19 Essentials to Setting up a Gorgeous Guest Room

Tricks For Making Your Guest Room Luxurious For The Holidays

Whether you have someone staying for a single night or over the entire holiday season, a well kept guest room is a must. Making the guest room a place to relax sets up the excellent experience you want for your guests.  Here is a good checklist for how to set up that room.

Having a well laid out  and carefully considered guest room can often help make your guests feel more welcome in your home, and can make their stay just a little more comfortable. It helps them to focus on the things that they came over for, spending time with you! So, here are some good ways to help change your dusty old spare room into a place fit for any guest.

Let’s start off with sanitization items. Between the new COVID variant and the general germs that tend to go around during the winter, it’s a good idea to have some of these handy, especially for a guest who’s away from home.

• Extra masks, in case your guests forgot to bring any. Unused disposable masks or new reusable masks will work for this one.

• Hand sanitizer. It’s always useful to have a bit of this on hand in case it’s needed.

• Tissues & paper towels. These are items that you would rarely think about until you need them, and having them close by will massively improve your guests’ experience.

Next up, the bathroom. You want to make sure it is well stocked, not only with the essentials, but maybe with some things that your guests would need but could easily be forgotten.

• Extra towels. Always good to have a spare towel just in case, and one already being there will put many guests at ease.

• Extra toiletries. Extra toilet paper, hand soap, and even an unopened pack of toothbrushes will help a lot, and will never be a problem to have handy.

• Ibuprofen, antacids, alcohol wipes, and band-aids. Always good to have common first aid items close at hand, and these more common items are always a good addition.

A luggage rack in the closet will help a lot, especially if your guests have packed for several days. It will generally make life easier when it comes time to pack up before they go.

Now, for some of the basic life items that are always good to have in the room.

• An Iron and ironing board. These are especially useful if you’ve got a guest who brings their sunday best with them, in case they need to press out a couple wrinkles.

• An alarm clock. A small digital clock will do, but you can go for a more traditional mechanical design if it will fit the room better. 

• Bottled water. A useful thing to have on hand, especially if your guests are among the many people who prefer to drink some type of filtered water over straight tap water.

• A spare USB charger/charger cube. Try to include multiple if your guests have multiple devices. Most stores carry multipurpose cables for charging several different devices, you may consider one of these.

• A sleeping mask and ear plugs. Occasionally, you may have guests who are used to a very dark and quiet sleeping environment, and having a sleeping mask and some ear plugs on hand will make their stay a little more comfortable.

• A small heater and a small humidifier. These will be very useful for adjusting the environment of the room to your guests’ liking, helping them enjoy the stay just a little bit more.

• A note with any important info, such as the wifi password. It goes a long way to have these important bits of info written down, that way they’ve got a quick reference at hand for any important things about the house.

The final step in preparing the room is going to be to get the bed ready for your guests. Here’s a good formula to follow for it:

• Start with the mattress. Strip everything off, and if it’s been a while since it’s been used, go ahead and flip the mattress and spray it with lysol to freshen it up a little bit.

• Next, do the sheets. Go for something with a high degree of breathability, such as linen or cotton.

• The next layer should be a comforter or duvet of some sort as your “main” blanket.

• Put on two to four pillows, and we suggest using either cotton or silk pillowcases to add a bit of a luxe feeling.

• Next, fold a couple spare blankets and maybe add a couple spare pillows at the foot of the bed, in case the guests need them.

And there we are! We hope that this helps you set up a very comfortable space for your guests, and makes their stay at your home just that little bit better. If you have further tips for making the most of your visiting guests, let us know over on Facebook, we’d love to hear from you!

If on the other hand you wound up here because some of your kitchen appliances are acting up, or your dryer refuses to cooperate when trying to set up that guest room, stop off on our appointment page. We’ll get your home back to tip top shape no matter what’s going on.

Christmas Shopping for Your Favorite Chef

When You Just Aren’t Sure What to Get Them

Everyone is hustling and bustling, trying to find gifts that say 'I love you', 'you matter to me' or even 'I really love the food you make, even if we're just coworkers.' We're right with you.  Trying to figure out what the buy or make for people is complicated! So we've put together a list of potential gifts for the special chefs in your life. 

 Starting off with something every chef needs, a good set of knives. If you've ever listened to your chef-y friends talk then you know that with a proper knife there's almost nothing you can't do. On the other hand, if you're stuck with a poor quality knife, you're constantly having to sharpen it before you ever start to work.  This Wakoli 3 piece Damascus steel knife set is a fantastic gift for the favorite chef in your life. It comes with a 9-inch Santoku knife, a 7-inch Santoku and then a 5-inch paring knife.  If you want something that serves as both very pretty and a will be used for decades to come, this is a good bet. 

Price: $120

Next up we've got something that hits both 'cute' and 'useful' marks on your list. A set of Matryoshka dolls that serve as measuring cups. The dolls are made of white pressed plastic, and stack together when not in use. They range from 1 cup at the largest and each doll 'half' steps down by 1/4 cup. Absolutely adorable, easily stored and they can flavor to your kitchen. These might be perfect for a young nice or nephew who is just getting started in the kitchen or someone who loves cute things, but also practicality. 

Price: $13 

Think about the nonstick pans that you love. Now think about all the times when you're in the middle of cooking and you accidentally grab a metal spatula instead of a silicone one. By adding a few more tools to your kitchen and keeping them closer to the stove, you can fix that.  This set comes with 2 spoons, 2 spatulas, 1 jar 'spatula' and a brush for sauces, glazes etc.  It's also available in several different color options, and comes with a steel core so that it'll be more durable than some of the other silicone tools you can buy. 

Price: $20 

If your favorite chef is a lover of different spices, this can be a great gift. A stainless steel spice tower with solid glass jars, to make it easy to look at the different spices, as well as being clearly labeled.  This spice tower spins in place and easily holds of 20 jars of their favorite spices. The company also offers a 5 year spice renewal program. You can purchase the tower and register it with them and for 5 years you get free spices, all you have to do is pay shipping. It's two gifts in one, unlimited spices and a place to store them.  

Price: $50 

Following hard on the heels of our last gift, this one is a bit.. different. It's a label maker. For those of us that love cooking and baking you can end up with all sorts of unlabeled jars. You have friends that give you jars of spices from around the world, you experiment with different combinations, and sometimes labels just fall off. Then you're left staring at a jar going "I know I put some nutmeg in here, and I can taste a little anise, but what the heck is that third one?" Enter the label maker. Now it's easy to label your jars and you're not going to mix up your poultry seasoning with your baking spices. (Yep, we've done it. That's what happens when you don't sniff an unlabeled jar and just toss it into the pot instead.) 

Price: $35 

For the coffee loving chef in your life, you might consider this gift. An easy-to-use grinder that can handle enough beans for 12 cups of coffee at once. The center chamber is removeable to make for easy cleanup and pouring. You can also use it for spices if you prefer to grind your own before use.  And at this asking price, you could even go so far as to buy 3. One for you, one for coffee and one for spices! 

Price: $17

Sometimes you don't want to fight with finding the 'right' spot on your stove for your frying pan. You want to turn it on and get cooking. You also don't want to deal with food sticking to the pan and becoming scorched. Both of these problems are solved by the BELLA Electric Ceramic Skillet. It's able to heat smoothly and consistently in a way that your stove usually doesn't and keep food from sticking to it. You can use it to saute, fry, roast and steam, all without having to argue for space on your stove. Using the skillet also means that you can use it for a main dish while you use your stove to cook sides of your meal. Alternatively, this could be used if you're in a tiny home without much of a kitchen. 

Price: 35

If you're looking to find out what all of the fuss is over air fryers, this might be a good place to start. Not only can you use it for everything from frozen foods to donuts (fresh donuts! At home!) but you can also try it out for a wide variety of different recipes from everyone's favorite food & craft site, Pinterest. While this is a  slightly more expensive model, it's well worth it when you can cook 6qts of food in one go rather than having to do batch after batch. 

Price:  $120

What's worse than having to wait for your kettle to boil so you can wait to brew tea? Having to wait for that perfect cup of tea for whatever the day has thrown at you? Nothing. Nothing is the answer we're looking for.  Fortunately, this electric kettle from Mueller can help. Able to hold 1.8 liters or a little over 7 cups, it's perfect. It boils quickly, auto shuts off, and has 'boil-dry' protection. (Tell us you haven't accidentally turned the stove on without checking if there was water in the kettle at least once. No? We didn't think so. We get it though.) Best of all, there's no frustrating cord to fight with. The kettle sits on a plate that heats the water inside it, and can be removed and carried wherever you need once it's come to a boil. We'll take two. 

Price: $35 

For those of us that are coffee drinkers, whether that's solely coffee or in addition to tea, we've got a lovely French press maker. Made of borosilicate glass just like the electric kettle, the Cafe Du Chateau press also comes with a 4 level filter to ensure that you're only getting coffee in your cup.  Capable of brewing 34 oz of delicious coffee at a time, the French press is something that many coffee lovers swear by.  Plus, if, somehow, there's an issue with your press? Cafe Du Chateau will replace it. 

Price: $25

IF YOU WANNA SHRED MEAT LIKE THE WILD ANIMAL WITHIN, you should look at getting these lovely claw-shaped meat shredders. Great for making pulled pork LIKE A BEAST or just adding a bit of fun and ease to the cooking process, these will surely find a home within any barbecue master's kitchen. We love them because you can shred the meat more easily than trying to do many tiny shreds using a pair of forks. 

Price: $12 

If you want to have a nice, melted cheese to put on your food after it is cooked, rather than melting on during the cooking process, this is an excellent option for you. Offering a small pan that will accommodate 2 standard cheese slices side-by-side, this will allow for you to get your cheese to just the right consistency before putting it on your food.  And if you don't want to just use a slice of cheese? You want to mix your cheeses together? You can go for that too. Just make a small mound of the mixed cheeses and let them melt together. 

Price:  $10  

If you're still looking for Christmas gifts, we suggest booking an appointment for your loved one to have one of our technicians go over all of their appliances. Showing you love them by taking care of their favorite space, is a great way to show that you pay attention, and it will also make it so that any problems that might be there can be caught before they cause major trouble for the favorite chef in your life.  To set up an appointment you can call us at ((214) 599-0055) or go to our website to set up an appointment. 

Hauntingly Good Meals To Run After

Spooky Biscuits for All Day Long

Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is make things easier on future you. This is especially true for a weekend holiday.

Here's a fast breakfast, lunch or dinner idea to get some food in the bellies of your trick or treaters before they wander off, or as they come back down from the sugar high... Or maybe into your stomach before the heathen horde comes knocking.

Let's make some quick and easy monster biscuits.

Ingredients:

1 can biscuits or 8 frozen biscuits

4 oz brick mozzarella cheese

Lunch meat of choice, or pepperoni 

1 can whole pitted black olives

1 jar strawberry or raspberry jam or jelly

White chocolate chips, sliced almonds, candy eyes, etc.

We know you're looking at this ingredient list and questioning our sanity. Don't worry. It's not all going together on one biscuit.

Tools:

Baking sheet, foil, oven mitt, cutting board, vegetable peeler, knife, fork, spoon, plate, spatula

Line your baking sheet with a layer of foil, because anything that makes your life easier today is worth it.

Preheat the oven according to the directions on your package of biscuits.

We used the Pillsbury brand southern homestyle biscuits in a can (because we already had them on hand and didn't want to make an extra trip to the store) and we found them to work well. We've also previously used the Great Value brand frozen buttermilk biscuits, but in our experience, they are prone to scorching on the bottom. If you use them, keep a close eye on them while they bake up so you avoid that problem.

Place your biscuits on the lined baking sheet - have their edges touching if you want them tall and fluffy, or give them room to expand if you would prefer them a little thinner - and pop them into the oven. Set your timer for HALF of what the directions say. Trust us here.

While your biscuits bake, pop open that can of olives. Drain them and give them a quick rinse so they won't transfer their color as easily when you assemble dinner. We're going to do this in reverse order for the meals, because of the three meal ideas we're covering, the dinner takes the longest to prep.

Fish out a few olives and put them on your cutting board. Slice a thin ring out of the middle of each. Your goal here is eight little rings. Feel free to eat all your mistakes - it's the best perk of being the chef.

Once you have your olives ready, scoot them to one side of the cutting board. Consider wiping up after them if they've left you a wet spot. Place your brick of cheese long side up on the board and grab your vegetable peeler. We know you're questioning our sanity again, and it's okay. Take the peeler and shave long, thin straps off the brick of cheese until you feel you have enough to put a double layer on six of your eight biscuits. 

You may have a cheese wire in a drawer somewhere that you want to use for this. We would advise you skip that urge. The goal here is the extra-thin strips and feathery edges a peeler creates. A cheese wire, even adjusted to as thin as possible, will still make a mostly clean cut. If that's what you'd prefer, go ahead, but we definitely think it looks more like a mummy bandage with the rough sides and broken looking ends.

Feathery, jagged cheese bandages.

By now you should be reaching the end of the timer you set. Pause and flip the biscuits. The directions don't say to in most cases, but if you flip them halfway through, you'll get nice, toasty tops and bottoms without either one becoming too thick or crispy. Put them back in the oven for the remaining half of the recommended time and reset your timer.

While they finish up their baking process, separate some slices from your lunch meats. It doesn't really matter what you choose to use, as long as you enjoy it. We used hard salami for ours, but it would work just as well with ham or turkey or roast beef if you have them on hand.

Once they're out of the oven, split them all evenly with a sharp knife.

Fluffy, freshly baked and sliced biscuits.

Take two and plate them like an open-faced sandwich. Spoon a generous helping of jam or jelly onto each half and spread it a bit with the back of the spoon. Congratulations, you have a smashed monster! We had candy eyes left over from another project and used those for this, but slices of almond, white chocolate chips or mini marshmallows also can serve as a reasonable approximation of monster eyes. Just use whatever you have on hand.

Frighteningly delicious breakfast monster

Take your next two biscuits. Layer your lunch meats on them and add a few strips of cheese if you'd like.Grab two whole olives. Wrap a torn slice of lunch meat around each one, leaving the open end of the olive visible. Shut your biscuits into sandwiches and tuck your wrapped olives into the side, peeking out like a pair of creepy, unblinking eyes. There's lunch, easy to just grab and run if necessary.

Lunch timer watcher

And now for dinner... take your four remaining biscuits and plate them with their soft insides up. Place a layer of lunch meat on each half, then add those olive rings you cut earlier as eyes a little above the middle. Cover it all over with a layer of cheesy bandages, being sure to let at least one eye still peek out from beneath them.

Mummy’s out for dinner!

By the time dinner comes around, these will have gone cold - so be sure to lightly toast them and get your cheese melted before enjoying your new mummy bites.

And with just a bit of time, you’ve got three fantastic meals, sure to haunt anyone. If you test them out let us know over on our Facebook page! We’d love to hear from you. 

If on the other hand, you ended up here because your oven has decided to go to the grave, we might be able to help. We’d be willing to say that we’re better than Dr. Frankenstein, at least when it comes to bringing appliances back to life. Give us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or visit our contact page to get in touch.

Thanksgiving Recipes for Small Groups

Also Known As “ How Not To Go Insane This Holiday”

Somehow, trying to get the entire family under one roof for a holiday always seems to turn into a headache.

Everybody says they'll be there, but when it comes time to decide who's bringing what, half the family's plans have changed - now they aren't coming. Great Aunt Jean said she'd host, but dropped out at the last minute. Uncle Tim said he'd bring dessert, but then brought the dreaded casserole instead. The sister who was supposed to bring the drinks only brought ice, the brother who was supposed to bring the bread brought a salad... And now no one knows what's going on. The person pressed into hosting is taking a frantic tally to figure out what's missing, someone's already in their car on their way to the only store in town that's open on Thanksgiving, and no one knows whether or not the turkey will be done in time.

It happens every year, in varying degrees, to every family. There are always too many moving parts. So this week's post is dedicated to keeping everything simple. Read on for the easiest recipes we could think of to help you get through this mess with your sanity intact.

The easy way, and the COVID-19 friendly way, to survive the holiday is to not have everyone over. Do a smaller celebration. The recipes in this post are sized for a group of four to six people.

Appetizer

Taco Bites

Chances are the kids are going to try to skip as many healthy foods as they can when dinner hits the table. Let's sneak something in early.

Ingredients:

2 15.5 oz cans chickpeas

1 1 oz packet taco seasoning

3 Tbsp oil

1/4 head iceberg lettuce, torn

3 roma tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup shredded cheese

Tools:

Cutting board, knife, colander, baking sheet with a rim, plastic bag, paper towels

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 450.

Pour your oil into the baking sheet and tilt to move the oil around until you've coated the entire bottom of the pan. Place the coated pan into the oven for two minutes.

Dump your chickpeas into the colander, rinse them and allow them to drain, and then pat them to remove some of the excess water.

Pour your taco seasoning into the plastic bag, add the chickpeas, seal the bag and shake! The goal is to evenly coat the chickpeas. There will be seasoning left over, and that's okay. You can hold on to it and sprinkle it on top later if you'd like.

Spread your seasoned chickpeas in a single layer on the hot baking sheet and bake for 14 minutes.

While the chickpeas are baking, wash your lettuce and tomatoes. Rough chop the tomatoes and tear the lettuce into large pieces.

Once you remove the chickpeas from the oven, allow them to cool down some - but not to room temperature - and drain off excess oil.

Wrap a spoonful of chickpeas, a few chunks of tomato, and a sprinkling of cheese into a strip of lettuce and roll it up like a burrito (hold in place with a toothpick if necessary). Serve with guacamole, sour cream or salsa if desired.

Entree

Thanksgiving is all about the turkey for most families. But why carve up a whole bird and encourage everyone to fight over the drumsticks while they ignore everything else? We suggest a turkey pot pie instead. It's so easy you can have the kids help! Cook the turkey and potatoes in the slow cooker overnight so it's all ready to shred and mash in the morning.

Turkey Pot Pie

Ingredients:

1 boneless turkey breast (Butterball Cajun-seasoned 3 pound is a favorite here)

6 large russet potatoes, chunked

2 14 oz bags frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 18 oz jar turkey gravy

1 can Pillsbury crescent dough

Tools:

Slow cooker, deep baking dish, mixing bowls, cutting board, slotted spoon

Instructions:

The night before you plan to have your Thanksgiving dinner, wash and cut up your potatoes. Place them into the bottom of your slow cooker, and add enough water or broth to cover. Place your turkey breast on top of the potatoes, place the lid on the slow cooker, and set it to low. Allow it to run overnight, at least seven hours.

In the morning, turn off the slow cooker and pull the turkey. Shred it on the cutting board and set it aside to cool. Stir your mixed vegetables and gravy in with with your shredded turkey.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the slow cooker. Put them into a mixing bowl and mash them with a fork. Lumps are fine, no worries! You may choose to add milk or butter at this step.

Line the bottom of your baking dish with your mashed potatoes. 

Pour a thick layer of your turkey and vegetable and gravy mixture on top of your mashed potatoes.

Top with the sheet of crescent dough. It's okay to trim it down or stretch it to fit - just make sure to stretch evenly and gently so it doesn't tear.

Poke a few small vent holes with a fork or knife before placing your pot pie in the oven.

Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes.

Sides

Cranberry Sauce

Repeat after us: Cranberry sauce is not supposed to come from a can.

Cranberry sauce is the easiest Thanksgiving side, by far. (Unless you forget the lid on the pan. Trust us, do not forget the lid!) The tried and true method of berries, a simple syrup, a handful of spices, and a few minutes of intense heat makes a foolproof sauce.

Ingredients

1 12 oz bag fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Tools:

Sauce pan, lid, heatproof serving dish

Wash your cranberries and toss out any sad-looking ones. Sad berries make sad sauce.

Combine your sugar, water and spices in the pan. Place over medium heat and bring up to a boil.

Pour in your fresh cranberries - be careful not to splash!

Cook your cranberries in your covered (we cannot stress this enough! Boiling sugar hurts, and exploding berries are messy!) pan, stirring frequently, until all of your berries have popped.

Remove from heat and stir in your lemon juice.

In the event your family does not want lumps in the sauce, you can push this mixture through a fine sieve to separate the skins from the jelly - but we like it better with the lumps. We also prefer it warm, but feel free to put it into the fridge for half an hour if you'd like it to firm up.

Bacon Cheddar Brussels Sprouts

In our experience, most kids despise Brussels sprouts. But most kids love bacon and cheese. Hopefully, in your case as in ours, they balance out a bit. And just about every Thanksgiving dinner could use some more veggies.

Ingredients:

1 2.5 oz bag bacon crumbles

1 12 oz bag frozen Brussels sprouts, thawed

4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 stick butter, melted

Tools:

Baking sheet

Mix your Brussels sprouts, melted butter and bacon together in a mixing bowl.

Arrange the sprouts in a thin layer on your baking sheet. Make sure to leave a little wiggle room between them for air to circulate. Top with shredded cheese.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. You can roast them a little longer if you'd like, but keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. Literally no one will want to eat burned veggies.

It's that simple. Honestly.

Desserts

Everyone expects pie on Thanksgiving... But it doesn't have to be the same old pie you've had every year. Don't get us wrong here, we love pumpkin pies - they're fantastic looking, easy, delicious and they keep well for a few days.

Every once in a while, though, it's nice to flip the script. This year, try an ice cream pie!

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

Ingredients

24 oz vanilla ice cream, softened

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

pumpkin pie spice, to taste

1 9" pie crust (traditional or graham, or even Oreo if you'd prefer)

Tools:

Mixing bowl, pie pan, aluminum foil

If you're using a traditional crust, bake it ahead of time and let it cool. Please don't pour ice cream into a raw or still-hot crust - you'll end up with a soggy mess either way.

Spoon your softened ice cream into a mixing bowl. Shake in some pumpkin pie spice - however much you like. Some people like a bunch, some families aren't fond of it.

Fold in your pumpkin puree and stir. Mix it until thoroughly incorporated if you want a uniform pie, but if you want the swirl effect, just stop mixing when it looks the way you want it to.

Pour your ice cream mixture into the prepared pie crust, wrap up the top in foil and stick the whole thing into the freezer to chill back up. It should be firm and good to go in about three hours.

If you want to be extra fancy, drizzle it with caramel syrup and top with whipped cream when you serve it.

Take a deep breath. If you've reached the serving dessert stage, the worst of the craziness will soon pass.

What do you think? Are you as eager (read: apprehensive) about the holiday as we were? We hope you'll let us know over on our Facebook page. Feel free to share your family traditions or Thanksgiving hacks! And if something in your kitchen is acting like a little turkey and making you want to use some fowl language... Give us a call, or make an appointment online here.

It’s Back Again, The Self-Cleaning Oven

This time, it’s got a partner in crime! 

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we're already swamped from the nightmare that is 2020. There's meals to plan, family to either pick up or travel to and somehow you're supposed to clean the house too? We're right there with you. One thing we can say though, no matter how tempting, don't use the 'self-clean' function on your oven. 

Let's start off by looking at how it works. Technically speaking, a self-cleaning oven is a misnomer. It's not actually cleaning itself. Instead it super heats the bits of leftover food and whatnot inside of your oven to make it easier to remove. It's not even meant to replace a cleaning routine.

When we're talking about a self-cleaning mode we are discussing two different possibilities. You have your high heat models and then you have steam models. 

Light It Up! 

A high heat model starts by locking the oven door. This is important because the next step is to raise the internal temperature between 900 to 1,000° F. The cycle lasts between 2 and 6 hours. The door unlocks only after the oven has cooled completely. So why do people choose this method? Most people think that the high heat model is going to reduce the food and any other debris like tinfoil down to ash. It actually doesn't. It might end up blackening the waste, and it does help with removing it from the walls of the oven where it can get caked on, but it doesn't reduce it down to ash. 

It's Getting Steamy In Here 

The steam-based cycle on the other hand requires putting approximately one cup of distilled water into the bottom of your oven. Typically there's a special reservoir. The door stays unlocked for the entire cycle because the temperature is only being raised to 250° F.  The grime is softened and loosened by the steam, allowing you to wipe it out much more easily. This cycle lasts between 30 minutes to an hour.

The Downsides 

Fumes 

During their cleaning cycle both types of ovens emit foul smells, burning odors, fume and can even release potentially harmful byproducts such as carbon monoxide. The North Texas Poison Center even suggests that you leave your house while you have the high heat models running because they can produce a volume of fumes that is toxic. According to them "  Although Teflon ...  when it is heated to 600 degrees F, breathing the fumes can cause chills, fever, profuse sweating, cough, flu-like symptoms and chest tightness." 

Costs Add Up Quick! 

Another downside to the high heat model is that the excessive heat built up within the oven can short out fuses or burn out your heating elements. Yes we can replace them for you, or if you're handy with appliances and electronics, you can purchase the parts and do it on your own. The problem is that those pieces add up quickly. Not to mention when you're wanting to host Thanksgiving dinner in the same week, if not the next day as one patron recounted, there's not enough time to get it fixed before your oven. 

How Much Does It Use? 

One final issue with these two options, to us at least, is that the high heat version, which is what the majority of our customers have, will cost you the equivalent amount of entire months worth of oven usage. For just one cycle of self-cleaning it typically takes 8 kW hours. The steam clean option is slightly better with only taking three kilowatt hours worth of power. But that still roughly 1/3 of your monthly usage.

Instead what we suggest is doing the process by hand. Cleaning your oven yourself, or having someone clean it for you won't damage any of the internal components or burnout your heating element. All you need is white vinegar, baking soda, and water. Make sure that you avoid anything abrasive though, as they can damage the coating of your oven, causing chips and scratches. Those chips and scratches can then make it far more likely that they will get in your food, or through your exhaust fan, out into the air you're breathing. 

If you're wanting to avoid all that, here's how to clean your oven. 

-Start by removing the racks. They might need to be cleaned too, but for the time being you can put them into the kitchen sink, or your bathtub. (We advise putting down an old towel to prevent it from scratching the finish.) 

-From there, grab a rag, wet it down and wipe down all of the surfaces of the oven. Pay attention to where the built up crud is and take note. 

-Grab a mixing cup and some baking soda. Pour one half cup of baking soda into the cup and add water a few drops at a time. Keep going until you have a thick paste. 

-Take the paste and apply it thickly over every surface in the oven. You want a solid coat, without any of the enamel underneath showing through. Let that sit overnight. 

-Once the requisite six to eight hours have passed, lay out a mat or some newspapers under your oven door and grab a sponge. Moisten the sponge slightly and wipe out as much of the baking soda as you can. You're going to have to rinse out the sponge several times, as you keep wiping until no more paste is in the oven. If your oven still seems dirty, go ahead and repeat the process, being sure to let it sit overnight again. 

We hope we've answered some of your questions about self-cleaning ovens! If you have questions, comments or concerns, please let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook. If your oven, or any of your other major appliances, are giving you trouble, feel free to call or come over to our website to book an appointment. We want to help keep your home running smoothly!