chapter · two
Kitchen Nightmares
Proceed with caution; the images you are about to see are graphic and may not be suitable for younger viewers, people who are seriously grossed out by dirty kitchens, or those who would like to remain blissfully unaware. Day one flashback - the kitchen
The outside of the cabinets were bad enough, but the inside held even more disgusting surprises
Every inch, every crevasse, every nook, and every wall was coated with dirt, grease and/or grime. Doors were barely holding on for dear life by their hinges, and the sink and dishwasher still contained dirty cups and plates (along with unidentifiable sludge) that had been abandoned. Nothing short of some strong chemicals (mostly bleach) and serious elbow grease would get this kitchen even close to white again. That blue bucket and those pink gloves pictured above were my partners in grime crime for the five hours it took me to clean the cabinets, alone.
My reaction when Jack opened this refrigerator:
And when we tried to turn on the stove:
So, yeah. After a really brief discussion, we decided to replace the stove and fridge. Because we plan on a total kitchen re-model down the line, we didn’t want to buy expensive replacements for either appliance without knowing what the eventual layout will be. Jack was able to find a used fridge and stove on Craigslist for a bargain price - both were in fantastic condition!
Our friend Shane came by to help dispose of the old refrigerator and stove, and I cleaned up the empty spaces to prep them for their replacements. The picture of where the stove was is after I cleaned it. It was practically black before I scrubbed it. The grease that was on the wall ceased to come off with every cleaning combo of abrasives and chemicals I threw at it, so we ultimately had to scrape the paint off the wall because we couldn't get it off.
Our truck also broke down when the guys went to pick up the fridge. A tow truck pulled into our driveway with our truck and fridge strapped into the bed. At least we had already picked up the stove!
Functional and squeaky clean stove and fridge in a not-so-beautiful (but at least clean) kitchen. All in all, it took me about ten hours to clean this kitchen. I don’t have pictures of the disgusting stuff I scraped out of and off of the lazy Susan, or the tops of the cabinets which were (no exaggeration) black, or some of the other unbelievable filth I managed to find; but believe me when I tell you that this was a truly dirty job. It was the worst room to clean. Hands down. This kitchen needs some beautification - but that is going to have to wait. We got some gross bathrooms to clean first.