Cleaning Around The Oven

One of the things on my home projects to-do list was marked off yesterday.  Clean around the oven.  This hasn't been done since we moved into our current home 16 months ago, and after completing the project I think I'm safe to say it hasn't been done since the house was built in 2006.  Yuck!  The gunk building up between the counter and the oven is one of those things that you notice while you are cooking dinner every night, but it never seems to be the right time to tackle the job.  Friday morning was the right time.  The hubby was preparing a lecture and grading papers for a college course he teaches, so I set each of the kids up with an educational iPhone game and got out my supplies.  I did ask Grant to move the oven out of its spot, but when I was finished, it was light enough to push back into place myself.  Here's the before and after photos and some helpful hints along the way. . . .

The before photo makes you appreciate the after photo 

After sweeping and mopping the floor area under the oven, I used antibacterial all-purpose cleaner and a rag to wipe away any remaining dirtiness.

This is an SOS pad used to clean off the rust spots

I then wiped down the outside of the oven and every nook and cranny I could find

I used a rag and knife to clean the vent openings

This area is what always leads me to this cleaning project

The after photo

Not sure how long this will last

Just like brand new, almost

I would like to add that I was married 4 years before I even knew this project needed to be on my to-do list.  Oh yes, I saw the gunk between the counter and oven building up, but had never bought an oven before and didn't realize I could move it in order to clean around it.  While growing up I lived in a house that had a stovetop built into a kitchen cabinet and a double oven built into a separate kitchen cabinet.  So, there was no oven to move and clean around and I was never taught this homemaking task.  After 4 years of marriage, my husband and I were moving out of our on campus apartment at Seminary and we received a list of things we were supposed to clean before leaving.  One of those things was to move the oven away from the wall and clean around it.  Who knew?  I had lived and learned.  I now have a self-cleaning oven (my mom has raved about hers my whole life, and now I know why) which means I push a button and come back a few hours later to a clean oven on the inside. . . . going to push the button now.