entertainment or gather the troops and make your plan.

Round up your supplies, which are the same as the last few weeks, except you may want to add paste wax if you want to do an especially thorough job on a wood table that needs some extra love. (See cleaning an extra grimy table for details).

Gather your Tools
A vacuum with a soft bristle attachment and an edge tool if you have carpetingWindow cleaner and paper towels or newspaperIf you have wood furniture polish and an applicator (rag) or paste wax (as mentioned above)A stepladder or sturdy chairMaybe a screwdriver (standard or Philip’s head, that’s the cross-type, depending) I really like the ones that you can flip the tip out for small jobs. They aren’t the best for big jobs though they will work for our purposes, which is usually just removing a light globe or tightening something loose we find while cleaning.Appropriate floor cleaner if you have tile or hardwoodDilute degreaserIf you have allergies, grab one of the masks we’ve been wearing everywhere. We’re going to raise some dust in the next hour or two. You’ll have a much better afternoon/evening.
Make Room to Work

If your household is anything like mine, horizontal surfaces are dumping grounds. Your first job is to clear the decks. (Not the literal deck, we’re talking metaphorical ones.) Find a permanent home for every orphaned item temporarily camping out on your table or other flat surfaces.

As always, we work top to bottom, left to right, wet to dry. There is a method to this madness. We knock the dust down and get rid of it. If we worked in any other order, we would be sending dust flying and sticking to damp things, undoing our work.

Clean the Light

So, start with your light fixtures and/or fan. Clean those light globes and replace any dead or missing bulbs. You can get used to living in a dim place and you’ll truly appreciate the light when it does shine.

And while we’re talking about light, every time I tell you to clean your light fixtures, I think of this lovely story by Dr. Bertice Berry, one of my favorite people to follow on Instagram.

I find it a good thing to roll around in my head regularly and when I’m cleaning up and letting the light into my home is just as good a time as any.

Dust Top to Bottom

So, now that you’ve finished your light fixture/fan, knock down any cobwebs and dust the top of any tall furniture like china hutches or book shelves.

Dust any drapes or remove them to be cleaned/washed. Use the soft bristle attachment on your vacuum if you’re vacuuming. If you have blinds, dust, then open them fully. Wash your window(s) if you have them.

Dust any picture frames or art.

If you have furniture like a china cabinet, buffet, etc. Dust and organize these working from left to right.

Thoroughly clean your table and chairs. How you approach this job is going to vary depending on what your table is made of and what kind of people you typically feed. If you have small children. I’m sorry, you’re going to be there a while, thems the breaks.

I hate chair slats, but the soft bristle attachment can usually get most of the crumbs that get caught in them.

Don’t forget to give the legs of your table a good look, too. While you’re down there, take a quick peek up at the underside of your table if you have kids and make sure none of them have added any gum to the fun. If so, scrape it off.

And the Floor, Dry to Wet.

Now comes our fun trip around the baseboards. You know the drill, soft bristle attachment, followed by crevice tool if you have carpet. If you don’t, just one trip with the soft bristle attachment should do, unless they are really bad. If they are grimy, a rag with a dilute degreaser should do the trick.

Rehang any curtains or drapes.

If you have carpeting or rugs vacuum those thoroughly. Finally, if you have tile, linoleum, or wood. sweep and damp mop as appropriate for the flooring.

*WHEW*

You just finished week six, you are over a third and nearly halfway done. Your home is starting to feel different now, isn’t it? Let yourself enjoy this.

Take stock in what you’ve accomplished so far:

A Deep Decluttering Kick-OffA Kitchen Deep CleanA Bathroom Deep CleanYou’ve Deep Cleaned Your Bed RoomThe Family Room has been Deep Cleaned

And today, you knocked out the dining room/area. If you think about it, these are the major areas in most homes. If you use the chore routine linked to that sticky note above, you’ll be able to keep these areas in good shape without herculean effort. Good habits make lighter work, and it’s annoying but true.

See you next week!

Deep Clean the Living Room, Family Room, Great Room or Den

Whether you call it the living room, family room, great room or den, that’s the room getting cleaned today.

The layout of homes has changed a lot over the years. All it takes is watching any home renovation show to hear plans of ripping out all the walls to open the space up. Now, after having been home with six children for more than a year, do you know what I would give for more doors on the main floor?

That said, today we are cleaning the living room is what’s happening today. We’ll define it as the one that probably has a TV or fireplace in it and usually does not, but may contain your dining room table, if you have an open floor plan. You may want to draw an imaginary line, because we will be tackling the dining room [area] another day.

Again, we will be working top to bottom, left to right, and dry to wet. And just like the past few weeks, don’t try to do this all at once. The mess didn’t get created in one day and if you don’t have the energy, you don’t have to fix it in one day. If you have other people in your home, make them help. Take breaks.

Load up your favorite podcast, music, or audio book and let’s get started!

Gather your tools:
A vacuum with a soft bristle attachment and an edge tool if you have carpetingWindow cleaner and paper towels or newspaperA microfibre cloth (for cleaning any electronic screens)If you have wood furniture polish and an applicator (rag)A stepladder or sturdy chairMaybe a screwdriver (standard or Philip’s head, that’s the cross-type, depending) I really like the ones that you can flip the tip out for small jobs. They aren’t the best for big jobs thoughAppropriate floor cleaner if you have tile or hardwoodDilute degreaserIf you have allergies, grab one of the masks we’ve been wearing everywhere. We’re going to raise some dust in the next hour or two. You’ll have a much better afternoon/evening. (When I say grab it, I do mean to wear it)
At the top:

Just like last week in the bedroom, if you have a ceiling fan with or without a light fixture, let’s start with that. Turn it off at the switch, remove any globes and clean those. If they are especially gross, a trip through the dishwasher will get them sparkling clean. Clean the fan blades next.

While you still have your stepladder or sturdy chair out, attack any cobwebs lurking in the corners.

Dust the tops of any bookshelves, window frames, or curtains, if you don’t plan on sending the curtains through the wash. You may want to use the soft bristle attachment to your vacuum for these dusting tasks. If you are going to wash your curtains, now is the time to take them down and get them started.

Continuing working our way down, vacuum any blinds, then raise them fully. If you have bookshelves dust your books and knick-knacks, only returning the items that you truly love. If you have a fireplace, now is the time to dust the mantle. If your TV is mounted to the wall, dust this carefully.

Halfway Down

We are now working somewhere between shoulder and waist-level so here’s where the rooms will really begin to differ based on who lives in your home. Have young children? You’re probably going to be spending some time with a magic eraser removing marks from the walls. No young kids? Enjoy going through your media collection and organizing it. (Maybe you’ve already converted to all streaming, yay you!). Teenagers who spend all their time playing video games. Put them to work organizing their cords and games.

Wash the windows.

Remove the cushions from any furniture and give the underside a good vacuum to get rid of all the crumbs left by the “No Mom, I never eat in the living room” crew. If you have leather furniture, clean and condition it. If your furniture is upholstered or microsuede, give it a good vacuum all over. If you don’t live alone, send someone outside to beat the dust out of the pillows before giving them a good vacuum.

Clear any end or coffee tables. Recycle any old magazines. If you were saving an entire magazine for that one recipe, just take a picture of the recipe, then get rid of it.

If there is a toy box… go through it. Godspeed, my friend. I know this pain. You may have better luck if you send your spouse out of the house with the kids.

Dust and polish any wooden furniture.

Finally at floor level

Pull the furniture you can manage away from the wall or better yet, make someone else do that. Marvel at all the things that have found their way behind and under these objects and clean this up.

Now it’s time for everyone’s favorite, baseboards! Again depending on your style and whether or not you have carpeting in this room, you can make one or two laps. If there’s just a light layer of dust and you have carpeting, switch back and forth between the bristle attachment and the crevice tool to tackle both the edge of the carpet and your baseboards in one go. If the baseboards are filthy, use a rag dampened with degreaser to clean them well.

Vacuum the room thoroughly if it is carpeted or sweep and mop with the appropriate floor cleaner if it is not.

Rehang the curtains, if you took them down.

Replace the furniture (or again, make someone else do this) and congratulate yourself on a job well done.

Fin.

Deep Clean Your Bedroom The Home-Ec 101 Way

Welcome to Week Four of the 14 Week Home-Ec 101 Spring Clean/Deep Clean. (Of course if you’re just here for ideas on how to clean your bedroom, you are always welcome.)

Make Room to Work

A clean bedroom can help start your day with a sense of peace and control, so if you didn’t clear clutter during week one, today I want you to do so without mercy. I am not talking about sentimental objects. I mean empty glasses on the nightstand, that pile of books that belong on the shelf or donated to the little library down the street.

The pile of clothes you’re never going to wear again because your office has now gone fully remote and your corporate headquarters are selling your physical branch? Just save a couple of pieces for interviews or for when it’s safe, and you want to work from a co-working space or Starbucks. We will get there; just not this week.

Should we talk about the clothes rack Stairmaster?

Don’t hang on to guilt. Find your inner Elsa and ♫ Let it go!

Gather your Tools
A vacuum with a soft bristle attachment and an edge tool if you have carpetingWindow cleaner and paper towels or newspaperIf you have wood furniture polish and an applicator (rag)A stepladder or sturdy chairMaybe a screwdriver (standard or Philip’s head, that’s the cross-type, depending) I really like the ones that you can flip the tip out for small jobs. They aren’t the best for big jobs thoughAppropriate floor cleaner if you have tile or hardwoodDilute degreaserIf you have allergies, grab one of the masks we’ve been wearing everywhere. We’re going to raise some dust in the next hour or two. You’ll have a much better afternoon/evening. (When I say grab it, I do mean to wear it)

Now load up your favorite music, audio book or podcasts and let’s get going.

Start Top to Bottom

If you have a ceiling fan, we’re going to tackle this first, but we’re going to be smart about it by moving the duvet or bedspread and pillows to another location first. You don’t need to sleep with the dust you’re about to raise.

Whether or not your have a fan attached, carefully remove the glass or globe. You may need a screwdriver for this task or it may be held in place with a fitter screw (the kind you can just twist with your fingers, and yes, I had to look up what they are called.) Take the glass or globe to a sink and carefully clean them. You will be amazed at the difference. When everything is reassembled.

While the glass is drying, climb back up and carefully wipe down the fan blades. It’s best to use a slightly damp rag (NOT soaking or dripping). I promise there are usually only 4 or 5 blades unless you have one of those fancy-pants expensive fans. Do not spray the fan itself with cleaner. It is an electric appliance. Use your rag to wipe down the motor base and remove the rest of the dust. Give any pull chains a quick once over, too.

Reassemble the light fixture.

Check the corners of the room for cobwebs and knock those down. If you have curtains or a valance in your bedroom your next step is going to be highly dependent on your available time and the care they require. If they are washable, you can run them through the laundry or you can vacuum them with the soft bristle attachment.

Next up is your window blinds, if you have them. Give them a good, but gentle vacuuming with your soft bristle attachment.

Then raise the blinds and vacuum all parts of the window with the attachment, before washing the window with window cleaner. If your window is in really rough shape. We’ve got help for that.

Every bedroom is slightly different, so I can’t give you a perfect checklist of what to do for the middle steps. Strip the bed, down to the mattress and give it a good vacuum. If you have a standard, coil spring non-pillowtop mattress, rotate the mattress according to where you are on the schedule (After three months you turn it so the head is at the feet and after another three months you give it a flip.) Other types of mattresses require different types of care, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Wash the mattress pad and sheets before replacing them.

Clean Left to Right

To keep some method to this madness of cleaning your bedroom, stand in your doorway, and approach your room in sections, working from left to right. The dirtier the room, the smaller the section. Organized adult? 6×6. Unsupervised teenager? 2×2. You know you, you decide.

Whatever size your square, don’t move on until that small section of floor is completely clear, the dresser top has been tackled, the mirror has been polished, or that shelf has been organized and dusted.

Once you have finished the cleaning and organizing portion, it’s time to deal with one of my least favorite parts of the bedrooms, the baseboards and, if you have carpet, the crevice between the carpet and wall. My method is to sit on the floor with the vacuum hose in hand with both the crevice tool and soft bristle attachment at the ready and work my way around the room, attacking both at the same time. You may prefer to do two laps.

Suppose the baseboards are filthy, perhaps because a dog likes to lean on that part of the wall. A dilute degreaser will take care of that. Of course, please test in an inconspicuous area.

Vacuum or sweep the rest of the room.

Final touches

Get a rag dampened with dilute degreaser and wipe the lightswitch plate, the door jam, and the area of your door around your door knob.

Make your bed.

Now congratulate yourself and take a few moments to enjoy your bedroom or take a nap, your choice.

Bathroom Cleaning 101: What you Need, What to Use and How to Use It

Heather says:

Thursdays mean clean bathrooms here on Home-Ec 101. Don’t believe me? Please check out the printable weekly chore chart or look at the ever-popular sticky note right there –>. 

What if you’re a Home-Ec n00b? Don’t be ashamed. We all start somewhere, and not everyone’s parental units taught them essential life skills like cleaning toilets.

It’s okay.

It’s what keeps this site going*. (Parents, don’t teach your kids anything, I’d like to be helpful for the NEXT generation, too.) I kid, please teach your kids to clean. . . Please? If for no other reason to get a break from doing it yourself for a few precious years. As my own kids slowly begin taking over chores, I’m starting to think that’s what empty nesters actually miss, the ability to persuade, bribe, or sometimes even just ask someone else to take over the chores we hate.

Today we’re going through a bathroom cleaning how-to. (Would anyone like this in video format? I can probably pull that off now)

How to Clean the Bathroom

Remember how to clean like a professional?

Say it with me: Top to bottom, left to right, dry to wet.

Before you choose your bathroom chemicals, I’d like to point you in the direction of the Home-Ec 101 Guide to Household Chemicals (I got rid of the ones you probably wouldn’t even think about using in the bathroom). DO NOT MIX BLEACH with anything. Got it?

How to Use Chlorine Bleach Safely
How to Use Rubbing Alcohol Safely
Hydrogen Peroxide and Oxygen Bleach (You’ll probably only use this stained grout)
Is Synthetic or Distilled Vinegar the Same as Cider Vinegar for Cleaning?
Is Vinegar a Safe Alternative for Chlorine Bleach
Use Caution with Homemade Cleaning Solutions and NEVER Mix Bleach and Vinegar
How to Use Bar Keepers Friend
What is Sodium Percarbonate (back to the grout)

So, let’s gather our bathroom cleaning supplies (this is for heavy-duty, deep clean, you don’t need ALL of these items every time, keep what you use daily in the bathroom if possible)

Broom (if the exhaust fan is dusty, you may want a foxtail or whisk broom and step ladder, or grab an old pillowcase and put that over the broom straw)
Vacuum preferably with a soft-bristled brush
Rags
Paper Towels or coffee filters or newspaper -for the mirror/window
Bucket
Mop
Grout Brush -if you have tile
Acid-Based All-Purpose Cleaner
Bar Keepers Friend -not for use on acrylic
Q-Tips
Squeegee -optional
Window Cleaner
Carnuba Wax – optional
Fan -if there isn’t a window/exhaust fan… bathroom cleaning should always be done in a well-ventilated situation.

Let’s get started with Bathroom Cleaning 101.

 

 

 

Take a deep breath (this is always a good idea BEFORE going into the bathroom), load up your playlist—I swear I’m going to get the Home-Ec 101 Cleaning Playlist done one of these days; until then, make a fun list on Spotify. I like Glee to an embarrassing degree. We all have our dirty little secrets.

Now open the bathroom door all the way and then open the window or turn on the exhaust fan.

I used to clean a lot of bathrooms—three at home and six at work. Thankfully my kids generally aren’t as nasty as drunken men, but sometimes. . .

Clear the room. Put all of the items on the vanity or counter somewhere else. Take any rugs that need to be washed straight to the laundry, unless you tend to clean down the rabbit trail and in that case, just ditch them outside the door. Do the same for any hanging towels. Don’t forget to clear out the “library materials,” too.

Start at the top.

Put the pillowcase over the broom straw and knock down any cobwebs. Grab your foxtail or the vacuum with the soft bristle attachment and vacuum the exhaust fan.

Wipe the light fixtures with a rag. If they are particularly gross, run them through the dishwasher or use glass cleaner applied to the towel, not sprayed onto the fixture to clean the globes and all-purpose cleaner to clean the fixture itself. Accidentally break a light bulb off in the socket? We can help. Replace any burnt-out bulbs while you’re in there unless that would make your ADD go into high gear.

Sweep off any dry dust and hair debris from counters and ledges. Then thoroughly sweep the floor. If you knocked a lot of dust bunnies into the shower pan or tub and it is COMPLETELY dry, go ahead and use the vacuum to suck up that fun mess. Just in case I’m not clear, I mean the vacuum tools, not picking up the entire appliance and putting it into the tub. Got it?

We now conclude the dry portion of your bathroom cleaning project.

Put your toilet cleaner into the bowl. If it’s the kind with the angled neck, you can just squirt up under the rim and call it good for the moment. If not, add the cleaner to the water and give a quick scrub with the toilet brush to make sure there is cleaner all over the bowl’s INSIDE, especially up under the rim. You are not done cleaning the toilet, but close the lid anyway and move on. Chemicals need time to work, and the more you let your cleaner work on its own, the less physical scrubbing you’ll have to do.

If it has been a very long time since you have cleaned your toilet, check out: How to clean a very dirty toilet for some in-depth directions.

Do your painted walls need to be cleaned? Dilute white vinegar should do the trick. Always test in an inconspicuous area, especially with flat or matte finish paints.

Spray your cleaner of choice onto the sink and counter or vanity and, like the toilet, give it a moment to work, unless you like scrubbing at toothpaste deposits.

Next Up – Clean the shower and tub. (Here’s a handy list of tub and shower cleaning related articles)

How to Clean Up After a Toilet Overflow
How to Clean the Bathtub
How to Clean a Very Dirty Bathtub
How to Clean Tile
How to Repair Stained Grout
How to Clean Cultured Marble
How to Clean a Jetted Tub
How to Get Rid of Hairspray Residue
How to Get Rid of Pink Shower Mold
How to Clean Moldy Shower Tile
Hard Water Spots in the Shower
Why Do Hard Water Spots Come Back?

And back to the sink vanity and mirror. Again with the left to right, top to bottom thing.

Spray and wipe the mirror, and then use paper towels or rags to finish cleaning the sink and surrounding area. While you’re at it, give the cabinet -if you have one—a good cleaning. Q-Tips can definitely come in handy for this portion of your bathroom cleaning adventure. Here’s how to clean those tight little cabinet corners. (Yes, at one point Q-Tips did sponsor some content, and this is my old bathroom, from 9 years ago, ha!)

Don’t forget behind the faucet and the holes designed to keep your sink from overflowing, as those areas can get pretty funky.

Is your sink not draining properly? It may be time to clear out the trap, which is a pretty easy project and should take less than ten minutes.

And here we are, it’s time to clean the toilet.

How to Clean a Toilet

And for that horrible area behind the bolts that attach the seat, I’ve got another suggestion:

Now grab one of your rags, preferably NOT the one used on the toilet. Spray it with a little of your all-purpose cleaner or dilute white vinegar and wipe the grime off the toe boards/ molding. Grab your mop and give the floor a good going over, paying particular attention to the area around the toilet, ESPECIALLY if you have boys or men in the house.

How to Mop
How to Choose and Clean a Mop

Tips to keep your bathroom squeaky clean!

Replace all of your bathroom towels, rugs/mats after the floor is completely dry and call it a day.

Regular maintenance will prevent this chore from needing this level of intensity in the future.

I need a nap.

Send your domestic questions to helpme@home-ec101.com .

The Deep Kitchen Clean-Up

Welcome to Week 2 of the Home-Ec 101 Spring Cleaning event. This week we are doing a deep clean of the kitchen. To make this project easier, I created a checklist. If you like to work from a checklist. I’ve got you covered, I turned it into a printable. (I am not a designer, this is a functional printable. There may even be a typo. Award yourself one internet if you find it. Award yourself a dozen internets if you control yourself and don’t point it out to me, it’s been a long week.)

Click here to access a detailed checklist to help you deep clean your kitchen.

I do know that not everyone has the same abilities.

Some of you may not have the physical abilities to climb a step ladder due to balance issues or mobility differences. Tackle what you can, there’s no competition.

The checklist is just so you know what you’ve done and know what you may want to ask for help with later.

Additionally, some of you are geographically challenged and it isn’t going to actually be warm for some time. So, please note that while we are doing a quick cleaning of the floors while we are in here, the floors themselves are something we will revisit later.

Why?

I know some of you live in snow country, and that snow is still very possible, which means dirt and mud are still being tracked in. One late snowstorm could undo all of your hard work. We’ll try to avoid that since I’m not here to create frustration.

Finally, yes, there is a quick fridge clean out, but there is not a deep fridge clean out? :drum roll: this is another week in our spring cleaning challenge. I don’t want today’s activity to take your entire Saturday.

I know this list is quite detailed, I’ve got teenagers.

Over the last few years, I’ve learned that if I want a job done to my standards, I must list each task or don’t get done. I actually had to shorten our home’s list to get it to fit on one page. The one for our kitchen has to list each counter and each appliance individually. I think you’ve got this, right? Right.

Not everyone’s home is the same. I understand that some people live in small apartments and some people live in large houses with many rooms. So for today keep the following in mind:



If your pantry is part of your kitchen (I consider your spices part of your pantry), we’ll be dealing with that section another day. If you have an eat-in kitchen and no dining room, you can save the thorough cleaning of your table for the dining room day, because we’ll tackle that later, too.

For some of you, this will be a big job because you have let mess accumulate for a long time. For some of you, even though there’s a lot of writing, it’s going to be a breeze. Ready, set, go!

Gather your tools and people who help create messes:

To clean the kitchen we need:

Rubber gloves, preferably with cuffsdegreaser/ all-purpose cleaner I like Pine-sol for nostalgia reasons and Method Pink Grapefruit wherever a spray works bettera bucket (or if you have a double sink, you can use half of that for everything but the mopping)rags and probably a few paper towelsa vacuum, hopefully with a soft brush attachmenta brooma dustpana mopwindow cleanerclosed-toe shoes*

*Not optional, you are working in a room with knives and glass and there’s still a pandemic happening. Do you want to go to the ER right now? I don’t think so.

How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen
Make Room
Clear the dirty dishes

We start with the dishes to create some space. If this dishwasher is clean, unload and load it. Wash and dry any remaining dishes, but do not put those away. You’ll just be pulling those out later, so why create more work?

Silverware and utensil drawer(s).

Remover the silverware/utensils, vacuum out the crumbs, then wipe out with either an all-purpose spray or a very dilute degreaser. Yes, you can use 50:50 vinegar and water, if this is your preference. Replace the contents.

Cupboards

Then the glassware cupboard, empty it, wipe the shelving and doors with degreaser. Use glass cleaner if you have glass panes (not on the glassware itself, please). Then, replace the glassware.

Next up, the dishware cupboards, empty, wipe, replace. (Sense a theme?) This should take care of most of the dishes you unloaded earlier. If you had a bunch of pots, too skip ahead and take care of the interior of the lower cupboard (I’m assuming here) that holds those.

The goal is to get everything clean put away before we get to the probably mess spreading next step.

Top to Bottom/Dry to Wet

First, remove any cobwebs in the upper corners.

Then if you aren’t lucky enough to have soffits that prevent you from pack-ratting and you have been using the top of your cabinets for storage, clear that stuff out. (If you didn’t last week, if you did, YAY past you!)

Dust thoroughly. Start with vacuuming. Unfortunately, you will probably also need your degreaser. Cooking creates floating grease particles, which creates a sticky film for the dust to stick to.

Unload and wipe/vacuum the top of the refrigerator while you are either standing on your counters or a stepladder/sturdy chair.

Clean your light fixture(s).

The Refrigerator

One shelf or drawer at a time, remove the items. Get rid of expired items and things you KNOW you aren’t going to use. It’s okay, you didn’t like the curry paste, let it go. Wipe down the walls and the shelf or drawer.

FYI: If you have a tricky shelf or drawer that you can’t figure out how to remove, search for a YouTube tutorial. I guarantee you someone has figured it out and posted it. I have a Samsung refrigerator with apparently the most maddening shelf of all time. These videos were all made by people who were frustrated after spilling something and getting soda (or salsa one week after we got it in our case) trapped under the glass.

The microwave is next. This one is easier if you fill a microwave safe bowl with water and add a quarter to a half cup of vinegar. Place the bowl in the microwave and set it for five minutes. Leave it for an additional five minutes before wiping it out. This is usually enough to soften whatever cooked on spatters you have. You may need to repeat this a couple of times if you have been especially careless or it has been a long time since you’ve wiped out your microwave.

Tackle the stove while the microwave does its thing. Today we’re just doing the outside. We’re saving the inside for another day. If you have a very dirty smooth top, you can address that now or save it for when we come back to this appliance. It’s up to you.

Work from Left to Right

Clear each counter space and get rid of any accumulated junk (Congratulate yourself if you gave yourself a headstart last week). Wipe down that section of the counter with your degreaser, as well as the backsplash and/or wall behind it. Then wipe down all of the items you removed and replace only the ones that belong. Yell loudly at the people who left their stuff to come and get it. Just kidding, they should be there helping, speak to them like a reasonable human being.

Clean and shine the sink and faucet. Use window cleaner cleaner if you want to give it that extra sparkle.

Thoroughly wipe down the rest of your appliances and windows/doors.

Clean the kitchen table and chairs, if you have one. (We will be revisiting tables and chairs, so this is a crumb removal not a deep clean and polish).

Vacuum with the crevice tool under every cupboard and as far in between and behind every appliance as you can manage.

Sweep.

Mop.

Congratulate yourself, you’re done.

Spring Cleaning Clutter Clearing Kick-Off

Sorry, my oldest son has been playing football for twelve years. Sports references now slip in whether I want them to or not. It’s been one heck of a year, and we are not quite done with everything COVID has to throw at us, but that light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter every day.

Don’t tell anyone, this I’m even starting to get very hopeful that it’s not a train.

We just hit a milestone this week with over 100 million doses delivered in the US. We still have a long, long way to go, but this is a big…shot in the arm, so to speak.

So, as the days are getting longer, let’s begin to shake off the winter blues and dig out from under the weight of all the things. We may not be ready to start celebrating, but we can start getting ready. Eventually, we can have company again, won’t that be nice?

Today is the first day of Spring making it perfect for our launch. Today we’re going to hit the ground running with a hard-and-fast, take-no-prisoners tear-through-the-house and get rid of clutter removal spree.

I want you to start this project with a big win, so…

I’m going to link to a bunch of previous organizational challenge posts to help you , but what I really want you to do is go room to room and get rid of everything:

you don’t like you don’t need or is just garbage that hasn’t been managed because of well, everything.

Speaking as someone who has just had to coach a constipated toddler through potty training, I promise, you are going to feel so much better when this is all over.

Why are we starting our spring cleaning with clutter clearing?

Because today—gestures upward at the chore sticky note—is Saturday, which means it’s project day.

Or did you not mean it like my teenagers—why do we have to at all— and want to know why we’re starting with getting rid of things instead of digging in and just cleaning the dirt?

Well, I’ve talked about the difference between organized, sanitary, and sterile before. It’s a lot more work to clean around your excess stuff than it is to get rid of it before you start to clean. So this kick-off clutter clearing is to make the next projects so much easier. The more you can get rid of, the easier your job will be.

You can Marie Kondo this if you would like, but I personally find it much easier to just clear the decks with ruthless abandon. I don’t get sentimentally attached to very many objects though. I have a couple of things from each kid when they were babies, but I’m more of a take a picture and move on kind of person. The kids get to keep (to a point) what matters to them. You may need to take a more measured approach. Know yourself before you start, so you don’t regret your strategy later.

What do you need for this clutter purge?
Large trash bags, large plastic bins/totes, or heck even cardboard boxes to separate items bound for different destinations. A timer.A little get up and go.
How long will this clutter clearing project take?

How much stuff do you have, how big is your home, and are the type to carefully consider each item or toss and move on?

I’m not psychic, I can’t answer that. You may not finish today, that’s ok, I am going to set this Spring Cleaning Series up as a get my act together (I’m still working on the name) email series that you can sign up for and repeat as many times as you need to. So, if you don’t get it done in the maximum of two hours I recommend you spend on it today? Don’t fret, you can come back to it.

Your stuff isn’t going anywhere, and frankly, neither am I.

Getting started.

This is where the timer comes in. You have one right there on your phone. Work on today’s project in 10 – 20 minute chunks of time, depending on your attention span/patience. Take a break between each session—to be clear, that’s a restroom break, a drink of water, find a new podcast/playlist, break up kids bickering over why they have to help, not a sit-down and binge the entirety of Law and Order SVU break.

Where to Start?

It doesn’t matter.

Here are some ideas from a previous organization challenge we did. Don’t try to do them all today. Just pick one as a starting point, grab your bags/bins and begin.

The entryway or dining room table is a great place. A lot of unnecessary trash piles up in both places. Get rid of junk mail immediately.

How about that shoe closet or coat closet? Do you really need that many pairs of shoes saved for yard work? Do you even do the yard work?

Head to your kitchen, can you see your counters? Open your pantry, how much of that is way past its expiration date? Dare you open your storage container cupboard? Will an avalanche happen?

Your closet? What clothes are you honestly never going to wear again?

The laundry room? The linen closet?

And then, if you have them. . . the kids’ rooms those are a treasure trove of clutter. The catch here is you need to engage their help. It’s unkind to just get rid of their stuff without their consent, unless they are very, very young. If they are so young that they are still in the out of sight, out of mind phase, involving them is crueler than not.

If your kid has been having a hard time due to the shutdowns, it would not be surprising if they are overwhelmed and their rooms likely show an effect of that overwhelm. Help them and be patient. I know it’s hard. Hang in there, I know exactly how hard it is.

If you share your home with others, get them involved, make it a challenge. No one likes looking at other people’s junk. Bribe the kids if you have to, it’ll be worth a trip to the Sonic drive-in or ordering a pizza for a treat if that is their currency. Maybe some extra screen time or a trip to the park. You know what will work. Use it.

Remember, today is not about finishing anything.

Today is only about getting rid of as much of your home’s excess as you can in two hours. The linked articles above are just for brainstorming.

Donate what you can, recycle* what you can’t, and take the rest straight to your county’s convenience site if you have one or set them aside for trash day.

*Best Buy usually has some boxes near the front of the store where you can take all those cords that you have no idea why you still have them.

Ready?

Set.

Go!

A Guide to Kitchen Disinfection and Sanitation

Hi, Home-Ec 101,

I just read your article on Hydrogen Peroxide. I just love your website!

I was wondering what you use to disinfect/sanitize your kitchen counters. I am trying to find something natural and have a hard time finding information on what actually kills bacteria, germs, etc.

I read one way to kill bacteria/germs is to first spray with vinegar and wipe and then spray with hydrogen peroxide and wipe. But no info on how long you leave it on before you wipe.

Do you know? Do you know if this kills bad stuff?

Thanks for your help; I really appreciate it!

Signed,

Squeaky Clean in Squamish

Heather says:

Thank you for your kind words. When it comes to food safety, I think it’s important to understand that while I understand not wanting to expose ourselves to unnecessary chemicals. I also know that food poisoning can be a nightmare, especially in infants or those with compromised immune systems.

Important note:

If you take an acid inhibitor, you have a compromised immune system.

Your stomach’s pH level is one of the body’s first lines of defense against food-borne pathogens. All of those guidelines about under-cooked shellfish, meat, and eggs are referring to you.

While your body’s defenses are not as compromised as someone undergoing chemotherapy or taking anti-rejection medications, it does matter.

What microorganisms are you most likely going to run into in a kitchen?*

Keep in mind, this is just a brief overview and should not be used to cram for your microbiology exam.

First, we have our good friend E.coli. This guy is actually a diverse range of bacteria. Just like people, some are helpful and friendly, and then there are a few who are not. Infectious strains of E. coli can be transferred on produce, by people who are sick, and on raw meat. An E. coli infection is generally mild–but don’t tell someone currently suffering that diarrhea and cramps are “mild”– an adult will usually recover in about a week. However, children and the elderly take a little longer and are more likely to develop complications that affect the kidneys.

Next up, we have Sal. . . you know, salmonella? This bacteria is associated strongly with chickens’ intestinal tract, and contamination can occur from the meat or eggs. These nasty bacteria also produce diarrhea and cramps. Salmonellosis is a bit more severe, and it can take a bit longer for everything to return to normal and reactive arthritis is a potential complication. Again, young children and the elderly are more at risk with this bacteria. A word of warning, reptiles are also known carriers of salmonella, and generally, young children and infants should be kept away from them.

These are the two most widely recognized kitchen pathogens, but there are a few more out there.

Campylobacter is another diarrhea-causing bacteria. This one is probably the most common, but most people don’t go to the doctor over it, so it is believed to be widely unreported. While it doesn’t take many of these little guys to make a person sick, these bacteria are also extremely fragile, and the most basic hygiene practices will generally prevent an issue.

Listeria is more complicated. Only about 1600 people a year become infected with listeria annually. But this bacteria is especially problematic for pregnant women. The infection can cause miscarriage and is the 3rd leading cause of death by food poisoning.  As listeria is most commonly associated with not-cooked foods, the CDC and public health services work to quickly identify and eliminate the source of outbreaks. It is a special snowflake, and there is not much you, as an average consumer, can do to avoid listeria other than not eat foods most commonly linked to the bacteria. That said, even some produce has been listed as the source of an outbreak. Follow guidelines and hope for the best. Sometimes as people, we’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not too long ago, Blue Bell Ice Cream was the source of an outbreak.

To keep your kitchen safe and clean, there are a few basic guidelines to follow:
WASH YOUR HANDS

This one doesn’t even get a number.

Wash your hands before you cook.After touching raw meat or eggs.Before you handle cooked foods. And again, just one more time to be sure.

Plain old soap and warm water will do. Anti-bacterial soaps may do more harm than good in the long run.

The FDA has a campaign called Fight Bac that breaks food safety down simply.

1. Keep refrigerated foods refrigerated.

Cold temperatures do not kill the bacteria, but they do reduce the rate at which they reproduce. A person is less likely to get sick if they only come in contact with a couple of bacteria than if the bacteria have the chance to grow unhindered.

2. Wash your produce.

Bacteria are not supervillains. If bacteria is on produce, it can generally be rinsed off.

3. Prevent cross-contamination.

When chicken or other raw meats are in your refrigerator, they should be stored on the lowest possible shelf to prevent any liquid from dripping onto other food products.

Use separate cutting boards. Different colors are super useful to prevent accidental contamination.

Wash cutting boards thoroughly with warm, soapy water, rinse, and sanitize. This three-step process ensures that bacteria are removed from the surface, and any hiding in tiny crevices are killed, too.

4. Avoid the bacterial danger zone.**

This is especially important when serving food. If food should be refrigerated, it should not be at room temperature for more than two hours. If food is served hot, it should not be below 130°F for more than two hours.

The range in-between 40°F and 130°F is known as the danger zone.

5. Reheat leftovers thoroughly.

Get those leftovers above the bacterial danger zone to kill anything that may have set up camp in your food.

Cleaning Up

Finally, to get to the specifics of your question.

When sanitizing your cutting boards and counters, you have three solid options to prevent contamination.

1. Distilled 5% vinegar –

Undiluted – heated to 130°F.

Spray on the surface and allow to sit for one minute before wiping.

Room temperature distilled vinegar needs to sit for 10 minutes and is not effective against Listeria or E. coli.

2. Dilute Bleach – (read about diluting chlorine bleach properly)

The solution should be sprayed on the surface and allowed to sit for one minute before wiping.

3. Food Grade 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

Heated to 130°F – sprayed on the surface and allowed to sit for one minute

Room temperature hydrogen peroxide is effective against salmonella after ten minutes but not E. coli or listeria.

Please note that food-grade hydrogen peroxide is not the peroxide you find in the pharmacy. Be careful with undiluted food-grade hydrogen peroxide and follow all instructions to the letter.

My personal choice is to use diluted chlorine bleach. I’m comfortable with the process after spending years in commercial kitchens.

*I’m not covering parasites today. We’ll save that fun for another day.

**Yes, I have Top Gun flashbacks every time I write the phrase “Danger Zone.”

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

References:

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-co...

https://food.unl.edu/safety/salmonella

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/lab-bio/re...

http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIlln...

Know Your Neighbors: Emergency Preparedness 101

Today’s topic has several meanings.

First, know your literal, next-door neighbors.

Know their names and phone numbers. Yes, this means you might have to introduce yourself after having lived in your neighborhood or apartment complex for several years. (If your neighbors are a little weird, maybe use a Google Voice number so you don’t have to change your real number later.) Do it, just find a reason. Heck, blame me, I can take it. I’ve got four teenagers, everything is my fault anyway. UGH, I am the worst.

Know so you can call them if you get stuck in a ridiculous traffic jam and can’t get home to let poor Fido out.

Know your neighbors so that you can pick up their packages. I mean, really, you signed up to NextDoor and heard about the porch pirates in the area. You also know they don’t get home until late in the evening, and you saw the FedEx truck arrive early in the day. You don’t want them to worry when their package isn’t there when they get home. Please smile at their Ring camera AND send a text when you pick up the package. I mean YOU aren’t a porch pirate and don’t want to end up with your photo on Nextdoor, right? Right.

Also, know them so you can check-in if you don’t see them for a while to make sure everything is okay with them. If you have an elderly neighbor who is normally out tending her plants and the plants start looking poorly and she didn’t mention going to visit her grandkids, give her a call. Maybe she is on vacation and just forgot to ask someone to keep an eye on her plants, but aren’t you glad you asked?

Know your GEOGRAPHICAL neighbors.

You have a battery-operated weather radio, right? Right. How can you make sense of that monotone voice if you don’t know your neighboring counties and their general direction? Where is Rutherford County? Is that to our North northwest? or South southeast? Do we have to go sit in the closet now? See, knowing will help determine how long you spend in a stuffy closet or chilling in a storm cellar if you are lucky enough to have one of those.

How much is enough? It depends on where you live.

If you are out in the plains states, well, your monster tornadoes can go a long way even though your counties are gargantuan.

If you’re in New England, your states and counties are pretty tiny so severe weather can impact quite a few counties as it moves through.

I can’t think “Tri-State Area” without hearing Doofenschmirtz, one of my favorite villains of all time, thank you very much, but I think it’s a pretty reasonable range to be at least a little familiar with IF you are in a smaller state or near a border of a couple of states. If you are in the middle of a big state with gigantic counties—looking at you, Texas—know Texas.

But Heather, where can I find a resource to learn the counties in my state? Don’t worry your pretty little head; I’ve got you covered. The 2000 Census has an excellent resource with a list of state by state county outline maps. If this gets updated, I will update the link.

Know Your Physical Neighbors, Wherever You Are

This is being written in 2021 after many of us haven’t gone many places beyond the grocery store in the last year, but it counts even in the grocery store. Ask me sometime about my ridiculously bad encounter with a terrible person* at Aldi’s a couple of months ago. All I’m going to say publicly is you have probably never seen Aldi’s open up so many registers so quickly. There’s a six-foot guideline for a reason, and she had no idea I had that much emotional baggage hidden in my cart in addition to that week’s worth of groceries for a family of eight. She needed to step back; I had nowhere I could go. I had made the mistake of letting someone in my bubble without paying attention, and I was too wrapped up in making sure I had everything on my list.



*She could have just been having a bad day. I know I’d just been about to ask if she wanted to cut me in line when things went sideways.

The point is always to be aware of who is around you when you are out and about. This counts for in traffic, too. The next time you are out driving, pay attention to how many signs have been damaged by people just going off the road. Maybe they had to stop suddenly to avoid hitting another car, or perhaps they were driving under the influence. I don’t know. All I know is that just on the drive from here to my kids’ school (only a few miles), we see the evidence of a LOT of single-car accidents in the mornings. We don’t have that many deer, so it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to deduct inattentive driving or driving under the influence as a likely part of the problem.

This awareness doesn’t count only for yourself. Pay attention, and don’t be scared to make a scene if you have to. That scene may matter. Be a little nosy. Watch those interactions.



This scenario is pretty stereotypical, but it’s just an example scenario, so bear with my heteronormativity (as I’m sure my kids will fuss at me for):



Did that guy buying that tipsy girl another drink arrive with her? Go ahead and take a slight detour to the restroom when she goes to make sure she’s okay. (If you’re not a female home-eccer, obviously don’t follow her into the restroom. Check-in with the bartender and ask a couple of questions.) The important thing to remember is this. You can always apologize for being a little nosy. You don’t want to bear the burden of staying silent if something happens and you didn’t say anything.

This next part is very important and has to be said:

There is a caution I want to add to the first and last situations, and it’s going to be a little hard to phrase correctly because I am white and therefore privileged in ways that I often take for granted. When I say be nosy, I don’t mean you should interfere in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) existing and going about their lives. A BIPOC person walking down the street is not suspicious and just because you don’t recognize them is no reason to report it on Nextdoor or to the police. Stop and think. If the person were white and doing exactly what this person is doing, would it cause you concern? No? Move along and mind your own business. We ALL have biases. If we are ever going to improve as a society, it’s critical to allow ourselves time for second thoughts to check and question our first thoughts before speaking or acting. There’s too much hate in this world, don’t add to it.

Emergency Preparedness 101: How to Evacuate Safely

Two things before we start this basic how to evacuate safely discussion.



Please note that this is a beginner look at emergency preparedness. It’s for those who are just beginning to think about how they or they and their families will handle an emergency and isn’t the place to show off how awesomely prepared you are and how you’ve got this down to a science. Yay, you, be nice if you have suggestions.

Additionally, note that we’re at what is hopefully the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of this writing. Some of the advice here will relate to that. After the pandemic is officially over masks may not be necessary, other sanitation suggestions will always apply to shelter situations where many households are staying in fairly close quarters.

Ready?

Often we have some warning before evacuations. Living in hurricane country, I’m pretty sure that “cone of uncertainty” is responsible for a lot of stress eating in the late summer and fall. (That’s the peak of the season.) If you live in an area known for flooding, you can generally see the weather patterns that will bring the heavy rain that can cause the water to rise, or dam inspectors may find stress fractures that indicate a dam is no longer safe prior to it giving way. Those of you who live in wildfire country know which way the wind is blowing, so you may have a couple of hours before having to leave.

But, there are also times when we don’t have a warning that we’ll have to evacuate, a chemical spill on a highway or train tracks, a fire at a chemical plant, the aftermath of a tornado, or earthquake are all examples that come to mind.

What to do?

Have an evacuation plan.
Where will you evacuate?

First, have conversations now. What friends or family members could take you, your family members (if you don’t live alone), and your pets, on short notice, if you have to evacuate? Which friends or family members could you take in if they had to leave their homes on short notice? Offers of reciprocation make these conversations much easier to have.

Will it be comfortable? No. Will it be a good time? No, everyone will still be stressed out of their minds, but at least there is one less thing to worry about, a safe place to stay.

Remember, if you have to evacuate and combine households during COVID-19, you need to mask up, until you are absolutely sure no one is carrying the virus, to avoid spreading it between households. How you manage this will depend on what resources are available where you evacuated to. If there is testing available, great! Just remember there is a window between when you catch the virus and when it can be detected. If everyone has been lucky enough to be vaccinated and had enough time for the vaccination to have taken effect, according to the CDC this is not necessary. (I am hoping this will soon be the majority scenario).

What if you don’t have friends or family you can use as an evacuation destination?

Pick three different motels that fit your needs in three different towns an hour or so away from your home and store their direct phone numbers in your phone (and in your readiness bag). When you are making your evacuation plan, think about the main reasons you would need to evacuate and choose the directions you would travel based on those needs. If you live in hurricane country, choose motels that are inland, but perhaps not right off of the interstate. If you live where wildfires are an issue, choose in a direction away from the general prevailing winds.

Then when you have to evacuate, call them as soon as you are on the road to reserve your room(s). By doing your research now, you are way ahead of the game. Check once a year to make sure they are still in business and update your list accordingly.

I can’t afford a motel.

It’s okay. You are exactly who evacuation shelters are made for and there is no shame in that. Your government has made plans for you, please don’t put off going if you need to use one. If you wait until conditions deteriorate, you may not only put your life in danger but any first responders who have to help you.

If you are a pet owner and must take your pet with you, pay attention to which shelters take animals, most only take service animals (not support animals). You must also supply everything for your pet, the shelter does not provide for your pet.

How will you evacuate?

Consider your transportation.

Look, I’m human, I’ve played the I’ll get gas in the morning game, too.

It’s not smart.

Try to always keep 1/2 a tank of gas in your car OR if you have the SAFE storage space, keep a rotating supply of gasoline at home. This is not advice for apartment dwellers, sorry folks.

It’s essential to rotate that gas on a last-in-first-out basis; gasoline does not store forever, gas with ethanol has an even shorter life-span, so have a few storage containers and rotate through them regularly. (Use them in your lawnmower, top off your car, etc.) and then fill them back up. Number the cans to keep track. If you have to evacuate, top off your car and bring any extra full cans with you. Traffic may be terrible.

Know more than one route to your destination. For example: if you are being evacuated because of a chemical spill on the nearby highway, you will not be able to use that as your route. If you are leaving to escape wild fires, your usual route may be in the fire’s path and you may need to go a different way.

If you don’t have your own vehicle, you either need to have more conversations with friends/family or learn the emergency routes of the public transportation system closest to where you live.

And finally, we’re back to your go bag or as one reader suggested, your readiness bag—I really like that idea. What goes in that? I’ve got you covered.

In addition to your readiness bag, I strongly suggest taking a quick tour of your home and using your phone’s video capabilities to record as much of the contents of your home as is safely practical in the time you have. This includes, the contents of your refrigerator and freezer. This will be a handy reference if, you have to file an insurance plan after the event has passed.

A simple tip to tell if the power has been out and restored while you are gone is to freeze a small paper or plastic cup of water. Once the water is frozen, place a coin on top. When you return home, if the coin is no longer sitting on top of the ice and is instead either covered by a layer of ice or at the bottom of a cup of water, you know that the power has been out for an extended period of time during your evacuation.

What suggestions, do you have for creating a basic How to evacuate plan?

Interested in further reading? Check out Ready.gov.

How Long Do I Need to Boil Water When Under a Boil Water Advisory?

Dear Home Ec 101:

I live in Hurricane Country and there are often boiling water advisories after a storm. How long am I supposed to boil the water before it is safe to drink?

~Avoiding the Runs in Ravenel

Heather says:

Boil water advisories are much more common than you may think.

Advisories can be issued if the power is disrupted for an extended period of time. Why? Water needs to maintain a certain pressure in the pipelines to prevent any potentially contaminated groundwater from seeping into microcracks and fissures in the pipes. When the power is out for an extended period of time, generators may fail, and water pumping stations may not maintain adequate pressure in the lines. Line breaks, positive tests for bacterial contamination, and maintenance are other common reasons.

Boil water advisories are NOT issued for chemical spills. In these cases, a DO NOT DRINK advisory will be issued. Boiling water that has been chemically contaminated will NOT make it safe to drink.

Water should be brought to a rolling boil and boiled for one minute*. Begin timing when the bubbles appear and break the surface.

Allow the water to cool and pour it into a clean, covered container.

*If you are above 6500 feet, boil for a full three minutes (water boils at a lower temperature at high altitudes and needs to maintain this temperature for a longer time to ensure the bacteria has been killed).

Please don’t forget that these advisories apply to much more than just your drinking water. Boil water advisories affect water used for toothbrushing, cleaning produce, and ice making. You will also not want to use automatic dishwashers that do not heat the water or do not have a sanitizing setting.

Your pets’ water also needs to be boiled.

Showering is typically safe for adults and teenagers, but young children should be given sponge baths. Use boiled water for cleaning infant and toddlers as they tend to be independent creatures and decide now would be a fun time to lick the washcloth.

Do remind older children to keep their mouths shut while showering, this isn’t the time to get creative and, “See mom, I saved time by showering and brushing my teeth at the same time!” Great.

Dishes can safely be washed in warm water with a small amount of bleach (one tablespoon per gallon).

If your dishwasher has a sanitizing option you can use that, otherwise, hand wash your dishes either in boiled water or water that has been sanitized using bleach.

After the advisory has been lifted flush the pipes by running each cold water tap for one minute. If you have an automatic icemaker, empty it completely and then discard the first three batches.

Remember most filters, such as those in a fridge or that are attached to your faucet are for taste and odors, not harmful bacteria.

While we are discussing basic preparedness remember that if someone does develop diarrhea or vomiting during an emergency that they shouldn’t be only be given plain water. The body loses a lot of electrolytes through vomiting and diarrhea. Your blackout pantry/first aid kit should contain Pedialyte, Gatorade, or oral rehydration salts.

Read more in this series

DISCLAIMER: Heather Solos is not a medical doctor and the advice given on Home-Ec101.com does not substitute for consulting with a medical professional. Please use common sense.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinking/drinking-water-advisories/boil-water-advisory.html

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinking/drinking-water-advisories/do-not-drink-advisory.html