How awful is it that I think it may be quicker and more cost efficient to purchase a new oven than to clean the one I have?
Last night my husband cooked shake and bake chicken (and I helped! Well, actually I didn't.), and our house filled with the lovely aroma of burnt food. It wasn't because he actually burnt the food, it was because, brace yourselves.....
Wehavelivedinourhouseformore thantwoyearsandIhavenevercleanedtheoven.
Shew! I got that out. It was painful to admit, but there it is. Now, sort of in my defense (or maybe this makes it worse) our oven was extremely dirty when we bought our house. I remember asking my real estate agent if I could have the previous owners clean the oven before we moved in. This is only because I was thinking that it hadn't been cleaned since, um, about 1997 when our house was built. He said that it would be ridiculous to ask for something like that, so I let it go. However, I have been too grossed out to clean it because the gunk is SO OLD IT'S NEARLY PETRIFIED.
So, back me having to clean the oven.
The thing is, it's not a self-cleaning oven. I would have to scrub it with, well, I'm not sure what, but I know I'd have to wear those huge, yellow, plastic cleaning gloves. I've seen it on t.v. and I'm pretty sure it's some kind of law.
I'm also sure cleaning the oven will take hours. In my mind I'm estimating about 10. Maybe 20. Then, I have to purchase the gloves. I'll have to have new ones because the only plastic cleaning gloves I have are pink, not yellow, and they are for scrubbing toilets, not cleaning something my food will go in. I'll also have to buy the cleaning supplies. Since the oven hasn't been cleaned in probably more than a decade, most likely I'll have to buy at least 10 times the amount of supplies one would normally purchase.
I estimate (including time and labour) the cleaning to cost approximately one million dollars. And that's just an estimate. It could be more due to the therapy I may need after the job has been completed.
Thoughts?
7 comments:
Go to the store. Buy Easy Off oven cleaner. Do not be tempted to buy the off brand to save four cents. Go for the full strength. Follow the directions, like letting the oven warm up, turn the oven off, then coat that thing like it is on fire. Let it do its thing overnight.
Prepare to scrub, but I have faith you can do it. You may also have to rinse, later and repeat, but I know you can do it. We did it in this house.
I have never cleaned our oven. Ever. But I also don't have the Shake N Bake Stink going on, either.
OR, you could do what I did. Set the oven to self-clean. Walk away. Relax and think how nice self-cleaning is, despite worrying about having something in your house heat up to 10,000 degrees (on purpose!).
Walk through kitchen. Notice pleasant flickering light in oven. Notice that flickering light is open flame. Notice that you failed to remove the plastic-coated oven thermometer from the oven before setting it on "Surface of the Sun."
Obtain husband. Watch him figure out how to stop the process, unlock the door, put out the fire, remove the (formerly new and a gift from him) charred remains of the thermometer.
Feel shame. Never clean the oven again. When Grandma comes to visit, suggest that she do it.
So I am not the only one who never cleans the oven? Awesome! We moved into our house Feb. 2006. That was when the Oven was cleaned last. I was in the same boat as you with the previous owners lack of oven hygiene. The light fixtures in the kitchen ceiling actually had some sort of grease buildup an inch thick that stunk of pig fat. I didn't clean them, just ditched them for new ones. I draw the line at unknown substances.
Get some easy off. Stuff is awesome. Clean through grease like pig fat nastiness.
What all of the wonderful women have failed to mention is planB: the ease and comfort of Merrymaid. I don't know how much they charge, but knowing you, you just might be willing to fork over the dough to avoid the yellow gloves :) Make a phone call, put your feet up, and watch as some poor sap comes and does the scrubbing for you, lol.
I was just checking in on you...did you get caught up in the fumes??
;)
I cleaned my oven last week. And I thought of you. One thing I forgot to mention...don't be in a hurry and run your finger down the grates thinking the burned "icicles" will just fall off. They can in fact cut you...my thumb will be fine, though.
Hm, totally hire someone to do it. Fiona's experience could happen to you...
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