Cleaning Underneath My Stove!

[bitohoney]

Ok I have to be honest, I'm embarassed about this! I have lived in this townhouse for 9 years and have never moved the stove to clean under it. I'm talking under it, behind it...on the floor where all the goo, pet hair, bugs, and I don't know what else, gets.
Now I know it's time, but I'm scared to death! I'm afraid I'm going to find dead animals/bugs and other stuff I DO NOT want to see.
But, I'm not even sure I will be able to move the thing.
I know it's going to take a whole day and maybe even have to soak overnight.

With all that being said...I have no clue what cleaning products/items to use. I know I will need gloves and I will feel better wearing a mask (like the mask will protect me from what I find ).

So those of you who DO clean that goo and crud...what grime and crud removing product do you recommend?
And any other tips and suggestions greatly appreciated!

 

[SandrA9810]

I find simple green works great on cruddy stuff. You might wind up with a mixture of things on the floor. Surprisingly enough, they're really not that hard to move, since they're usually on the four little feet.

 

[mamacatnv]

We've been in our house 14 years, it has never occurred to me to move the stove

 

[AndreaDM]

I have lived in my house 4 years and haven't done it either and I'm guessing it was quite a while since the previous owners did it if ever, judging on how dirty the rest of the house was when we moved in! We are getting a new one soon and I told DH I will plan to be gone that day so he can deal with it, I don't even want to see what is under/behind there!!

 

[Robinrs]

Waitaminute? You're SUPPOSED to clean UNDER the stove?

my bad...

 

[FergieTCat]

Don't forget under the refrigerator.

 

[Iott Family]

put cleaning under/behind your stove and fridge on the same cleaning day that you clean your cabinets from top to bottom. Vinegar is a great cleanser. If you need something stronger try an ammonia based cleaner but never mix it with bleach!

I try and do mine 2-3 times a year. I have never found any dead critters under my appliances but I have found legos, bouncy balls and uncooked pasta. Lots of dust/pet hair

Sweep what you can with a broom first then move in with paper towel and cleaner. Thats my method of attack!

 

[HelenePA]

I can see what's under mine because it has the drawer on the bottom... if you take it out you be able to see what your setting yourself up for.. mine has lots of toys under there right now.

 

[SC Minnie]

Be careful pulling your stove out. I was trying to be resourceful and clean under the stove one day. I pulled on the door and the door came off! I couldn't get it back on either. I had to call a repair guy to come put the thing back on. $60 for 5 minutes. And I still didn't get it pulled out to clean under.

One day I realized that I could pull the drawer underneath out and clean it that way. Cat toys and cat hair is about all I find.

 

[C.Ann]

Depending on what kind of flooring you have, 409 or your foam bathroom spray.. Soak it good.. Wait 10 minutes or so and wipe all the gook up with paper towels.. Very easy..

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Heavy duty Fantastik.

I just cleaned under the stove a few months ago. Ick.

I did the washer and dryer yesterday.

 

[HelenePA]

Heavy duty Fantastik.

I just cleaned under the stove a few months ago. Ick.

I did the washer and dryer yesterday.

I've done under my dryer but not under my washer... I know its gross.. I just keep putting it off.. I'm getting a new set in the spring... guess I'll clean it then.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

what do you use to clean under the fridge? Im scared to go under there, thats where the cats leave there leftovers.

 

[simba20]

We purchased a new to us home back in June. It was built in 2003, however the frdige door (side by side) needed a new bin and the stove's oven racks looked as though the previous owners had BBQed a heard of cattle. So we pulled out both appliances thinking the model #s were on the back.

OMG!!! THE HORRORS!!!!!!

Both floors were completely black. Under the fridge was a bit easier to clean than under the stove. I swear on a stack of bibles that there was at least an inch of black grime, fuzz balls, the entire dust bunny family with extended family, lost kid's toys (buried in the grime and muck) and nearly an entire set of lost silverware (what did the previosu owners eat with?). We cleaned it the best we could, we couldn't get everything up, but we worked at it for two days.

We started cleaning the day we closed. I will tell you that it took us and ENTIRE week to clean the kitchen and just days for the rest of the house.

We bought a bottle of Cucumber Method brand all purpose cleaner from Target the day we closed and two weeks later at the end of our cleaning, it was GONE!

At out old house, our dog would have her nighttime emergencies in the kitchen, so cleanign under the stove and fridge which were each freestanding on the same wall was a weekly task. Until I moved into this house, I had never seen such horror.

 

[maslex]

I am also one who isn't a "regular" stove puller-outer to clean underneath it. But when I do, if it's really bad....I will boil some water and pour it on the floor and let it sit for a little bit. Once everything has a chance to sit and get all loosened up, I then take some paper towels to soak/wipe everything up, then I will put some type of cleaner on it and mop it up. Works like a charm everytime!!!

 

[dyna]

YES the stove drawer does come out it's very easy to clean under there!! I also have a gadget that is about a yard long as a flexible flat plastic piece that fits inside a felt pocket thing that is for cleaning under an beside things like stoves fridges washers an dryers that I use monthly sooner if needed. It's a great cleanin tool easy to shake the dust out an can pull the felt off the plastic stick an throw felt in washer an dryer.

If you got hard floors an low furniture it cleans well under dressers chests desks etc too.

 

[Anne MN]

If you have a GAS stove- be careful! one of my old stoves had a "safety" thing bolted to the floor that made it almost impossible to move. the only reason I know this is we purchased a new stove. we shut the gas off to the house (good thing) and went to work moving the stove, took 2 of us- had to lift it up and we almost broke the line from the wall to the the stove.
that was a royal PITA!! I also cleaned under it, boy was that really GROSS!

 

[kristilew]

I'm a clean freak and regularly move everything I can to clean underneath it - fridge, washer, dryer, furniture. At my house now, it's just a stove top in the counter, so nothing to move. (although I do pull out the little vent filterand wash it a lot, and wipe down the vent box...)

At my old house, I bought a new stove and when the guys came to install it, they pulled out the old one and said, "Uh, oh, you'd better see this...you have a dead rat under here!" I about had a heart attack!

Then they cracked up and said they were just kidding because they had tease me about my kitchen being "hospital clean!"