Or is a dirty oven really that unusual??

[SandysMam]

I am currently having my oven cleaned by a professional oven cleaner. That is his main job...to clean the ovens of those who cannot be bothered. I will admit my oven is disgusting, I mean really gross, but probably no worse than anyone else who cooks but doesn't have time to clean it. However, upon inspection the man appeared shocked and disgusted!! Not even an act to justify his existence, genuinely shocked. I mean seriously, if your oven is bad enough to call in a pro cleaner, what does he expect? Or do people pay £40 to get thier already clean ovens cleaned? Am IBU or is he??

£40? Fantastic - I'd take a few insults for that!

I pay £75 for mine and that's in cheapo Scotland. Well worth it. He replaces hood filters, lightbulbs and last time* put a new door seal for me. Hob and oven look like new once he's been.

*this obviously outs me as a dirty besom frequent user.

Ours looked like new when done. It's about 20 years old, and we hadn't cleared it in 5 years.

He did sweep in confidently, saying he'd be an hour, he opened it, and said 'mmm, maybe a bit longer'.

alleypalley double oven, hob, extractors, grill pan, shelves, replacement lights

Our cleaner seems to be obsessed with cleaning our oven, does it every bloody week it seems! Really hacks me off as every time I turn it on it smells like oven cleaner. I keep meaning to tell her to stop doing that and spend more time on the bathroom floors!

Mine isn't sparkly sparkly but I spray it and clean the glass once a fortnight

lol at moving

Professional oven cleaners have been known to feign shock and horror and then double the price they quoted on the phone once they have actually seen the oven. But if he's only charging you £40 it can't be that bad.

Maybe he's only in the job because he likes judging people's hygiene standards and anything other than sparkling is horrifying to him.

What do they use to clean it?
I am tempted but my Dad said they will just use something like ovenpride and I should do it myself.
He said the same about the carpet cleaning man.

Ours is cleaned weekly ( by our cleaner not me!). So yes is sparkling.

You're meant to clean them?

I get new kitchens rather than clean my oven. my first house I didn't realise cleaning ovens was a thing. it genuinely never occurred to me to do it. We got a new kitchen and the oven was at chest height so I started noticing the dirt. I made some half hearted attempt to clean it but moved in the end. New house, oven came with it. Reckoned I'd be getting a new kitchen so not worth it. Two years later were starting work on Kitchen in two weeks! Have not touched oven. I'm getting a self cleaning one this time. It won't save me time as I don't do it anyway but I'll fell less slovenly!

at RoganJosh!

I don't know, when i have seen "how clean is your house" I have been shocked at how dirty people's oven and cookers have been.

The advantage of a rayburn, or aga: no oven cleaning required, ever EVER

well worth the money

I had a NDN who hated dirty ovens, but hated oven cleaning even more. She decided not to use the oven at all when she bought a new-build. When they sold, the new NDN couldn't believe that a 3 year old house still had the plastic wrapping on it!

I did explain that she had gone through about 3 microwave ovens in that time.... and the DH took her out for the evening meal when he couldn't stand another M&S 'heat-up' as he called them.

When mine sets the smoke alarm off it needs cleaning. It's been setting it off for the last 6 weeks so I've been avoiding using it. The oven pride has been sat in the cupboard for a few months.

I'm tempted to buy a new one rather than clean it but I doubt DH will approve.

This thread is almost tempting me to get on with it

I've been thinking of getting my oven cleaned but now I'm worried about the reaction!

I remember a removal man saying, as he shifted all the furniture, "you don't much like dusting do you love". I was mortified.

I've also been ticked off by a piano tuner for not playing the piano often enough. I gritted my teeth and politely pointed out that as a working single mother of two young children my free time was somewhat limited!

And the boiler man didn't conceal his horror when I told him the boiler hadn't been serviced for 7 years.

The bloke who cleaned my oven last time commented on how bad it was. I said, yes, we cook a lot of lamb and duck, it gets nasty, that's why I called you. He later suggested I use his services more frequently. Ah ha! Sales pitch.

I really need mine doing, had booked someone through a groupon deal but the fucker never showed up-I'm not bloody doing it myself, it's the one chore I refuse to do.

If challenged these types of men typically tell you about their wife's housekeeping standards. Soooo, they don't actually do any of that stuff themselves. Soooo, I actually do more housework than the person making comments to me. I tend to think "I pity your poor wife".

oven pride that's all you need it's amazing I was sceptical that it would work but I spent a week cleaning student housing and the ovens were disgusting. but sprayed them up and soaked the shelves and Racks in the oven pride and they came out like new

Thanks Mrs DB

I Oven Pride my oven regularly every 18 month to 2 years without fail . Bung it on, racks in bag, leave overnight, an hour of scrubbing and its like a new oven again.

The scrubbing was mainly the bottom of the oven which I hate (so dh usually does it) as its awkward getting too and usually burnt in cheese/grease etc but I bought a Lakeland oven liner last time I did it about 6 months ago so hopefully that will fix that.

Also need to scrub the glass door (don't use oven pride on the glass door as tempered glass can explode due to the chemicals!!), but most doors come off/apart and can be done on the worktop so not as bad.

I oven prided this week - not because I wanted to but because I am moving and even I don't think it's fair for my bloody annoying foot dragging chain holding up buyer to have to use my minging thing

I've seriously been thinking about buying a new oven rather than cleaning it

He only uses Astonish and elbow grease.

I want to invite people round to see it when he's finished.
I never realised mine had a light.

'an hour of scrubbing'

Yes that's the problem.

Hm, £40...