How to Sharpen Your Disposal Blades

Just like your kitchen knives, your garbage disposal blades can dull over time from use.

To sharpen the blades, combine table salt and coarse cleanser, then shove the mixture down past the baffle (that rubber thing above the blades) and run the disposal without any water. When that’s finished, run water with the disposal like normal and rinse away the residue.

The coarse mixture should sharpen your blades. Another tip: Always run cold, not warm water when running your disposal. Cold water hardens greasy substances, which makes them easier to grind, and keeps grease from sticking to the drain lines.

Taken from Warners’ Stellian

Tips for the Perfect Marinade

Now that spring is officially here and the sun is shining, it's time to break out the grill!  If you want to be a grill master, you'll need to start with a killer marinade.  Our friends over at Weber have provided an outline along with some helpful tips in order to make your own tasty marinade.  Click here for the whole story.

#1 In Built-In Cooking

According to a leading consumer magazine, Whirlpool Corporation is #1 when it comes to built-in cooking.  Whirlpool Corporation includes Maytag, KitchenAid, Amana, and of course Whirlpool.  Check out the chart to the left to see the top 5 wall ovens and electric cooktops and then come into any of our stores to check them out for yourself!

New Frigidaire HE Top Load Washer

The new Frigidaire Affinity High Efficiency Top Load Washer is pretty slick.  It features WaterFall™ jets that soak your clothes thoroughly, ensuring whiter whites and tough stain removal – even with big loads. It is gentle on your clothes too.  Immersion Care™ Wash Action gently spins and moves water and detergent through clothes for more thorough cleaning without being harsh on fabrics.

In addition to getting your clothes fabulously clean, it’s also quite – 20% quieter to be exact.  Advanced vibration control keeps even oversized loads balanced for smooth, quiet operation. Ideal for second floor installation.

And to top it all off, it’s high efficiency so it uses less water and energy than traditional top load washers, saving you money.  Check them out for yourself!

Our Next Cooking Class!

We had another successful cooking class last night featuring Jackie Davison from Pot Luck Kitchen Studio and wine pairings by Silver Bell Winery.  We have so much fun at these classes, we can't wait for the next one!  Here are the details of the next class so you can join in on the fun!

Thursday April 18th at 6pm

Presented By Judd & Black

Guest Chef Chris Bertrand from Johnny Carino's in Burlington

Wine Pairing TBA

Chris will prepare a delicious three course meal and teach you how to create it yourself!  Each course will be paired with a wine as well.  Winery to be announced soon.

Tickets are $35 per person or $50 for two.  They can be purchased at any Judd & Black location starting March 13th.

All of our cooking classes take place at our Mount Vernon store located at 2520 Cedardale Road.  If you have any questions, please call Rachael at 360 336-6515.  Hope to see you at our next class!

Why HE Detergent Is Important

More laundry detergent does not mean your clothes will come out cleaner, especially when using a front-loading high-efficiency washing machine.  High-efficiency washers use far less water than traditional washing machines. Less water and more powerful wash action means less dilution of detergent, leading to overproduction of suds.

High-efficiency detergent (or HE detergent) provides just the right amount of suds to ensure the cleanest clothes possible. HE detergent is often labeled “concentrated” or “2x” , and has a “HE” logo on its bottle or box.  Make sure to follow the instructions on the label based on load size.

If you don’t use HE detergent, Whirlpool Corp. warns of the following problems:

·         Poor cleaning results.

·         Detergent residue left on clothing.

·         Washer odor due to sudsing residue.

·         Wet clothes at the end of the cycle due to excess suds hindering spinning and draining.

·         Leaking due to excess suds.

·         Extended cycle times or excessive water usage from extra rinsing to remove suds.

·         Error codes.

Taken from Warners’ Stellian

Cleaning With Vinegar

Most everyone has heard of using vinegar to clean, but did you know about all of these…

1. Rinse aid substitute - There’s really no harm in using vinegar in your dishwasher, but I suggest only using it in lieu of rinse aid between trips to the store. Modern dishwashers need regular rinse aid to properly dry dishes.

2. Microwave cleaner – Heat a microwave-safe cup of vinegar in your microwave and let it boil, so the steam can loosen up all the stuck-on splatters for a minute or so. Wipe down the interior immediately, while it’s still moist inside — no scrubbing necessary!

3. Clothes washer cleaner - Your washing machine benefits from a regular vinegar cleaning. Run a cup through an empty cycle using the hottest setting.

4. All-purpose surface cleaner - Equal parts vinegar and water work well for cleaning windows or glass. Also try the solution for an all-natural way to clean the inside of a refrigerator. I hear you can use it to clean stainless steel as well, though, I recommend using a stainless steel cleaner for a shiny, polished finish.

5. Coffee maker cleaner – Try to run a full coffee pot of vinegar through your coffee maker (remove any coffee or filter, obviously) every few months. It’s satisfying to watch all the grime flake off into the pot, and you’ll be amazed how much faster your coffee brews without all the sediment slowing it down!

6. Stove top and oven cleaner – Use a paste of vinegar and baking soda on your stove top to scrub out those stubborn brownish discolorations and food splatters.

Do you have any other vinegar cleaning tips?  Leave them in the comments!

Taken from Warners’ Stellian