by Milcarsky's Staff | Oct 1, 2019 | Appliances
In a home, the kitchen is a very popular place to congregate. This is where you gather with family for dinner each day, you host your extended family during the holidays, and you have friends over for a fun time. A kitchen is a happy place, but the kitchen is a much better gathering spot when it’s clean. You’ve likely invested a lot of money in your appliances. That’s why you should learn how you can properly maintain these items and keep them clean. When it comes to your oven, this is an area that can get dirty quickly. All it takes is one messy meal to spill over and you’ll be stuck with a pretty stubborn mess. So let’s talk more about ways to keep your oven clean.
Why You Need to Clean Your Oven
When you have an extremely messy oven, this can end up being a danger for your home. About 1 in 10 homes is estimated to have a kitchen fire, so it’s important to regularly clean your oven to avoid causing a fire. Not to mention, you could be affecting the flavor and quality of your food when you have too big of a mess going on in there. You’ll be protecting your investment by keeping your oven clean.
Cleaning Your Oven
There are several products that you can purchase in a grocery store or other retail store, that are designed for cleaning a very messy oven. Once you have heated up your oven with food residue in the bottom, you’re essentially baking on that mess. You’ll need some heavy-duty products to cut that grease and grime. Some ovens have a self-cleaning function. You set the function to start. It will heat the oven up to a very high temperature, which should loosen up and clear off some of the mess in the oven. You must be careful with this process. It can produce quite a smell, so make sure you have all your windows open while your oven is being cleaned.
However, if you have exotic pets like birds, it’s best not to use the self-cleaning function at all, as the fumes will kill them!
Keeping Your Oven Clean
You can keep your oven clean in the future by using a few simple tips. Regardless of what you’re cooking, you’ll want to place a cookie sheet underneath the baking dish that you’re using. If you have any kind of spill-over occur, you can simply clean off the cookie sheet. This will be much easier than trying to clean out the bottom of your oven.
Look for a stove that has a steam clean function. You pour a small glass of water into the bottom of your stove. Set the steam clean cycle. The oven will heat up, causing the water to turn to steam. The concept revolves around the oven cleaning itself.
Also, if you’re looking for new appliances for your kitchen, pay attention to the type of oven that you’re selecting. Some oven interiors are designed to be easier to clean. There are also a variety of cleaning functions you may or may not get with your choice. Remember, it’s easier to keep an oven clean than it is to clean an already messy one.
Looking to buy a new oven? Check out our selection here!
by Milcarsky's Staff | Jul 30, 2019 | Appliances
For many families, the kitchen is the heart of their home. It’s where food is cooked and enjoyed and where family and friends hang out. But the unfortunate fact remains that the kitchen is also one of the most dangerous places in the house. Here are three common kitchen hazards:
Sharp Objects
The number of sharp objects found in the kitchen seems endless.They include not only knives; forks; and kitchen shears; but also mandolines; pantry cutters; pizza wheels; the blades of blenders, garbage disposals, and food processors; skewers; and those corn-shaped picks that hold corn on the cob. The shards of dropped plates and glasses are a serious danger to bare feet. A lid from a freshly opened can could deliver a nasty cut. Even the edges of a counter can be sharp.
Mitigate the risk of injury by putting sharp things back in their place when they’re not in use and never letting younger children handle them without supervision. Children and adults should know the proper way to handle sharp objects, according to Plan to Eat. You should also make sure that broken glass or ceramics should be swept up and never handled.
Hot Surfaces
Injuries caused by heat aren’t just limited to putting a hand on a hot stove burner, a hot oven grill or a hot pot or pan. Grease fires can shoot up in an instant. In some homes, the water that comes from the hot water faucet can cause injuries. According to GBW.Law, coffee makers contain scalding hot liquids that can result in life-altering injuries if spilled.
To lower the risk of injuries caused by heat, turn the handles of pots and pans inward so they aren’t bumped into or grabbed by curious children. If a pot or pan comes out of the oven, leave a dish towel on the handle or the lid to indicate that it’s hot. Don’t allow anything flammable near a heat source.
Hazardous Materials
Some cleansers kept in the kitchen are especially dangerous because they smell good to children and pets. One way to lower the risk of hazardous materials according to My Rolling Hills Farm is to keep them in a separate cabinet away from any food or cooking equipment and to put a lock on the cabinet doors where they’re kept. They must always be kept in their original container or in a container that’s clearly marked.
The kitchen can be a scary place, but it shouldn’t be. Things that cut and slice, poison, and burn are everywhere. But a few simple precautions can make sure the kitchen remains the warm and welcoming place it was meant to be.
A great part of an inviting kitchen is new appliances. Check out our selection of cooking appliances today!
The Milcarsky's Appliance Centre' team wants to help answer any questions you may have. We'd also like to let you know when we publish a new blog post or have some great news to share.
by Milcarsky's Staff | Jun 17, 2019 | Appliances
Ask anyone who has ever gone through a kitchen fire, and they do will tell you that it is an extremely traumatic experience. Moreover, they will also tell you that it was completely unexpected. Indeed, no one starts cooking for their family thinking, “I’m about to have a kitchen fire that will destroy my wall or most of my kitchen.” However, it does happen. Thankfully, with a little bit of advance planning and some organization, there are a number of things you can do in order to guard against this happening to you.
Watch Out for Grease
Grease is very flammable, and it is a fire that can happen fairly quickly. The good news is that grease fires can be smothered fairly quickly as long as you know what you are doing. Obviously, throwing water on a grease fire is a big no-no. Instead, you should immediately turn off the heat source, and then quell the fire with a large lid.
Invest in Fire-Retardant Materials
One of the best ways to avoid or to minimize a fire would be through surrounding yourself with fire-retardant materials. One example of a substance that resists burning is the roof of your home. For example, homes with metal roofs tend to fare better against fires than homes with more conventional roofs. Moreover, simply using fire-resistant cookware will go a long way to keeping flames from spreading throughout your kitchen and then your home.
Don’t Leave Your Heat Source
When you begin cooking your meal, it can be tempting to go and briefly check your ball game or to watch the last part of your favorite television show. Don’t do it! About 10% of homes were estimated to have experienced kitchen fires. Leaving your stove unattended for even five minutes can easily have a fire on your hands that could spark travel literally anywhere.
Keep Certain Items Away From the Stove
You might be surprised at just what is considered flammable, so you should do your best to make sure that everything is kept away from the burners on the stove. Items like paper towels, dish towels, potholders, and other combustibles could easily cause a house fire. Kitchen fires are an unfortunate incident in many households. However, if you follow these tips, you will significantly decrease your chances of falling prone to these terrible kitchen fires. Safety counts in the kitchen!
Many people who are worried about kitchen fires choose to use electric range tops, but if you want something different, Milcarsky’s Appliance Center has many other options as well!
by Milcarsky's Staff | Apr 22, 2019 | Appliances
Your kitchen is the heart of your home, so you should love spending time there. Therefore, it’s worth investing in tools that will help you make the most of this space. With the right accessories and appliances, your kitchen can become one of your favorite rooms in your house.
A Pot Filler Faucet
For a handy second faucet, place a pot filler over your stove. One of the most obvious uses for this type of faucet is for filling pots on the stove, especially large stock pots. That’s not all the things you can do with a pot filler, though. You can also fill flower vases, water bottles, your coffeemaker, a tea kettle, and more.
A Pull-Out Spice Rack
Have you ever grabbed one bottle out of your spice cabinet and knocked over four others in the process? If so, you would benefit from the convenience of a pull-out spice rack. It will put all your spices within easy view so that you can easily grab one at a time. This kind of spice rack will also save you cabinet space. In fact, you can install a narrow spice rack in what would otherwise be wasted space in your cabinet layout.
A French Door Refrigerator
For a modern kitchen design, look no further than the sleek look of a French door refrigerator. Not only does this style look nice, but it can also help you organize your storage space since you’ll have plenty of door racks as well as spacious interior shelving. Purchasing a new refrigerator may also save you on energy costs for years to come. A French door unit can be particularly beneficial for energy savings since you can leave one door shut while quickly grabbing items out of the refrigerator.
A Built-In Electric Cooktop
There’s no fixed rule that stoves and ovens always have to go together. You can increase the flexibility of your kitchen layout by installing a built-in electric cooktop and a separate oven. Cooktops give your home a contemporary look. Even better, their smooth surfaces are easy to clean. You could even include your cooktop in your kitchen island layout. That way, you can see what’s going on around you and converse with your family as you work at the stove.
These four upgrades will take your kitchen from good to fantastic. You’ll find that they improve both the convenience and the appearance of your kitchen.
The Milcarsky's Appliance Centre' team wants to help answer any questions you may have. We'd also like to let you know when we publish a new blog post or have some great news to share.
