Clean your grill
To ensure remnants of previous meals don't transfer to foods being grilled you should take care to clean grill grates. To clean a gas grill, turn it on and let the grates get hot. Place a cut lemon on a long-handled fork, dip it into a bowl of salt, and rub it across the grates. Lemon's acid will cut grease, and the salt acts as a scrubbing agent. Scrub especially dirty grates with a block of pumice, then wash grates well to remove pumice dust. Avoid using metal brushes, as the bristles can break off and can get into your food.
Air drapes and curtains
Summer is the perfect time for taking drapes and curtains outside for airing. Give window treatments a good shake to remove dust, and let them bask in the sun to expel stale odours. Alternatively, you can throw drapes and curtains into the dryer for 10 minutes to kill mites and remove dust. To avoid having to iron them, promptly remove and rehang them.
Clean out the garage
With patio and deck furniture, summertime playthings, and grilling gear moved outside for summer use, is the best time to give your garage a refresh. Throw out or donate unwanted tools, building materials, and other items you no longer use. Wash windows and give the floor, walls, and ceiling a good sweeping. Put up racks and shelves to stow away practical and recreational trappings.
Keep your kitchen free of odours
The hot, humid weather brings unpleasant smells at the sink and in trash cans and recycling bins. Soak sponges and dishcloths in a solution of 1/4 cup bleach and a gallon of water daily for 5 minutes to keep them clean and germ-free. Make sure to rinse well after soaking. Pour white vinegar down drains to banish unpleasant scents. On trash day, wash out garbage and recycling bins with bleach and water.
Refresh Towels
Towels stored in a closet or left to dry in the bathroom can take on a musty smell during the hot, humid days of summer. To avoid this, wash towels in hot water and toss 1/2 cup of baking soda into the rinse cycle to eradicate stale scents. Dry the towels at the highest heat recommended for the fabric.
