Deep cleaning

So I just recently switched to working 12 hour shifts which means that now instead of 5 days a week I'm working 3 so I've got 4 days off every week now! I'm not sure what to do with all this free time! My trusty fall back is to go shopping but I'm trying to be better about blowing money on stuff I don't need. Seriously I need less in my life. So shopping is out. So today I decided to tackle some of the projects I've been putting off since we moved in a little over a month ago. I wanted to clean my washing machine and dish washer. 

I started with the dish washer. I looked up how go clean your dish washer on Pinterest and most of the links were the same basic directions. So I filled a measuring cup up with vinegar and put it on the top shelf and ran a cycle with no soap. Then when that was done I sprinkled baking soda all over the bottom of the dish washer and ran another cycle. That's all! So easy and my dish washer came out super shiney on the inside! 

Next up was the washing machine. This was seriously gross. It has been since we moved in and I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I've been using it anyway....

Gross right? There's a freaking dirt ring! Ick!

So anyway all of the directions I found online said to use baking soda and either bleach or vinegar. I try to not use bleach on stuff because I try to limit the chemicals I use plus it never fails I always always always get bleach on my clothes so I went with the vinegar. I let the washer fill with hot water and poured in some vinegar and let it agitate a few minutes then I just dumped in some baking soda and let it agitate again to mix it all up. The I let it sit. 

The tools I used. I'm real high tech. While the hot water/baking soda/vinegar mix was sitting I used the same water to scrub down the lid and corners and the dirt ring off the inside of the basket. It took some serious elbow grease but I finally got it all clean. Then I just closed the lid and let the cycle finish.

See? Sparkly clean washing machine! 

The same day I also pulled out the stove and cleaned all the grim from the sides and back. I'll spare you the pictures but trust me it was gross.  And there was this...

Yup that's a phone cord from a land line phone. It was wedged between the counter and the stove. Apparently instead of pulling the stove out someone decided it would be easier to just cut the cord? But this makes me think it's been a few years since the sides and back of the oven were cleaned. Gross. 

So that's what I've been working on lately. Exciting I know.