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It's not a great idea to clean gas stove grates in the dishwasher. Most iron grates, even with a protective coating, can corrode when exposed to the heavy washing process. Instead, soak your stove grates in gentle soapy water for up to 30 minutes, and remove any grease and grime by hand to be safe.

The most effective toilet tank cleaners include commercial cleaning products, but for DIY purposes, white vinegar is best. Vinegar can help kill bacteria and remove mineral buildup from your toilet tank, but it won’t harm the necessary bacteria in your septic tank as some commercial products can. For the best clean, hire a professional to choose the most aggressive cleaning product that’s still safe for your septic tank, or use white vinegar and a scrub brush to do the cleaning yourself.

The best cleaner to remove soot depends on the surface material and the type of fire, but consider dish soaps or degreasers, baking soda, rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen. Low-oxygen fires often leave behind greasy soot, which is best removed with dish soaps or degreasers. Baking soda can be useful for absorbing soot deposits from carpets, followed by rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to clean the set-in stains.

To clean a trash can with maggots, combine chlorine bleach and hot water in a 1-to-1 ratio and pour about half a gallon of the solution into the bottom of your garbage can. Just make sure there aren’t holes in the can before doing so. Close the lid, and let the fumes go to work to kill the maggots. Rinse the can with a hose outside. Consider finishing up with a bleach disinfectant and a scrub brush before letting the can dry completely. You can also consider hiring an exterminator near you for a quick, easy solution to maggots in your garbage cans.