Wishing you a Very Merry Christmas...

... and a Happy New Year from Dri-Pak

We hope Santa brings you everything you wish for... and helps with the clean up!

Christmas Dinner Clean Up

Did you know that pouring untreated fat down the sink can lead to fat deposits building up and blocking drains, leaving you with a costly visit from the plumber in the New Year? Equally putting the roasting tin straight into the dishwasher can cause congealed fat (yuck!) to catch in the filter of the machine, causing it to block and spoil the performance of the wash. 

Soda Crystals can dissolve fat and prevent it from sticking to the insides of pipe work and causing blockages. They can also be used to unblock any build up of food and gunk that has accumulated as a result of the Christmas day feast. To unclog drains, pour a generous amount of Soda Crystals down the plughole followed by a kettle full of boiling water.  

Oh, and Soda Crystals also make light work of washing the roasting tin!

After stuffing yourself with lunch and all the trimmings, who wants to spend the rest of the afternoon scrubbing the grease from the roasting tin?! Once the meal is over, pour any liquid fat into a used jar and throw in the bin, or wipe the excess fatty residue off with kitchen towel. Sprinkle the tin with a cup of Soda Crystals before pouring boiling water over them and leaving to soak for an hour. Pour away the water and then wash the tin with washing up liquid or put it in the dishwasher.

What will you be cooking this Christmas dinner?

The Dishwasher - Your best friend

In the second of our Christmas preparation posts, we’re tackling a much loved appliance that can keep you sane through all the washing up that comes your way over the festive period!

If you’re lucky enough to have a dishwasher, you’ll know it’s one of the most used (and most valuable) appliances in the kitchen, especially over Christmas. However it does need a little tender loving care to keep it in tip top condition, after all a breakdown on Boxing day can leave you with a mountain of hand washing up to do!  

Remove and clean the dishwasher filter periodically to get rid of any scraps of food that can clog up the dishwasher. To clean the inside of the machine, remove limescale build up, and cut through odours, position two bowls of White Vinegar on the top and bottom racks of the empty dishwasher, return the drawers and run the machine on a long, hot cycle.

Even after Christmas is over, you may want to continue using White Vinegar in the rinse compartment of your dish washer - it removes water marks from glasses with ease!

In our next Christmas preparation post, we'll be tackling the aftermath of Christmas dinner, and making sure our roasting tin is spick and span! 

Christmas Preparations - The Fridge

Preparing for the Christmas period may have you head spinning will all the things that need to be organised, but a bit of preparation before the mayhem begins can make the difference between a hectic or a relaxing Boxing Day! We’re here to help with advice to get your kitchen clean and organised all throughout December, so stay tuned for top tips and festive ideas from us (you can subscribe to our posts by entering your email to the left of the blog page!). Today we’re tackling the fridge!

Have a party!

You’re going to need a lot of spare room for all those extra treats, festive leftovers and tipples this Christmas, so start to either eat up or throw out anything you’re not going to eat over the holiday period. If you've still got lots of ‘bits’ why not make a night of it and invite a few friends or family over for a pre-Christmas get together and make some nibbles out of the surplus? Don’t forget to compost any old leftover fruit and vegetables.

Clean and deodorise

Once the fridge is empty, switch off the power, take out the removable shelves and draws and wipe them down with a 50/50 solution of deodorising White Vinegar and water, then do the same to the inside of the fridge. Some parts can be very fiddly to wipe, so use an old toothbrush to reach the hard to clean areas. For any stubborn marks, spray with a regular Soda Crystals solution, leave for a few minutes and then wipe clean. 

Nasty niffs

By placing a small dish of Bicarbonate of Soda on a shelf to absorb odours, you can make sure your fridge continues to smell clean and fresh throughout the holidays.

Plan ahead

Once you've cleaned an organised the fridge, planning meal times and being efficient with leftovers will keep it that way, as well as helping you save you money. Stock up on storage containers that you can write the date on to keep leftovers safely, and don’t forget the golden rules about storing food like raw meat – always keep raw meats in the bottom of the fridge to avoid any drips contaminating food below and whereas ‘best before’ dates can be exceeded, make sure ‘use by’ dates are followed to avoid bad tummies.

FREEZE!

Inevitably everyone splashes out and buys too much food over Christmas, but overfilling you fridge uses up a lot of electricity to keep it cool, whereas freezers are actually more efficient when they are full!

In our next post we’ll be sharing how to keep you best friend (the dishwasher) happy and smell-free! Read it here!

Top Tips for Pet Owners!

1,2,3....Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Britain is indisputably a nation of animal lovers but, as much as we love our pets, there are inevitably aspects of owning a pet that are, shall we say, less than desirable! Bad odours and stains caused by your beloved pet are not always easy to get rid of, but help is at hand using the cleaning and deodorising power of naturally safe Bicarbonate of Soda and White Vinegar.

Accidents

When cleaning up accidents, it is important to remove the odour as well as the stain, as the smell will encourage your pets to return to the same place. White Vinegar is a tried and proven ingredient that aids in removing both urine stains and the odour for good. To remove stains and odours, soak a clean cloth in a White Vinegar solution (50/50 White Vinegar and water)*, and dab affected area. When the area is dry, wipe with a clean cloth and warm water, before covering with naturally deodorising Bicarbonate of Soda. Leave overnight before vacuuming.

Pet Bedding

Bicarbonate of Soda can also help to eliminate odours from pet bedding. Simply sprinkle the area liberally with Bicarbonate of Soda, wait 15 minutes (or longer for stronger odours), before vacuuming.

Discouraging climbing

Keeping your cat off certain surfaces in your home can also be a problem, as cats tend to favour high areas such as tabletops, kitchen counters, bookshelves, window sills, and even fireplace mantles. Discourage your cat from perching in such places by spraying surfaces with White Vinegar.

*Always test White Vinegar on a small, inconspicuous patch of fabric before use on large areas.