There is a big pool of oil on the floor of my oven... what do I do now?

[SquonkTheBeerGuru]

dp always cooks Sunday lunch. I always clear up afterwards.

Because I always clear up, he is not particularly bothered about how careful he is or how much mess he makes.

He has excelled himself now - there is a huge pile of oil in the bottom of the oven. The first I knew of this was when I opened the door after pre-heating the oven for a cake and clouds of smoke poured out!

It is now nice and hot and therefore liquid.

Should I try to get it all out now while it's liquid (but hot) or wait till it is cold and scrape it out while it's solid (and cold)?

It is supposed to be a self-cleaning oven, but I think this is just TOO much for it to cope with. I don't have any oven cleaner, so any suggestions for getting it actually clean?

Any handy hints on how to get dp to stop cooking without offending him would also be muchly gratefully received.

Smoke-flavoured piece of cake anyone?

chuck a load of kitchen towel on it whilst its still liquid to soak it up, then clean with solution of non-bio washing powder and water.

stopping dp cooking? tell him he has to clean the oven afterwards...! that should do it.

or why not use those roasting bags, I do everything in them, potatoes, joint, everything. they're fab and keep the oven immaculate.

roasting bags? hmm... I'll investigate.

Thanks for the tips on cleaning the blardy thing.

Have taken cake out, removed oven trays and shoved a load of kitchen roll in the bottom of the oven.

Smoke alarm went off.

Put stool underneath smoke alarm to switch if off, didn't realise had put stool on top of dp's gardening shoes that he had just dumped there (grr) fell off stool.

Got back on stool, switched off smoke alarm, kitchen FULL of smoke, eyes watering I managed to ice the cake and get it put away.

Fell into living room like an extra from "London's Burning", tears streaming down my face and clouds of smoke behind me.

Ds said "why are you crying, mummy? Is it because daddy is dirty?"

Methinks he was listening to me muttering to myself.

hope you're not hurt

thanks.

no, not hurt. Just cross

oh god... when i said put kitchen towel in I meant after you'd turned it off. Did it catch fire? sorry.

Squonk..your ds is sooo funny!!!

Still at the Steford cake making (and icing!!) Squonk!

MM - no, the smoke was because of the very hot oil pool in the bottom of the oven. The kitchen roll didn't catch fire.

It's all clean now. I was on such a roll, I did the grill as well

Fred - staying awake inducing housework