Need to convince the wife that it's crud on her countertop (not grout)

[Danny D]

I looked this morning, while the wife was still asleep, & it seems that there *is* a slight lip at some of the distant "tiles".

[Danny D]

Yes. Before:

After:

A problem was the brass brush dulled the "tiles" a bit; so I should have used a softer brush (e.g., a toothbrush).

[Danny D]

Crud doesn't bother me normally - but - the real reason I care is the wife uses the countertop to make bread or pastries or pasta most mornings - and - well - if she only knew what I

*think* is on her countertop ... she'd stop making the stuff.

Here's what I found lying on the counter this morning, ready for cooking:

If she figured out it was crud, then I'd have nothing to eat for breakfast anymore.

[Danny D]

Actually, she just wants me out of her hair. She was used to me being at work all day, every day, and now I'm home all day driving her crazy.

Little does she know I cleaned her countertops this morning: :)

< Regarding OCD >

While I have a great attention to detail, and, I have trouble making decisions when I don't have enough data, I'm actually not OCD (I was just joking). I'm not afraid of germs, snakes, spiders, poison oak, ticks, etc., even though I'm exposed to all of them every day, all day.

I do have a great attention to detail, and, well, I do ask questions of everything, in that I love to learn, and to teach. But you'll notice that I snap pictures for you guys, so you don't waste your time guessing at the situation (plus smart guys like Oren tell me stuff that I didn't even think about, just from looking at the pictures). I've been on USENET for decades, and I know how bad some posts can be (lack of detail, lack of response, etc.).

I'm all about detail. Getting the numbers exact.

I despise, for example, automotive shop manuals, which have almost no attention to detail. I have them all, but I prefer a DIY video to what they have in the shop manual. I read the booklet that comes with an ice-cream maker, and I ascertain *why* each warning is there. I figure out the dimensions of my replacement pool pump o-rings, so that I can order them in bulk, and always have them on hand. I ask how best to move brush, even though I can move it by hand, hoping there's a better way than the primitive method.

That's not OCD; that's just a desire to learn, to improve, and the ability to think about what is being done. It's what distinguishes humans from dogs. :)

[Attila Iskander]

There is a difference between being on the counter or being on a plastic sheet on the counter I'm willing to bet that

1) your wife cleans the counter regularly 2) Most food is NOT placed on the actual counter when being prepped 3) food that is placed on the counter will most likely be cleaned or peeled after contact with the counter

Maybe you need to engage brain a bit more

[Robert]

A simple test is to put some of the crud in her mouth. If it is grout, it will have no taste... If it is crud, it will make her throw up.... By observing the effect, you will either win or lose the argument....

[Danny D]

I was remiss in not mentioning that she rolls bread & pasta flour on the counter top all the time (you'll notice the white powder embedded in the "grout" cracks in the previous photo).

All "that" is in these:

Anyway, I will discreetly clean her counter top when she's not in the kitchen (which is pretty much when she's sleeping) because breakfast is ready (it's just missing the ice cream inside):

[ImStillMags]

You might take a stab at cleaning the oven while you're at it. :-)

Seriusly though. There isn't much grout in that countertop. You should have someone come and fix that problem for you and then you won't have stuff hiding in there.

[JoeBro]

Danny D wrote in news:ko7jbe$r78$ [e-mail]:

Let me guess. You are "retired" on disability.

[Attila Iskander]

I would suggest that while still able, you spend some part of your daily routine doing volunteer work applying and passing on knowledge in your field of expertise. Then also look ahead at what your expectations of future ability are, and plan something around that. it will force you out of the house for a few hours a day, and allow your wife to adapt to your increased and increasing presence.

[Tony Hwang]

Hmmm, Desire to learn? Asking around? Learning comes from doing yourself. Sounds like you are lazy bugger. I don't have enough time at hand every day. There are lots to do around and many books to read. I average 2-3 books a month on eReader. Next six month I am teaching seniors computer introductory class. At completion of the class they will be able to use email, use word processing, surf i'net, use skype and roam with laptop on WiFi hot spots. I am a senior as well. LOL! going onto 80.

[Nunya Bidnits]

No kidding. There's no sanitizing the stuff down in those cracks. Not a good place to prepare food.

MartyB

[Roy]

Oh! Oh! That oven looks like it needs cleaning...put that on your list before you forget. Please use proper gloves and use a recommended oven cleaner. Do not inhale the fumes...they will burn the lungs.

[Sqwertz]

I think once an oven starts RUSTING means it's time to get a new oven.

-sw

[Danny D]

I've never cleaned an oven before. It would be interesting to see what's in the oven cleaners, and then see if we can find the same stuff at the hardware store.

That wouldn't be in keeping with the charter of alt.home.repair!

[Danny D]

That's the danger of posting pictures; people see how you 'really' live! :)

Actually, that's not rust. I had a look and it's just "crud" (from a pot-roast spill, I believe).

Q: What chemical do you use to clean these ovens?

Googling for "oven cleaner chemicals", I see this EPA article:

Which says oven cleaners are just sodium or potassium hydroxide. Hmmm... I wonder if the plumbing section at the hardware store is where I should get my oven cleaner?

Have you ever tried the lye for plumbing in the oven?

[Janet]

I noticed (:-0

Janet UK

[krw]

I "retired" six years ago and she kept working. When I got the honeydo list done she wouldn't let me make sawdust anymore (house on the market) so I get another job - 600mi away. ;-)

We just moved, again, and now she can't find a job so has decided to retire. *I* was supposed to do that first (again).

Boy does that bring back bad memories! It wasn't even knowing which one I'd come home to, it would change in an instant. That was a decade back, though.

[Danny D]

Makes no sense to clean an oven without understanding HOW the oven cleaning process works (and what it is that is happening to the crud, and what that crud actually is).

I looked up oven cleaners, and the EPA says they're just potassium or sodium hydroxide but it doesn't say HOW they work or what it is that they're cleaning.

Googling a bit more, I see that "saponification" of the baked on oils and fats is apparently the main mechanism. Hmmm... how does lye do that? I wonder...

Never having cleaned an oven, I wonder aloud why not just soap & water; but then I read all the reports on how "elbow grease" is the key ingredient for good results, despite manufacturer's claims to the contrary.

Googling for "how oven cleaners actually work", I see people recommend anything but soap and water!

They use: a. Lye (sodium or potassium hydroxide) b. Diethyl glycol alkyl ethers c. Ethanolamine d. Ammonia e. Citrus oils f. Baking soda + vinegar g. Borax h. Washing soda (whatever that is + dish detergent i. Salt (sodium chloride) (and probably a few more)

I'm going to sign up for Consumer Reports and see what they have to say about how oven cleaners really work.

REF:

[Danny D]

Maybe that's what I have there. Dunno actually. I never thought about it before, but those connections are crappy.

Seems to me a countertop shouldn't have *any* joints except those which are absolutely necessary.

But, it is what it is; all I can do is clean it.