Soooo, in my ultimate desire to do a really deep clean, I decided to take the over door apart (not just off the oven...that is simple) to clean between the glass. That area gets nasty because crap drips down the vents at the top of the oven door. It drives me crazy. I got the door apart easily, but two little clip thingies fell out from who knows where. Got the glass nice and clean, then put the door back together. Seems like the clip thingies are spacers, but didn't know where the f*&c they go.

Tried and tried to figure it out. In the mean time, the handle of door came loose and had to figure out how to get it back on. I finally left the unit to come home and do some research. First of all, I couldn't find a model specific anything online. These are old, bottom line ovens. Second of all, I did read that if you take a door apart like that, you might have to get a service tech to reassemble. Sigh.

While I was at home, my genius (and VERY patient) hubby figured it out. Keep in mind that 10 years ago or so, he let ME assemble our desk because he wasn't a "handy man". My, my how he has changed since then. He's actually very "handy man" inclined and has learned a lot by doing and more by pestering contractors to show him how to do things. Luckily, all of our contractors were very willing to share their knowledge. He had just never done much like that before we started in this business.

Needless to say, we will not be taking another oven door apart. It's too much work. I'll just have to deal with it.

Your hubby is a genius, VERY patient, and very handy? ~ KEEP HIM!!! ~ he's gold!

Sooz

I've figured out all kinds of little tricks to reassemble devices that are normally "sealed units". Little bits of string to compress springs... cutting up pop cans to make shims...

Chaos333 wrote:

Hmmmm....

Glad your hubby figured out how to get it together, roseanne!

Now, how do I clean a failed thermal window that's scrudly between the 2 panes of glass? lol

Solution 1: If the seal has failed, which is pretty much assured if there's anything between the panes, you can clean condensation between the panes by inserting desiccated silica pellets (the little bags of stuff you find in different foods and things folks want to keep dry) through the crack in the seal. Of course any "thermal" benefits is pretty much toast but then it's pretty much toast if there's condensation.

Solution 2: Break window. Buy new window.

More adventures in deep cleaning. I am taking off the grill cover for an electric wall heaters and cleaning it as well as the fan and other areas inside. The first time I did this, I was wiping a ledge and my wet rag touched the coils. Bzzzzzzzzt. I didn't know they would be "live" if the unit was turned off. Lesson learned.

Then yesterday, I put the grill cover back on (this was the 3rd unit we've done) and the fan wouldn't work. Uh oh. I'd take it off, the fan would work. WTF? Luckily, we had electricians on site doing other work, so I dragged them over. It seems that I had bent the fan blades which are just thin tin. Once he bent them back, problem solved. Another lesson learned.

We have both had to let go of our perfectionist tendencies. It takes way too long and we will never, ever get every single spec of crap that has accumulated. The top of the cupboards have 15 years of greasy grime. I cleaned one set. Not gonna happen again. No one sees that and it takes a long time to do, plus a ton of scrubbing. Maybe later on...

Hubby was moving the queen mattresses off the box-type frame to vacuum, but has stop doing that. Complicated to do when the bed has already been made anyway. Another thing no one sees.
He is, however, not only steam cleaning the carpets but steam cleaning the sofas and chairs. OMG at the dirt. Probably another 15 years worth. It sure looks like it.

You should see the dust I am getting from the interior logs. My original extendible duster got so dirty and matted after 2 units that I had to buy tube socks to put over it. They work well and are easily washed. I have to reach about 14feet to the top logs.

We've been keeping the fridges almost spotless along the way, so just some detail cleaning to do. The ovens are hit or miss. Some nasty, some just a little dirty. I clean the oven, the racks and the drip pans (the last two I spray with cleaner and put in a garbage bag to soak). Pull the unit out and clean the counter side where crap drips down, under etc. etc.

It's pretty detailed work. I use a denture toothbrush for a lot of the detailed stuff. I've used them for years for cleaning.

It's been a learning curve but we are proud of the results. Unfortunately, most of the owners will never see it since they don't ever stay here and guests will complain no matter what. At least we know what we've done.