Pinterest Tested: Remove Candle Wax From Jars

A while back, the Hubs surprised me with a romantic evening (translate: he lit some candles while I cooked dinner, haha). By the end of our meal, the candles burned low. In the morning, I realized the wax had melted into the container and stubbornly refused to be removed.

Hence the need for this Pinterest Tested post. 

This is what my candleholders looked like before the magic happened:

I searched the net and came up with several solutions. Plus, lots of you sent me some great ideas on the ArmyLife Facebook page! 

Here were your suggestions:

1. Set holder into hot water and wait for wax to loosen

2. Microwave the holders

3. Place holders in freezer, wait one day, then remove wax

Also, there was one preventative measure, which I'll be testing now that my holders are clean: 

1. Before burning a candle, spray a little Pam on the inside. The wax should pop right out after use. 

This is the link to the pin I based my test on: Jars for Things

To get started, I used my trusty tea pot (a gift from the Hubs!) to heat some water to boiling.

I was a little scared to get the water too hot, because I thought my jars might shatter. Then I remembered that I used those jars to hold burning candles.

*smacks head*

Ja, the boiling water was a-ok.

After carefully adding the water to my jars, I noticed the wax began to melt right away. I managed to leave it alone for about 30 minutes, but then I couldn't take the waiting any more! Using a butter knife, I gently loosened the wax stuck to the bottom of the holder.

Left: Immediately after adding water
Right: Wax loosened by knife

I allowed the water to cool overnight, but I don't think you need to wait that long. An hour or two would probably be fine. You definitely want the water at room temperature before you empty it though, otherwise you might accidentally pour hot, melty wax down your drains.

In the morning, I scooped out all the wax, then washed my holder with soap and water. And viola!

Clean, practically new candle holders!!

Clean, like-new candle holders

I decided to try out the preventative measure suggested by you (spraying Pam in the bottom of the holder before adding the candle). Next time we have a candle catastrophe (knowing Hubs, that could be soon, ha), I'll let ya know if it worked. If you have more suggestions or experiences with this, please comment below. I love hearing from you…

Until then, happy pinning!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

Pinterest Tested: How to Clean A Microfiber Couch

Yes.

I am still unpacking.

Yes.

Our house is still full of boxes.

And yes.

It's driving me completely insane.

BUT.

My mattress is clean. Whew.

And now my couch is also clean, thanks to another Pinterest Tested moment.

I've pinned many pins on Pinterest (hahaha, alliteration is fun), and many of those are about cleaning a microfiber couch. You see, I wasn't sure this was possible, but fellow bloggers have assured me it is. In fact, it's not even that difficult.

Some of my resources were this post from 551 East and this one from Chris and Robins Nest. Both had similar tips I utilized, plus I added a few of my own. I'll start by saying, this really worked. My couch looks cleaner and smells better (not like dog anymore!). However, this was more time consuming than I expected.

You've been warned.

So, this is what my couch looked like before:

As you can see, it's been well-used. Flat cushions, general wear and tear. We didn't have any drastic staining, but there were lots of small, not as easily visible, marks. Like these:

PCSing is a good opportunity for the deep cleanings we often push aside in the normal course of life. This "deep cleaning" is why I'm still living out of boxes. It takes forever!

Ok, whining session over.

The first thing you want to look at before the cleaning commences is the tag on your couch. There will be one of several letters on it which will be extremely important to your process. My tag said WS on it. This means I can use both water and solvent-based cleaners on my couch. Your tag may only have one or the other. If yours only has an "S" on it, then you probably don't want to use any water on your couch and vice versa. Capsize?

Luckily, my couch is down with whatever. So I used a variety of methods to ensure my finished product was clean and fresh.

Rubbing alcohol, spray bottle, white scrub brushes 

Step 1: I removed all cushions from the sofa and vacuumed well with my upholstery attachment. This got rid of the dog hair, dust, and any stray crumbs.

Step 2: My bottom cushions have removable cases. Because of the WS factor, I figured I could put these in the wash. So I did. On delicate. With perfume and dye-free detergent. Tumble-dry low to avoid shrinkage.

Step 3: The upper pillows do not have removable cases. This seemed incredibly wrong to me, but such is life. Using another pin I discovered, I washed these also (no easy feat, due to their size), then dried them one at a time with a sleeve of tennis balls to accompany them.

Obviously, take the tennis balls
out of the can!! 

This worked. However, it also took forever. Each pillow needed to run several cycles in the dryer. I would think they were dry, I really would! But then a few hours later, the back of the pillows would dampen as moisture leaked from the inside out. Don't be like me, peeps.

Dry those pillows several times. Each.

Step 4: Clean couch base with the alcohol and scrubbing method.

This actually worked on stains, I was quite impressed. Simply spray the alcohol on the spot you'd like to clean (I used basic rubbing alcohol that I picked up at the commissary). Rub with the rough side of a white sponge.

This is important.

If you use a color other than white, that color may spread to your couch. We don't want that. Plus, the white allows you to see all the gross coming off the fabric. I didn't have any problems with color fastness, but I would test a discrete area of your couch first, just in case.

Unused sponge next to a used one

After you've scrubbed (don't be afraid to scrub hard), allow the area to dry. Both pins I researched said to "fluff" the area with a white scrub brush once dry. I followed this step, but didn't find it strictly necessary on my couch.

I also used this same method to spot clean my cushions once they were dry.

*Note: I suggest opening your windows during this step. The stench was pretty unbearable for a while without any air flow. After about 30 minutes, the smell of rubbing alcohol was gone.

Step 5: Put your couch back together again! This might have taken the longest amount of time for me. While the cases for my pillows didn't shrink, they were quite difficult to put back on. If you want (and I did), you can fluff your bottom cushions by beating them with a wooden spoon before you put the cases back on.

This also relieves any suppressed aggression. Win win.

Here's what my couch looked like after it's spa day:

Much better, ja? It's hard to tell a major difference with pictures, but all of my small stains are gone and my pillows are closer to their original shape (especially the bottom cushions). Also, the dog smell has disappeared, though I'm sure my Lucy dog will be happy to take care of that. Here is a comparison photo for you:

Now that I see this works, I'll likely use these steps to keep my couch clean in the future. The spot cleaning will especially come in handy, as both Hubs and dog are known mess-makers. Plus, I can throw my cases/pillows in the wash whenever the mood strikes!

Have you tried this pin, or any others that you'd like to share? What was your experience?

I'm sure I'll have more Pinterest Tested soon. Until then, happy pinning, my friends!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

Pinterest Tested: Basic Mattress Cleaning

Yep, it's another Pinterest tested moment! There will be several of these in the near future (or next several months), as I finish unpacking and organizing my house. PCSing is a great opportunity for deep cleaning. Granted, a lot of these procedures should be done more regularly, but let's pretend I do that, ok?

In the past, we've tested microwave and dishwasher cleaning, with varying degrees of success. Today, I'll tell you all about my mattress cleaning experience.

There are many pins and websites on this subject. The one I found most helpful was Clean My Space. Nearly all the tips I've researched mentioned baking soda in one way or another. I chose the simplest route for this "test" cleaning.

Here's what you need to get started:

A fine mesh strainer, and a box of baking soda... and that's pretty much it. You'll also need a good vacuum. If your mattress is stained, you'll need other materials. I was merely performing a basic "freshening" of my mattresses, like regular maintenance. If your require a deeper scrub, check out the tips from Clean My Space.

Step 1: Strip your mattress of all bedding, then give a thorough vacuuming. This will pick up a lot of the dust that can collect in the fabric.

Step 2: Using the fine mesh strainer, evenly sprinkle baking soda on the top of your mattress. It should look a little like this:

My mattress is on the floor because we just moved in, and I thought a cleaning would be fab before I put everything together and we slept on our bed again. Especially since everything smelled vaguely of the ocean it spent six weeks crossing.

Tip: If you'd like a sweeter smelling mattress for a few days, you could add a few drops of essential oil to the baking soda, prior to sprinkling.

Step 3: Spend 30 minutes elsewhere and leave your mattress alone. If you've just PSCed like us, you'll probably use that time unpacking. If not, you could play with your dog/kids, watch a sitcom episode, prep for dinner, call your mother... whatever floats your boat, peeps.

Step 4: Vacuum all the baking soda off your mattress. Use an upholstery attachment if you have one.

Step 5: Flip mattress and repeat steps 1-4 (only necessary if your mattress is fabric on both sides. Some less expensive mattresses are one-sided).

Step 6: Pat yourself on the back for a job well done! Your mattress should be fresh and clean smelling.

My mattress "after"

So, did it work? Is this a Pinterest success?

YES! After this quick clean, my mattress no longer smelled like the ocean. This is an easy chore which will be added to my regular rotation. Every time I flip the mattress, I'll now be doing a quick baking soda vacuum as well (or anytime my bed smells too much like the dog who routinely sleeps on it, ha!).

My next plan is to scrub our microfiber couch. I'll let you know how that goes in my next Pinterest Tested post.

Do you have any tips for a better mattress clean? Please share in the comments below!

Until next time, happy pinning!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

Pinterest Tested: Easy Microwave Cleaning

Lately, I've become a little obsessed with all pins related to cleaning. Any trick or tip that makes my cleaning life easier... well, I'm all for it!

I was so disappointed with my last Pinterest Tested project, How to Clean Your Dishwasher. TOTAL FAIL.

And, my dishwasher still isn't completely clean. A friend told me about a new trick (using Tang as a cleaner in the dishwasher), and I'll be testing the theory soon. But for today, my microwave was in desperate need of a little TLC.

No judgement here, ok?

The "before" 

So, so gross.

I'm sure this has happened to all of us once in a while. And if it hasn't, please don't tell me. I like my fantasy world just the way it is.

Someone obviously nuked up a bit of spaghetti in here without covering the dish. The result is icky disgustingness (that's a word, I promise), which is impossible to clean off without serious scrubbing.

I don't like scrubbing. I also don't like people who forget to cover their dish, but that's a story for another day.

What's a girl to do?

Pinterest to the rescue!

I've seen many pins about cleaning your microwave the fast and easy way. Some say to use lemon and baking soda. Some say vinegar. Some say a combination of both. Even the times of each pin vary.

I decided on the simplest method to start. Nuking up a bit of vinegar and water, then wiping clean. Easy peasy. 

I used 1/2 cup white vinegar to 1 1/2 cups water. To keep it simple, I just left it in the measuring cup, like so:

I love my purple measuring cup. Just saying.

Anyway, I added the cup with vinegar and water to the microwave and set my timer to 5 minutes, on high power:

And then I walked away (after hitting start, of course).

There was a slight vinegar smell as the microwave was running, but it dissipated within a few minutes once I finished cleaning. The liquid will boil during that 5 minutes of cooking, and may even overflow.

Don't worry about it. That's how the magic happens.

My microwave still looked the same after the timer beeped, except there was condensation on the walls. I tried to take a picture, but it looks an awful lot like the 'before' photo:

Humor me and pretend you see the condensation.

So, I removed the cup of vinegar/water, grabbed my sponge, and prepared to scrub.

EXCEPT... 

No scrubbing was needed! I didn't even use the rough side of my sponge. Wipe, swipe, and then repeat.

And what was I left with?

A sparkly microwave, without the fuss of heavy cleaning.

The "after"

Total Pinterest SUCCESS. 

Yay!

The yuckiness inside my microwave was pretty caked on and dried out, so I think this method would work for almost an mess. If yours is especially bad, perhaps consider running the microwave a bit longer (maybe 7 or 8 minutes), or doing two cycles.

Have you tried other methods that worked or failed? Or maybe you've tried other pins and you'd like to share your wisdom... please email me, I'd love to see you as a guest blogger for Army Life!

Happy pinning!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

Pinterest Tested: How to Clean Your Dishwasher

It's time for another Pinterest Tested post. Not only has it been a while, but my dishwasher is really, really gross so I might as well turn that nightmare into a useful post for my favorite people (that's you, my readers!).

Here is the link to my original pin: How to Clean Your Dishwasher. One of my favorite boards is my Tips and Tricks one, where you can find this pin. I keep track of many household, cleaning, and cooking tips to be tested for later use.

Of course, there is no way I will ever have enough time to try out all of the hints, but I keep trying!

Onward now to the point of this post. Here are the tools you'll need (with choices):

Bleach, distilled white vinegar, toothpicks, sponge, dry cloth,
soft toothbrush, kitchen cleaner, and a measuring cup

I didn't use all of these items, but they are the recommended ones depending on what type of cleaning your dishwasher needs. My dishwasher's biggest problems are hard water stains and detergent deposits.

First off, your dishwasher should be empty. I know that seems a bit obvious; however, stranger things have been known to happen.

Cleaning the outside of the dishwasher is simple. A basic kitchen or all-purpose cleaner can be used to wipe it down. Generally, I wipe mine off whenever I scrub the counters, so the outside of mine was easy.

Here are the real issues with my dishwasher:

As you can see, it's yucky. Seriously yucky. Over time, funk and gunk builds up on various parts of your dishwasher, and then you wind up with that disaster above. YUCK-Y.

The first step (according to my pin) was to clean any debris from the propeller arms and the drain. I didn't actually need to do this step, yay! No large chunks of gunk for me. If you need to do this, the site recommends using a toothpick.

Next step is to clean the rubber seal and area around the door. Yeah, I definitely needed this step. The evidence is in the picture below. The seal, and the area just outside of it, are not touched by any water/cleaner when the cycle runs (sort of the whole point of the seal, right?).

Hence, this ^ happens.

I used a mixture of 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water to clean this area with a sponge. All the goop came off easily, no real scrubbing involved. The pin also recommends using a toothbrush for the harder to reach areas, but I didn't find this necessary.

This area cleaned easily, and only took a few minutes to accomplish.

Next step: All the rest of the gunk.

According to various tutorials, this should be easy. All I had to do was place a cup of distilled white vinegar in my dishwasher, then run a wash cycle (on the hottest setting), like so:

This sounded way too good to be true!

And it was.

Before the first wash, this is what my detergent cup looked like:

After the first cycle, this is what was left:

Almost exactly the same! Because there was still quite a bit of funk in there, I ran a second cycle. This time I used double the amount of vinegar, and I placed the cup on the bottom rack. This is the what the detergent cup looked like after that wash:

While there has been some noticeable improvement, I think I'm marking this test in the FAIL category. Who knows how many cycles it would take to clean off everything? The other areas of grime (rust staining, and the hard water stains around the propeller) were slightly improved, but also did not come entirely clean.

Granted, my dishwasher was pretty gross to begin with. And perhaps this method would work better as regular maintenance, instead of a desperate call for help. I think I'll add this to my regular cleaning cycle (perhaps once a month). If there is improvement, I will definitely update you!

Have any of you used this method to clean your dishwasher? Did it work, or fail? If you know a better way, consider testing it and telling us all about it... I'd love to see you as a guest blogger here!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com