Tips to Selecting the Best Fruit

By Rose Kreller of Medi-Waste Disposal 

Tis the season for local markets and lots of fresh fruit at the store.  There is nothing like the perfect strawberry, a nice crisp apple or a juicy watermelon. There also is nothing more frustrating than getting home and finding the fruit you chose is less than tasty.  

Here are some things to look for when choosing fruit to purchase, and all you need are your senses!

Apples – choose fruits that are deeply colored, firm, naturally shiny and heavy for their size.

Apricots – Choose fruits that are fragrant and slightly soft but not mushy.

Blueberries – Choose berries that are firm, dry and blue.  A white sheen is natural.  Check the bottom of the basket to make sure there are not crushed or spoiled berries.

Cantaloupe – Choose fruits that are fragrant and cream or golden in color (not green).  Avoid ones with soft spots.

Cherries – Choose berries that are plump, shiny and darker in color.  Cherries with stems have a longer shelf life.

Grapefruit – Choose fruits that have smooth think skin and are heaviest for their size.  They should feel firm but slightly springy to the touch. Don’t worry about color.

Kiwi- Choose fruits that give slightly when pressed.  Avoid fruits that are either rock hard or mushy.

Oranges – Choose fruits that are heaviest for their size and have firm, smooth skins.  Don’t worry about color.  Avoid oranges with shriveled skin.

Peaches – choose fragrant, deeply colored fruit that is firm but slightly soft to the touch.

Pears – Pears are usually picked before they are fully ripe, but choose fruits that are free of bruises and softness below the stem.  Ripen them at room temperature; placing them in a paper bag speeds up the process.

Pineapples – Choose fruits that smell sweet at the stem end and have fresh looking leaves.

Strawberries – Choose berries that are fragrant, uniformly red and shiny with fresh green tops. 

Watermelons – Choose fruits that are firm and heavy and sound hollow when thumped.  A properly ripened watermelon should have a yellow spot on one side where it sat on the ground.

Midwest Medical Waste, Inc.

PO Box 416
Manhattan, KS 66505

medimidwest.com
Office: 785-539-MEDI (6334)
Toll Free: 855-631-MEDI (6334)
info@medimidwest.com

Tips to Selecting the Best Vegetables

By Rose Kreller of Medi-Waste Disposal 

Being able to choose the freshest and tastiest vegetables takes just a bit of knowledge.  Don’t hesitate to ask farmers and shop owners for advice and use your senses!  Here are some tips for choosing fresh produce:

Asparagus – Choose firm, smooth and brightly colored stalks with compact tips.  Avoid limp stalks.  Choose stalks of equal thickness to ensure even cooking times.

Avocados – Choose ones that feel slightly soft to the touch.  Firmer avocados may be ripened at home, but avoid rock hard ones.

 

Broccoli – Choose broccoli with firm stalks, tight florets and crisp green leaves.  Avoid yellowed or flowering florets.

Cabbages – choose firm compact heats that feel heavy for their size.  Check that the stems are also fresh and compact.

Cauliflower – Choose heads with tightly packed, creamy white florets.  Avoid yellow, spotted or flowering florets.

Corn – Choose corn with bright green husks and moist but not slimy silk.  Peel back the husk to ensure the kernels are plump and not dry.

Eggplants – Choose eggplants that have smooth, naturally shiny skin and feel heavy for their size.  When gently pressed, flesh that gives slightly and the bounces back indicates ripeness.  Unripe flesh will not give, while overripe flesh will remain indented.  Also, smaller eggplants tend to have fewer seeds and be less bitter.

Green Beans – Choose slender beans that snap rather than bend.  Avoid bulging or dried pods.

Kale – Choose crisp, deeply colored leaves.  Avoid yellowed leaves.  Smaller leaves tend to be more tender.

Onions and shallots – Choose dry, firm bulbs that feel heavy for their size.  Avoid any with soft spots or green sprouts.

Peppers – Choose firm, naturally shiny peppers that feel heavy for their size.

Potatoes – Choose firm, smooth potatoes.  Avoid bruises, green spots and sprouts.

Rhubarb – Choose firm pink or red stalks.  Green stalks tend to be stringy and sour.

Scallions – Choose scallions with crisp, green tops and firm white bulbs.

Summer Squash – Choose squash with naturally shiny, taught, unblemished skin.  Avoid squash that appear dull or have soft spots.

Tomatoes – Choose tomatoes what are fragrant, smell earthy at the stem end and feel heavy for their size.  Avoid wrinkled skins.

Midwest Medical Waste, Inc.

PO Box 416
Manhattan, KS 66505

medimidwest.com
Office: 785-539-MEDI (6334)
Toll Free: 855-631-MEDI (6334)
info@medimidwest.com

Easy Tips for Cleaning Any Time of the Year - Part 2

By Rose Kreller of Medi-Waste Disposal  

Continuing on our cleaning throughout the house, here are some more tips.

Bedroom

Bed.  If your bed is made, the room looks neat.  When you wake up, pull the covers up to your chin, then scissor-kick your way out of bed so it’ll be half made already! 

Drawers.  Go through drawers and get rid of things you have not worn at least twice yearly.  Put away clean laundry each week.

Miscellaneous

Timing:

Most of us dread household cleaning chores.  Actually look at the clock and time yourself.  Believe it or not, more chores only take 10 minutes.  Knowing this makes it less of a dreaded task.

Multitask:

Make tasks go faster by doing two things at once.  Start laundry then go clean the kitchen.  If you get interrupted with a phone call, fold laundry, fluff pillows, straighten magazines or dust while on the phone.

Vacuuming:

Begin vacuuming in the farthest corner and work toward the door using slow, repetitive motions in overlapping sequence. 

Make a Lost & Found Box:

Every house needs one.  Use a cute vintage lunch box or lidded storage container to stash lost game pieces, stray screw and buttons and such.  When you need the item, you’ll know where to look first.

Quick Rescue:

Take the laundry basket and do a quick walk through of each room.  Place in it anything that doesn’t belong in that room.  Then go back and put away items in their proper place.

Sweeping:

Cleaning should always be done top to bottom.  That way, any crumbs or dust that fall to the floor get picked up last.

Pick the right broom:

For indoors, choose on with finer bristles to pick up smaller particles.  For outdoors, go for stronger, stiffer bristles which work better to clear porous surfaces.

Midwest Medical Waste, Inc.

PO Box 416
Manhattan, KS 66505

medimidwest.com
Office: 785-539-MEDI (6334)
Toll Free: 855-631-MEDI (6334)
info@medimidwest.com

Easy Tips for Cleaning Any Time of the Year - Part 1

By Rose Kreller of Medi-Waste Disposal

Let go room to room and learn some helpful cleaning tips.

Kitchen Sink:

Your kitchen sink has more bacterial than your toilet seat!  To disinfect, clean sink with soap and water first then spray a mist of vinegar followed by a mist of hydrogen peroxide and let dry. (Do not mix the two together, use separately).  If your sink is stainless steel, put a few drops of mineral oil on a soft cloth and buff to make it sparkle and prevent water buildup.

Dishwasher:

Once a week, shake baking soda on a damp sponge and wipe around the edges.  To clean the inside, run an empty cycle with Dishwasher Magic or a similar product designed to kill bacteria.  During cold and flu season you can also add ¼ cup bleach to the regular dish cycle.  The dishes will be safe and sanitized after the rinse cycle is finished.

Oven:

Clean regularly or add a nonstick oven liner that can be wiped with a paper towel.

Disposal:

To get rid of odors, drop in a cut up lemon, some table salt and a few ice cubes.  The lemon deodorizes, and the ice and salt clean away residue.

Clean as you go. When cooking, fill you sink with hot soapy water as you start.  Place used dishes and pans in the sink, so they can soak.  Wipe up spills immediately.

Sponges:

We all know sponges are breeding grounds for bacteria.  Disinfect it every night by squeezing it out and microwaving it on high for a minute.

Bathroom Shower Door:

Rub a teaspoon of lemon oil on glass shower doors twice a month to cause water to bead up and roll off.

Toilet:

Drop a teaspoon of Tang Drink Mix in the bool.  The citric acid acts like a scrubber and is nontoxic. 

Shower liner:

Throw your shower curtain liner in the wash with a few towels, which will help scrub it clean, then hang it back up to dry.

Bedtime Cleaning Time:

While the kids are washing up at night, wipe down the tub, toilet and mirrors and toss out clutter.  When the kids are finished, quickly wipe down the sink and floor.

Stay Tuned for Part 2!

Midwest Medical Waste, Inc.

PO Box 416
Manhattan, KS 66505

medimidwest.com
Office: 785-539-MEDI (6334)
Toll Free: 855-631-MEDI (6334)
info@medimidwest.com