Are you planning a delicious Valentine's Day dinner with your special someone?  Make sure you know how to wrap up the leftovers!  

Storing food properly prevents food contamination and helps to preserve the food quality and taste. The experts at MOLLY MAID recommend these do's and don'ts:

Do:

• Do put the food in an air-tight container. The rule of thumb is to eat leftovers within two days.
• Do let warm leftovers cool down for at least 90 minutes before you package them up and put them into the fridge. If food is still hot when it is placed in the fridge, it can heat the temperature of the fridge and that can increase bacteria.
• Do store meat in a container at the bottom of your fridge so that it can't leak onto other food.
• Do freeze meat and fish before the use-by date.
• When defrosting meat, do keep it in a plastic bag placed in a bowl - in order to prevent leakage.
• Do clean the fridge regularly in order to keep it hygienic and prevent bacteria growth and to maintain its condition.

Don't:

• Don't store food in an opened can because metal from the can may transfer into the actual food. Instead, empty the contents of the can into an air tight container or a bowl, cover it and place in the fridge.
• Don't refreeze meat or seafood once it has been thawed.
• Don't keep food in the freezer indefinitely. Date packages if possible so you always know what's in the freezer (and fridge) and try to plan meals accordingly.
• Don't reheat food more than once. Once defrosted and heated, eat food immediately and only defrost as much as you can eat. The more times you reheat food, the higher the risk of food poisoning. 

Have you ever had a stuck key on your keyboard?

It's probably time for a good clean!

Considering that a keyboard is usually used daily and often subjected to crumbs, spilled coffee and dirty fingers, it's no wonder performance is affected.

How often it needs to be cleaned depends on a few things: where the keyboard is located (home or office), how many people use it (one person versus the whole family or several people in the office), and the season (if it's cold and flu season, you'll want to clean it more often to keep it germ-free).

The cleaning experts at MOLLY MAID recommend these five steps to clean and disinfect your keyboard.

1. Unplug your keyboard and/or remove any batteries. If there's no USB keyboard connection, be sure to turn the computer off before cleaning.
2. To remove crumbs, etc., turn the keyboard upside down and gently shake the keyboard. But be sure to do this in an area where the dirt and debris can easily be wiped up.
3. Use a disinfectant wipe, but be sure that the wipe is not overly damp. Give the wipe a squeeze before using it if necessary.
4. Wipe down the keyboard keys with a slightly damp microfibre cloth.
5. Use a dry microfibre cloth to absorb any remaining moisture.

Keeping the house clean is an on-going job... and that job is so much easier when you can space out chores throughout the day and get the whole family to help.

The expert house cleaners at MOLLY MAID provide this daily task checklist and suggest divvying it up amongst your family (or tacking it in various areas in the house).

If everyone can commit to these chores, the house will sparkle - and your deep clean spring clean will be a lot easier to manage.  

1. Keep the toilet clean by swishing the toilet brush around the bowl and rim.

2. After each shower, squeegee/wipe shower door and walls.

3. Put dirty laundry in hampers and clean laundry in dressers/closets.

4. Pick up clutter and either recycle/toss it or put it in the proper place.

5. Sort garbage and recycling as you create it.

6. Wipe up all spills and splatters immediately.

7. When you're done with dishes, put them into the dishwasher, or wash them by hand after dinner.

8. Wipe down sinks, counters and the kitchen/dining room table.

9. Change kitchen dishcloths and hand/drying towels.

10. Clean up after your pets in the yard and always wipe their paws when they come inside.

When unexpected company calls and tells you they're just 15 minutes away... you may have to scramble a bit to put the house in order. The guest bathroom, for sure, needs a quick clean. 

Here are 7 swift cleaning tips to help make the guest bathroom presentable in a time-crunch:

1. Remove any towels (put them right into the closest laundry hamper) and put out fresh hand towels.
2. Close the shower curtain or spray visible shower walls with a bathroom cleaner and run a dry squeegee down the walls.
3. Clean the mirror with glass cleaner and shine the faucet and taps.
4. Wipe down the counter and sink and de-clutter the counter space (but make sure there's still soap for hand washing).
5. Swab a toilet brush around the bowl, and wipe the toilet seat and outer rim.
6. Sweep or vacuum the floor and spot clean any noticeable spots.
7. Place a new roll of toilet paper on the holder to ensure it doesn't run out while your guests are visiting.

Your in-laws just called and are on their way over with take-out dinner! You haven't even cleaned up the lunch dishes yet in the kitchen; what do you do? MOLLY MAID, which provides house cleaning services across Canada, provides these quick tips to get your kitchen guest-ready in under 15 minutes:

• Put dirty dishes into the dishwasher or wash by hand, dry and put them away.
• Wipe spills off the stovetop, counters, kitchen table and appliances (remember to wash the appliance handle too).
• Sweep or vacuum the floor, spot-washing as necessary.
• Light a scented candle or take a flowering plant from another room and use it as a centrepiece.

Check back next week for tips on how to quick clean the bathroom.