I have cleaned the m- ing oven in time for Christmas

[Asianbrit]

lighthearted post about what makes you feel like you are sorted for Christmas. I cleaned my oven finally as it was grim. I used oven pride and it took 2 days 💪 but it is sparkling now! Of course no one else was going to it and I don’t understand why cleaning the oven after you have a made a mess is so hard to understand but it is done and I am ready for Christmas!

Just finished doing mine too. Team oven pride for the win 🥂

Isnt it better to clean it after christmas as it will have some hard graft to do, making it a mess again

I do mine after.

I get someone in to do it! We both hate doing it.

For me I don't feel totally in control over Christmas until I have bought and wrapped the last present. After that I'm all 'bring it on'.

I think this is influenced by the Christmas about 30 years ago when, pregnant and with four small children I got the most dreaful flu. I did the children's Christmas present shopping with a massive temperature and barely able to stand (because their father's opinion was 'just leave it, they will be fine.' Four kids between 6 and 2 years old! Yeah, they would really have understood that Father Christmas couldn't be bothered...). So now I am superstitiously keen to get everything in and wrapped.

OP, I am impressed at how organised you are.

I have a rather bossy oven that has been displaying a message that it needs cleaning for the past couple of weeks. I am going to ignore it until after Christmas.

Not when you are hosting and visitors may see it!! If it was reversed I know I would judge- call me hyacinth bucket

to add it’s family and there’s no one as frank as a parent or sister😂

I’m still putting it off…

Fridge has been emptied, all the drawers and shelves put through the dishwasher, the outside steam cleaned until it gleams and once the rest of the kitchen gleams in the same way, I'll do the bathrooms and the front windows.

DP has done the little tree, lights and a remarkably restrained number of bits of 70s style tat (I am reluctantly impressed by the lights decorating the Monstera, tbh), got the nordic pattern flannel bedding out and the cat's bed has been washed ready for the new blanket DP has got him to be carefully folded and then artistically draped over the heated mat that the cat will then ignore in favour of occupying 2.5 seats of the 3 seater sofa with us.

Once everything is clean and shiny, the fridge is stocked up and I've spent far too long in the bathroom on myself, then it'll feel like Christmas.

This dreaded chore awaits me tomorrow. Easily my most hated chore.

A word of caution... NEVER EVER EVER clean your oven Christmas Eve morning. I did once and a bit of the door that held the glass front in place broke!

Fortunately as it was still mid-morning so I was able to quickly text my DiL and tell her to source some oven proof tape from the local hardware store immediately!...

That bit of tape actually lasted for over a year before I got around to buying and fitting the actual replacement part!

Ugh I need to do this. I meant to get someone to come in and do it but left it too late.

I had a similar experience. We left the wrapping until Xmas Eve, the kids just would not sleep. Both of us had horrid flu and were wrapping at 3am when we ran out of sellotape. Never. Ever. Again.

Now I have to be done and wrapped weeks in advance to enjoy Xmas.

I’m not enjoying Xmas this year as I’m not done.

My worry over my tax return has paralysed everything this year.

Things like tax returns are not nice. Hopefully you will get it sorted by end of January and doesn’t spoil Christmas.

OMG I am glad I’m not the only one. Fridge is next to do once the freezer is emptied. But it’s not critical- never tried putting shelves in dishwasher though

I will do my oven after Xmas because otherwise it’ll just need doing again.

I absolutely hate cleaning it and so I’m not going to- I will get an oven cleaning service out to do it 😂

I will feel sorted when we’ve finished wrapping the presents and when the house is clean- begun today with the bedding. Don’t want to do all the cleaning too soon because then it’ll need doing all over again before Xmas day!

I have my oven pride box at the ready. It's very satisfying watching the racks get clean in the bag. That's a job for tomorrow.

Wrapping done, food shopping list has been written out - just need to brave the supermarket.

Entire house is being deep cleaned tomorrow and Monday.

I haven’t cleaned my oven since last December. And then I paid someone. It might actually have been longer than that. Anyone who judges me on my oven is a twat, and needs some real problems!

Did mine last week, it took ages, but all done.

I wouldn’t have oven pride or similar in my house after it caused life changing injuries to a family member.

⚠️☠️ Be very careful - remember not just your hands/arms need protection, that stuff drips on your jeans/slippers and gets on your legs/feet and is not immediately washed off it can cause chemical burns that you could end up in the burns unit with.

I've never cleaned my oven. Must have had it over 10 years now.

My lovely DH did ours yesterday and said he would pay someone next time as it took so long. It does look lovely though.

I’ve cleaned the inside of the oven door, as that’s the bit that can be seen 🤣 I keep a tray in the bottom lined with foil, so that doesn’t get too bad. The shelves can wait til after Christmas.

I’m sorry to hear that a family member was badly hurt. Yes I was very careful- double gloves and apron. Very careful about exposed skin and drips. I did think about googles as well. Also no pets around.

you are so right about need to be careful and read the instructions!

DP is more of a 'shove everything in like you're hiding treasure', so having it emptied, cleaned, things put onto the correct shelves (dairy, deli, condiments and jars, raw, fruit and veg, medication, liquids), all the random bits of packaging binned along with anything rapidly acquiring sentience because he shoved in the back and forgot about it gives me a small space of respite from visual noise.

It'll look like we've been raided by vikings soon enough thanks to DP, but for a brief period, all feels well.

I still need to do mine. I keep putting it off but 02 January is THE DAY.