Clean Up Close

 Most appliances we buy are marvellous convenience objects and they are also smart about the environment but one aspect is missing. When I came into my condo, it had been renovated and the reasonably priced appliances were all new. To pay an exorbitant price for a stove or any other kind of kitchen appliance that merely does what they all do, to me, it ridiculous and if so, highly priced works for show-offs only. Today's equipment is built, or should be, on watching out for the environment. I can't complain about any of mine, especially the low budget washer, one that has controls  that read water levels be only up to what is necessary. To fill a washer to the top with hot water to do a few items is not helping our environment.  And I won't even start on the cute window type washing machines, no better than the others. But that's fashion even in the kitchen. Today, I opened my fridge door and as often happens, I tipped over a container. Whoops. That event forced me to take a closer look at the door of the beast when I was cleaning the spill. "What is that?" I screeched? It was a tiny tomato half that had dropped into a hidden area at the bottom of the half-door and had lodged there perhaps for years. What remained, was only a dried pile of little seeds and part of the red skin. Looked like a mummy. It was easy enough to clean up, but because, like everyone else, I simply don't take time to peer at the secret areas of the doors of any of my appliances when I am cooking. I have the time, but I don't take the time. On micro inspection, I noted that the door had a soft plastic substance lining its  edges. There were ridges that pleated all along its length  to provide a cushion to make a seal. But the seal at the bottom of the door entrance had, inside it, numerous bits of food and grit that were almost impossible to view ordinarily.  On very close examination, out came the q tips I keep in my kitchen drawer for this purpose, and cleaned out the seal cavities. They were a mess. My stove has similar almost invisible situations in places, as does the dishwasher seal. Why oh why don't the engineers who design these fixtures, address the cleaning issues? They are important. My answer to my own question, is that they aren't the cleaners in their households. There should be no place for germs to hide and all areas should be easily cleaned. When a stove is installed it is pushed into a space between cabinet sides and when in use, food tends to fly or drop down into the spaces between cabinet and stove top. It is inevitable. The stove must be dragged out to clean the mess that eventually occurs. This is true of many places in a kitchen. The food prep room is a place that should be thoroughly cleaned just as we expect of any decent restaurant. Bugs and bacteria love kitchens. They are a nice warm spot with lots of food for people and for them also. It's the one place that responsible humans should keep pristine to avoid sicknesses. As we have learned some lethal ones such as pandemic spreaders, make it mandatory. But appliance engineers need to do their part. When buying a new appliance, we have to look beyond its prettiness to what really counts. Sheer and clear.