Is my washing machine clean?

Interestingly I came across this on Talking Point just as they loaded this on YouTube two hours ago. 

That made me wonder how clean is my washing machine? I can’t dismantle the whole machine coz I don’t even know how and we’re not advisable to do so. 

Admittedly I would love if he had come to my house to do the swab tests lor. I’d either be happy or be embarrassed with the results. 

I do clean my washing machine once a month (not sure if it’s enough with the loads I run every week. I have to separate che-che’s clothings, towels and bedsheets from us as I use eczema friendly laundry detergent for hers. I wash towels twice a week so that alone means 4 laundry runs.)

How do I clean ? 

1) I throw in this capsule. Leave water in the drum for 1hr or most times I tend to forget about it until 2 hrs or more later when I walk to the yard. Haha!

2) wipe the gasket with chlorox wipes reaching the hard to reach areas with chopsticks, just like what the lady owner of a laundromat in the video does. 

3) wipe the window, wipe every parts I see and can reach on the interior (except the drum) and exterior with chlorox wipes 

4) wash the detergent drawer

5) clean the debris filter and emergency drain tube

I use up lots of chlorox wipes when I clean the machine. I tend to use up lots of disposable gloves when cleaning up my house too! 

After every laundry 

After every usage, I leave the door open and laundry drawer slightly ajar until the next time I use the machine. This will help to dry up the water droplets

Is my heater helping?

I’m not sure if the heater that I do turn on, at least 5x a week, when I need my laundry to dry quickly in the night (but coz they only run for 2hrs each time. Sometimes if I’m still not asleep and I see the heater is off, I’d turn it on again. So it’s 4hrs max of hater on in my yard) helps in sucking up moisture. I really should put another hydrometer in my yard toilet to check. Although sometimes I do turn the heater on in the daytime, but coz my yard windows are open. I close up the louvre in the night thus the yard area is almost like a sauna area. Maybe my yard toilet is dry enuf? 😬

So is my washing machine clean from bacteria and free from mould from the way I maintain my machine ? I have a big question mark. ❓ ❓ Actually our current Panasonic washing machine has a dedicated Tub Clean feature, maybe I should try to use it one day. 

Interesting oven

Had to make a trip down to Courts Tampines after my Fight-Do to get a new ceiling fan for lil’ one. Finally the first item paid for using the Climate Voucher. 🤭

After settling her fan, I went to look see look see ovens. My oven is still functioning after 10 years but recently the light fused out and I’m struggling to get the light cover out (maybe too much grease). Not changing just coz of the fused light lah! Just thinking if one day my oven kaput what choices can I find if I want a microwave + airfryer combined into one. I don’t have to climb up and down the organ bench to reach the microwave and I can clear my airfryer in my small cabinet. 

Our neighbours used to say that it’s challenging to find one oven to fit into our existing cabinets. Anyway 反正人在那里了 just 看看吧！难得有机会 I’m alone so I can see things better. I’m surprised tho he said, based on the pictures of my existing oven and measurements of cabinets, it fits most standard size oven. I was looking at this impressive oven , he mentioned this fits but it sure looks big to me. 

Bosch HSG7364B1 Built in Oven, combi steam, air fry 60cm, home connect (71L). Selling at $5999 now.

Wah… so impressive! Can watch the video here. I want to buy but the price is 💸💸. Think he knows he’s talking to a 穷光蛋, he pointed out to me another cheaper one. 

Whirlpool W9 OP2S2HBLAUS. Selling at $2699

According to him, Bosch ovens are made either in a Poland or Turkey and Whirlpool made in Italy. But when I checked on Google on the particular Bosch oven, it’s made in Germany. 

Some explanation of the functions 

A comparison chart. The guy said there’s microwave function on Bosch but it didn’t seem like there is. But I reckon if there’s a keep warm function, I’d be able to do that albeit it’s much slower

Which is better? And why choose one over the other? 

Extra information on ovens with microwave function

I’m leaning more towards the Bosch oven. Both ovens look good, tho I know the thumbprints marks will drive me crazy. I just hope I don’t need to change the oven that soon. 

 

On This Day - (19th June) #Reminders from FB#

19th June 2025

I was telling girlfriend that I thought I would be able to buy more cleaning stuffs since I'm travelling alone.

(Usually with family it's difficult as we don't travel 1 bag each.) But .... it turns out their snacks and ramen still took up space.

Go to frequented city, I get a list. Go to new places, I buy to let them try specialities. This solo trip was mainly new places and flight into a city we went before. So guess that's where their items amounted to so much. My luggage was filled up at last stop 🤣. And drumroll ..... I only bought 4 ah-soh items!!! How can like that 😢? I wanted to buy more leh! I needed more refills.

Does that mean I can go another trip solely just for shopping in ah-soh aisle?

Ps: I'm such a good girl. I didn't buy umbrella this trip.🤣

19th June 2024

After a long break I resumed brewing lil' one's soup.

BUT without the last pack of peanut root coz it smells tho it's vacumned pack. Guess should have checked it before I flew off.

Need to buy n start cleaning new batch. Sigh.....what to do? She likes to drink this.

19th June 2023

Just feel like drinking matcha latte, so this is my unsweetened version 😄

The treats are just for 📸 only, I'II only steal abit of warabi mochi. Already resisting temptation leh...but like my super encouraging girls tell me with a sheepish smile "mummy you can forget about going keto lah!", "you can slowly introduce sugar to your food now ...." My girls 'bor tua bor suay' 😅

19th June 2023

I haven't seen this for quite a while. The girls used to like this.

Will be che-che's breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper for the next few days 🤭

#彼女はただラーメンが大好きです#

妹妹 I will try to keep some for you 😜

19th June 2023

Beginning to miss that nottie lil' one. House is quiet without her. Few more sleeps before she gets back home, back to reality.

She doesn't want to come back 🤣🤣, don't miss

home at all. Of course lah！做工又好像没做工。有的吃喝玩乐。最重要不用读书。

19th June 2023

Mylene Fagaly thank goodness we weren't stuck in this position during our ride 😬

Footnote written in 2026 : We made wonderful memories with Mylene in Disneyland. Getting stuck in one ride was really funny. It was also the last year (up till to date) we stepped into US for our family hols.

19th June 2022

Still beautiful but lost its colour 😢

19th June 2020

Did my errands at PP before picking lil' one up from school and boy! It's more crowded as usual. To think that Spaceout stated <50%, I wonder how reliant this is.

I didn't run out of the house just coz it's Phase 2 today. It just so happened that I needed to get stuffs and I can only do so when someone is in school, if not I'd be happy staying in at home. You won't see my shadow out of my house when it's HBL next week. (Oops! apart from 2 days where che-che is required to be in school, I'll just do my ah-mat job.) Eateries busy today, everyone's happy to be eating out. Well, personally I'll rather hold on first. No need to rush out to eat. People happy to be meeting their fellow humans after some time, I'll hold on first. I'd rather pack n go. Pls don't be mistaken my friends, I'm not telling u u should follow what I do/feel/think.

Do so if you really can't wait to meet your friends. We all need the human contact. Maybe I've become an

• alien 👽 after 2+mths.

Phase 2 doesn't mean it's still safe. It's done so that some can go back to work, the economy needs a little vroom 🏎️ vroom.

It just irritates me when I try to practice safe distancing coz I feel responsible towards my family members at home, but some people just stand too close to me or walk right infront of me n stand infront of me when I'm reaching out to the shelf. And some 20something ppl, can still feign ignorance and ask "oh must check-in here also?" Come on! Even if you are blind today cannot see the big square right infront of you as you step into the shop, you should be aware of this when PSAs have been playing at home for the past weeks. Unless u were busy watching Netflix lah! That same lady, happened to be at same place twice. Can geh-siao until like that? And she was the one who stood infront of me at CS!!

And so.. I'll just be out of the house when I need to be.

Far East Flora can wait, I can't wait to step inside after so long but it's not urgent.

Spotlight can wait, I need to get item but it's not urgent.

I can't wait for the day when I can dine out with my family n do our usual routine. But will wait.

I need my life back to normalcy soon. I need to be able to find things that I want, to be not so inconvenienced when I need to run multiple places just to find that item. (Now I'II do it only when I'm out.

Won't die if don't have it but ...y y y who's hoarding the Peanut Butter Chips 🤨 To be able to do a drop cheque at PP, without leaving the mall and then queuing to re-enter again. When will that be? I hope I won't have to wait that long.

19th June 2013

Shellie May is preparing for ha t days

19th June 2013

What!! 290?!

19th June 2013

Although the haze has been a recurring problem for many many years, l've never felt so uncomfortable with the smell until now.

Can I inhale the lemon air freshener instead?

Which one will cause more harm to body? Haze or air freshener?

19th June 2013

Usually, the girls will be wasting time; scolding each other for not taking whatever from their seat etc..

Getting home is a noisy affair.

Earlier on, the girls cooperated and put on mask and I had to wet a tissue before we all open the car door at same time. No talking n no running. All walked into the lift; into the house and closed the door behind us with no fuss.

Masked ! 

19th June 2012

Signed the kiddos up for ice-cream making workshop and this is their end product. Hahaha! Turned out all the kids ice-cream turned watery, so nobody brings anything back. To console them n myself...bought a B&J ice-cream.

Footnote written in 2023 : Haha! When cannot make one, you buy one

19th June 2011

Finally hv the time to do this, before mould grows on ribbons.

Their first hairclip made by moi.

19th June 2011

Lil' girl told daddy "On Children's Day, u n mummy must make card for us." LOL!

Install or not?

Was checking on the humidity level in the house as these days I seem to perspire so much faster. 我的天啊‼️

It’s also time to start changing the beads. Obviously the last time I changed wasn’t two years ago based on this blog, but I just changed few weeks backs and now it’s time for the next change. Just so tiring to keep doing this extra work in the house every 2-3weeks. 我自找麻烦咯. Maybe I’m overly worried over nothing, last time in Punggol n current house also not so hardworking to keep changing the beads (coz last time I use the hungry hippo tub and just throw once they’re used) and no mould in wardrobes. 

Really just want to get machines, close all doors and windows in the house [stuffy!] open cabinet doors and keep them on 24/7. My main worry is our toilet which is usually more wet than other parts of the house. Suddenly this popped up in my Instagram. Hmm….maybe I should ask them for a quote

🧽 life of an ah-soh 🧼

Came across this in one of the ・くらしvideos, seems like a miracle cream. Anyway it’s lemon scented so why not? Even if I have 100s of cleaners at home I had to get it coz I’m an ah-soh. 

Then I went about my extra task today. Cleaning the ovens. 

“Highlighted item” refers to the top right white container 

Not sure which one to use first so eeny meeny. I love this sponge! Took out the grease so easily that I couldn’t take out last time.

Honeycomb sponge with no honey 🐝

A good alternative to the sponge that is used with the polishing cream, price in € 😩. 

This cleaner works wonders! I’m set to clean the glass, the toilet walls, the doors with this cleaner. But I hate the idea that the sponge that goes to clean the electrical appliances (for consumption use) + pots will be used to clean the house. I need separate sponges!!!! Just as fussy as I have x3 clothes scrub (for clothes, for shoes, for floor  mats). Dunno lah! Just some mad woman me have the mentality that I don’t want to mix the scrubs. 

Will check in Greenleif next time if it’s the same texture

I don’t clean the oven that often. Maybe only once a month coz I hardly use it. When I did, it wasn’t as clean as today. Omg! Why did I only discover this product so late? I used to use baking soda + vinegar, Cif, kitchen grease cleaner but just couldn’t clean as clean as this. 

Spent a long time cleaning the convection oven. Removed everything except the door, the top rod part, the bulb cover which I’m having trouble opening up. I need to change the bulb which fused out last week 😩. I need to figure out how to remove the double-layer glass, there’s some marks in between. 

Oven as good as new

Wanted to clean the microwave oven that is stack on top of the fridge. I was already giddy from squatting and lowering head cleaning the oven then getting up to rinse the cloth in sink then squat again. Was still trying to recover the giddiness and didn’t want to climb up and down (to rinse cloth in sink to wipe clean) 

I ended up taking my pot, trying to clean off the carbon buildup at the base (luckily it’s just the outside base not inside the pot). Managed to get some off. I’m too tired to check the other 2 pots, I needed a cold shower. As I brought forward the extra cleaning works that is usually done on Wednesdays to today. Called it a day! I’ll clean the other 2 pots another day. 

*****************

There’s also The Pink Stuff that I’ve heard of years ago but never tried it before. Checked on it to know the difference between the two. 

Both Pierre d'Argent and The Pink Stuff are popular, heavy-duty multi-purpose cleaning pastes that require some scrubbing to lift tough grime. However, they differ significantly in their ingredients, abrasiveness, and scent. 

Pierre d'Argent

• Formula: A French, 99.9% natural all-purpose cleaner based on white clay (kaolin), glycerin, and natural soap. 
• Texture: A hard, solid clay block that lathers up when activated with water. 
• Abrasiveness: Low to Mild. It cleans, polishes, and protects surfaces without scratching. 
• Scents: Usually a light, fresh lemon or mint scent. 
• Best For: Polishing copper, stainless steel, induction/glass-ceramic hobs, bathroom grout, and even sports shoes. It leaves a protective, water-repellent film. 
• Pros: Non-irritating to the skin, eco-friendly (Ecocert certified), and lasts a very long time since the clay dries out completely between uses. 

The Pink Stuff

• Formula: A UK-based, 99% natural paste primarily composed of quartz (a mineral), soap, and sodium silicate.
• Texture: A soft, thick, creamy paste that is ready to use straight from the tub.
• Abrasiveness: Medium to High. Its quartz grit is excellent for biting through heavy rust, baked-on grease, and scorch marks, but it can scratch highly polished, delicate surfaces.
• Scent: A signature, very strong sweet rhubarb fragrance.
• Best For: Heavy-duty outdoor furniture, barbecues, restoring discolored metal pans, and erasing scuffs on walls or sneakers.
• Pros: Highly effective at cutting through burnt food and grime; very satisfying, viral results.
• Cons: Can be too harsh for delicate plastics or glass stove tops. The paste can also dry out in the tub if the lid isn't sealed tightly. 

Which one should you pick?

• Choose Pierre d'Argent if you want an eco-friendly, all-natural option that is gentle on your skin and surfaces, and leaves a protective, smudge-free shine.
• Choose The Pink Stuff if you have severe baked-on messes, rust, or heavy grease and need a stronger abrasive paste to get the job done. 

“Kill at sight!”

YEEKS!

Just the other day I saw a hugeass cockroach in the kitchen. Freaking adult cockroach. Freaking disgusting. I can’t imagine if there are any baby cockroaches hidden in the house, a reason why I try not to have many clutter in the house. 

Of course first thing is to make sure the house is clean but no matter how clean I can be, the first point of entry from the chute, yard and PES is always my first level home.

As if Instagram heard me screaming I saw “cockroach”. Next minute I see these popping up. 

From 3 coins 

Choice (1)

Choice (2)

Choice (3)

Which one will you choose? 

I’m not sure if I’m that daring enough to even go that close to keep holding onto the equipment. But if I can and brave enough, I’d choose 2 and 3. Coz I don’t like the idea of me cleaning up the insecticide. You know I spray a lot just for a small cockroach and then …. cockroach leg kena and still crawling around for its final resting place. I have to clean up the whole spot coz would have left the mark somewhere. 

**edited on 16th June. Another insect catcher popped up in my Insta feed. Do I dare to go that close? I’ll probably be wearing gloves just to dispose the sticky tape. Maybe this is not feasible at all. Which stupid cockroach or lizard will stay in one spot for you to catch it? And if I’m the kind who will smack and make sure cockroach no way to run to, will I be dealing with cleaning up the sticky marks on the wall or cabinets instead? 

Sigh….. MAY ALL THE COCKROACHES IN THE WORLD BE WIPED OUT COMPLETELY. Die! You shall die!