This is a long week. I normally only work two days a week at the school. This week, I have to be there four days*.
But at least my stove is clean.
The reason my stove is clean is because I got sick of the blackened rings around my burners and spent 45 minutes on Saturday night scrubbing the hell out of them with baking soda and vinegar.
Because Saturday night's not just alright for fighting. It's also alright for scrubbing. Or something.
It hurt my hands. But I got the stove almost all the way white again!
I didn't get a "before" photo, but this is an "in progress" picture. One side is done, obviously. The other is . . . not. Gross.
I have no idea how a stove that I just bought new six months ago got so nasty. I mean, I wipe the thing down every single night when I do dishes.
But I don't actually scrub it hard. And I do use it quite a lot.
By "quite a lot," I mean that I have cooked dinner on that stove every single night for the entire time I have had it. Plus all the breakfasts, lunches, desserts, canning, yogurt-making . . .
Well, it's a lot. And it obviously takes a toll. So yes, I guess I DO know how it got so gross.
I finally decided the time had come to address that situation. So my trusty nylon scrubby kept for filthy jobs and I dove in.
It was hard. And I didn't get every last little speck of black stuff, but I got almost all of it.
Perfect? Definitely not. Better? Definitely YES.
So tell me! What unpleasant and unappreciated task have you done lately? Allow me to bear witness to and acknowledge your efficiency and general awesomeness.
* I know. Four whole days in a week? Cry me a river, right? What can I say. I'm spoiled.
I went around the house with the old vacuum cleaner and cleaned that corner where the walls and the floor meet and the new vacuum cleaner (actually it's five years old, but that's new to me!) won't reach. And while I was at it, I vacuumed all the cobwebs out of the corners in the ceiling.
ReplyDeleteAnd nobody will notice but me. But I notice and it feels good. Especially since I won't do it again til I get snowed in again next winter!
kate: It's so satisfying to get rid of cobwebs that have been hanging around (literally) forever, isn't it? I'm envisioning your clean corner and applauding you from afar.
ReplyDeleteYour stove looks great! I feel for you with working more. I'd rather have free days too.
ReplyDeleteI've been taking the heater covers off & vacuuming the coils & floor after we paint each room.
Not a favorite household chore, but I do it once a year.
Linda
I have the exact same stove. Use Barkeeper's Friend. You can order that on Amazon. It will remove all of the black left on the stove.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting so often , I really do appreciate it and so does the husband.
ReplyDeleteWe have been reading a long time and I know it can't be easy keeping this up.
Mine gets the way your before picture looks as well. I cook every day at least 2 times a day and wipe it down each time as well. I have thought of covering the grease pan area with foil. Do you think that would work or make it worse Heloise?
Linda: Painting AND removing heavy things to clean? Two gold stars for you.
ReplyDeleteG.P.: I don't have the grease pan things on mine because it's a propane stove, but my mother always covered those pans with foil on her electric stoves. It does help. As long as you replace the foil somewhat regularly.
I scrubbed the restroom in the shop. I'm the only female who uses it and I suspect I'm the only one who ever even notices when it's clean (because I know the other users don't care at all if they get it dirty, and I guarantee you I'm the only one who ever cleans it) but I refuse to have a bathroom on the property that looks like it belongs in a filthy truck stop. I will scrub the toilet and it will get dirty again and I will scrub it again, because this is not a filthy truck stop.
ReplyDelete--Karen.'s sister
magic erasers highly recommend these for cleaning your stove top
ReplyDeletehttps://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/magic-erasers-cleaning-tips/
Karen.'s sister: I think this is the same one you mentioned last time. Recurring filthy and unappreciated jobs are the worst. Good for you for not giving up.
ReplyDeleteActually, I think helping DH with his bandages post-surgery counts. I have no problem with blood and guts - I call myself the Family First Aider.
ReplyDeleteI am fairly new to your blog and love it.
ReplyDeleteFriday I had an unexpected day off and I cleaned the air vents in the ceiling. Using a ladder while balancing the vacuum. No one will notice or care but dust bunnies are no longer threatening to fall on our heads.
Laura H
Daisy: Definitely counts, although I should hope your husband would notice and appreciate your efforts. -)
ReplyDeleteLaura: Thank you! Ladders and vacuums are a worrying combination. But it's nice to feel filth isn't sifting down on your head, so yay for you.