And The Winner Is?
Make A Rustic Sawhorse Table For Under $40
We've all been there. Photo: ptkphoto
We asked our Facebook friends, Twitter followers and some of our favorite food blogs for their most embarrassing, disgusting and, well, relatable secrets. Read on to see which ones you've been guilty of and share your own confessions in the comments:
"Two years ago a jug of maple syrup tipped over and leaked down the back inside of my fridge. Have you ever tried to clean up maple syrup? It's the worst. I find that if I position the water pitcher and jar of peanut butter just so nobody ever notices it. Not even my husband (thank god!) We are moving out of this place later this month and I'll happily be leaving it for someone else to deal with." -The Nap Time Chef
"I almost always cook in my pajamas - usually obnoxious pink polka dot ones. I leave my blinds open, so I am sure my neighbors have taken turns laughing at my get up, but I don't really care because my food rocks!" -Café Cyan
"I'll reuse my pasta pot it without washing it if all that was in it was water/pasta...no sauce!" -Jessica Lubin
"I don't think I've cleaned a spill off my kitchen floor in 2 years -- exactly the same length of time that I've owned a dog." -Neighborhood Foodie
"My microwave filter and refrigerator filter are 7 1/2 years old and have never been changed, can't find them online and keep forgetting to ask in stores." -Angela Johnston Thibaud
"I am with you Angela. I forget about the refrigerator filter -- mine is 2 1/2 years old. " -Jeffrey Johnson
"Um, there is a refrigerator filter to change? I thought you just dusted the coils!! As for the microwave filters, I washed mine in dish soap with degreaser once......it works!" -Elizabeth Brovont Nead
"Despite Martha's encouragement to take all my appliances out once a year and clean them, the only thing that will force me to really scrub the nooks and crannies of any kitchen gadget is a kitchen disaster that makes them too dirty to put away with a clear conscience. Black bean hummus spilled over the sides of our little food processor -- that merits a clean-up, but not much else does. Saint Tiger Lily
"I let the everyday stuff get out of control, however I clean under the oven, behind the fridge and even the coils of the fridge monthly. I put orange peels down the disposal, and even go so far as taking off my aerator from my faucet to clean that ..now let that one go and its NASTY. So my house might be a mess, but at least its clean!" -Maura Nadramia Maupin
With 3 kids under 6, some mornings I'm so tired I just reheat the coffee that's in the pot, even if it's a few days old." -Unplanned Cooking
Photo: Orin Zebest, flickr
"I know how to sub clone and sequence DNA and have worked extensively with radioactive materials, but I have no idea how to clean my oven. No idea whatsoever. I have never cleaned it, and it's going on five years now. Cleaning the oven would require me to find the owners manual, right? Or do I just push the SELFCLEAN button, leave the kitchen and hope for the best? (I have an irrational fear that it will get too hot while self-cleaning and burn my house down.)" -Kitchen Pantry Scientist
"I never wash the metal covers under the stove heating element. When it gets really gunky looking I just buy new ones from the hardware store. For the effort it takes to remove the element, scrub the thing and get all the burned gunk off I figure it is well worth the $1.98 per cover a few times a year.... Now my secret's out!" -Heather in SF
Reader comments (Page 5 of 12)
Well aren't you lucky you have a WHOLE day to clean!! Some of us don't have that luxury so don't judge until youve walked in someone else's shoes!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHA! you think I have the whole day free to clean at my leisure?!
I work, I have 2 kids and a sloppy husband....a destructive puppy....volunteer work, fundraising, school activities, football, baseball....etc etc.
Don't we all have schedules that barely allow us time to breathe?
The point is, that when you spend a small amount of time cleaning your house EVERY DAY....chores won't pile up and get out of hand.
Cover the pieces under your burners with foil. Instead of cleaning, just toss and re-cover! It's not pretty but it's easy.
ReplyAnd for everyone bashing these people, sometimes people don't have the time or energy and who cares? They aren't cooking for hundreds of people daily. It is their immediate friends and family who probably do the same thing. It's not like most of the things are terribly unsanitary (except the unclean oven: google it, love, and the internet will tell you how, I promise) just unsightly.
GRANDMA KK -who posted that you are a bad housekeeper? You must feel guilty if you have to defend yourself against criticism that is all in your mind! LOL.
ReplyThat one the digust me the most, is the spills on the floor for two years that have never been cleaned. She also boast about having a dog in the house for the same amount of years, and this matters how? How did the dog become the excuse not to clean your floors? I have 6 dogs and 8 cats, all live inside, and I keep swifter in business. I also bake for a living and would never dream of serving anyone food from a nasty kitchen. Not just because of bacteria, but it's just gross. Stop making excuses and take the time to clean. When you keep things clean, it takes a lot less time to clean than when you wait for two years to clean a floor......yuck
ReplyI tkink the dog was mentioned because it acts like a mop as to cleaning up food spills! They are also a great pre wash for dishes going into a dishwasher!
"Apparently, young girls are no longer taught how to keep house.
ReplyWhere is the pride of house and home? Or did the soap operas convince you that everyone worked in a boutique, wore designer clothes, and living spaces cleaned themselves?"
APPARENTLY you generalize all young girls, which you very well shouldn't.
My pride of house and home is in my house and home. At 20 years old, I like to say I have a very nice (small, yes, but nice none the less) that I keep clean after working 8-5 Monday through Saturday. My fiance and I may be young, but we still take pride in the cleanliness of our home. Apparently you've learned from Soap Operas that it's only the older generation women that can uphold a nice home. Please, join us in reality.
Also, as a side note, this article does not state how old any of these people are, so for all you know one of them with a nasty habit may NOT be a young woman. Please don't generalize, it makes your comment look stereotyped and discredited.
I can't stand filth. Not in the kitchen or anywhere! If someone makes a mess in my house, they better be cleaning it up. My kitchen is spotless! My entire house is spotless! It is mostly effortless to keep it that way too. Use your heads people, when you cook, you clean. When you remove your shoes and socks, you put them where they belong. The dog stays OUTSIDE where she belongs and if you feel like being a slob, then I have a lesson for you. There is absolutely no reason why each individual in the house cannot do their part to keep things neat, orderly and CLEAN. Lazy people bother me, but I guess it creates jobs when people are so lazy they can't clean their own home. Too bad those jobs go to illegals.
ReplyMy house is clean, not spotless but we live in it, and my dog is inside where she belongs. I like living in a comfortable clean home.
Well, me, I love a clean house. It just makes me feel better about myself. It's not the fanciest thing in the world, but it is clean. I am a perfectionist also, so sometimes I even get on my own nerves about everything having to be so-so. But soap and water are not expensive and everyone should keep themselves and their environment clean. It doesn't take that much time if you do it as you go. waiting until things get out of hand does make it a chore. If you will clean up people, life will be much more rewarding for you. Try it!
ReplyThere is no magic involved here. Just remove the little discs from under the burner, take tham to the sink, and clean them with a scouring pad.
Replywhy are only young girls expected to keep a house clean? Are boys somehow some elite master and she, slave? I am disgusted with the master/slave mode of living. Clean up your own messes at least. Men can't even hit the toilet properly and then expect their wives/mothers/sister/aunts/grandmothers to clean up after them. Talk about the privileges of being male. When my husband asked for the upteenth time where the towels are kept, I asked him why he couldn't remember that information? He said, "I don't want to junk up my mind with that". So.......who IS required to junk up her mind? I repeat, I am disgusted with that mind set.
ReplyYikes, some of these were pretty gross, but, funny as hell! For the 1st comment, why is maple syrup even in fridge? Supossed to be kept at room temp, not to mention it tastes much better! Or, the peanut butter for that matter. None of these items are intended for refrigeration. Actullay, both taste much better at room temp!
ReplyI put everything in the dishwasher!! Even small ectrical appliances,cor and all!!!! I know it soudns insanes, but, works fabulous! Have never encountered one single problem!
About young women and men not cleaning kitchens....I am 22 years old and I live with my 24 year old boyfriend in our own condo. We have lived together for over a year, we both work until real late and we have a puppy. And maybe some would expect our house to be trashed....but WE keep it spotless. Yes, it looks lived in, but we BOTH clean up after ourselves. I made sure we agreed to that before we moved in, to split the chores. In the kitchen, he will do the dishes, after I cook, and I clean the counter and stove. In the bathroom, I clean the shower, and he cleans the toilet and sink....everything is split. So for people who think that just women clean in the house....maybe you let it be that way from the beginning. And for people who think young women don't take care of their house....I have four jobs, I'm going to school, I cook almost everyday, and I have a small family. My house may not be the cleanest in the neighborhood, but I do not leave spills around or food/dishes left out. So don't you dare try to say that this generation doesn't clean. If you believe that, then think about the parents who raised them because they only learn what they are taught. I thank my mother for teaching me how to take care of everything, and if I have any questions about anything in the household, I know I can go to her.
ReplyGirls ? Young girls ? What about young men ? Why is this a female's job ? What do soap operas have to do with keeping a kitchen clean ? KatieCouric'sNemesis you need a life, or maybe you can come clean our kitchens as us young girls are out making a living, working two jobs, and keeping the world running.
ReplyHEY...KatiesWannabe...most on here are'nt probably as old a you are to begin with.
ReplyI also doubt most of these people who are acting just so appalled at what they're
reading are all that clean either..
Just admit it....we 're all slbobs at one thing or another...unless you're a habitual liar.
Now I will say this...after reading the chick that left the syrup stuck to the back of her frig...
you are a pig.....and I'M even appalled that you have a blog about cooking!! lol
Ugh...I would'nt want to have dinner at your house....or the pasta cooker that does'nt clean her pasta pot...GROSS!!
I was taught with a strap....negative training does not instill pleasure or responsiblity....I do everything I can to avoid any kind of housework.
ReplyI don't clean my mini blinds anymore. They cost 3.00 at Home Depot and Lowe's and it's so much easier just to buy new ones.
ReplyWhy do you people care how other people keep there house? If you like a clean house great. Why do we bad mouth other families and there way of doing things? Do what works for you and your fam and keep your mouth shut. You sound rude. Also, I am a clean person incase you were asuming otherwise... I don't understand why people say "this generation" does this or that. You know your parents prob thought your generation didn't live up to thier standards either. And look, you think your way is the best way. I think we should all just try to help each other out. Maybe you can consider that it's okay for people to have a different way of doing things or value things more or less then you. Focus on yourself and try and be more helpful.
ReplyI have three degrees and am in medical school. If I want my kitchen clean, I will hire someone to do it! Welcome to the new millenium!
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