PinkInTheBlue Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 I was heating something up in the oven and, fortunately, I was in the kitchen when I noticed a really odd smell. Then my brain kicked in and I realized it was an industrial/plastic like smell. Sure enough my husband said a few days ago he put something in without realizing the plastic lid for something else was stuck to the bottom and bits of plastic melted to the bottom of my oven. He thought he had gotten it all up. When I opened the oven, dark black smoke flooded out. I closed it quickly to think and grabbed our little kitchen extinguisher. I only used two tiny puffs to put it out but the white powder is everywhere and even though it's been about an hour and half my house has a weird feel in the air that feels in it's in my lungs. Know what I mean? For me it's like being around a smoker and how it feels like it takes a couple of hours to get the feeling out of my lungs. 1. How do I clean my oven now? At least the bottom 2/3 of it is covered with this white powder and, to be honest, I'm concerned about opening it and disturbing that. 2. How do I clean my kitchen and nearby areas? This white powder is EVERYWHERE. I've wiped down all the counters and shelves and all but it still seems to be settling just a little bit. 3. How do I get this smell out of my house? I can't believe what a big deal just a tiny fire with a very tiny use of extinguisher has made. When I closed my oven I began racking my brain about what alternatives to the extinguisher there were but in such a quick time I couldn't be absolutely, 100% certain of what the things were and I needed to make a decision quick. Wish I had used something different. Thank you! This is really freaking me out and, wouldn't you know it, we have out of town guests who arrived yesterday and aren't leaving until tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 :grouphug: Jessica :grouphug: , For the smell, get the windows OPEN.... I don't have a clue on the rest of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthwestMom Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 If a firehouse is nearby, I would pop over and ask them the best way to clean it up. I'll bet they know. Glad it wasn't worse! And thank God you were home when it happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Yeah, open the windows and turn the furnace on to help force the air out. Did you read the fire extinguisher to see what it says about clean up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Squirrels Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 We had an oven fire a few months ago. We're still not sure what caused it. DH grabbed a pot of water off the stove and poured it on the fire. So we didn't have the mess of the extinguisher powder, but we had soot EVERYWHERE. It took forever to get cleaned up. We opened windows and turned on vents. We don't have fans or we would have use them. I took a wet cloth and started at the farthest point out that got hit which was probably 25' out from the stove. It reached to the corner of our dining area (school zone!). I started at the top and just wiped everything down. I worked my way closer to the kitchen cleaning my rag every couple minutes. DH tackled the oven but I don't think he did anything special. Just cleaned it out. Oh, we also didn't start for a few hours. We opened windows and left for a few hours to clear the air. It made me feel for those who have dealt with real fires because man it made a mess. We found streaks of soot that we'd missed for at least two months after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 For (heaven forbid) next time, or for other people reading, baking soda is good at extinguishing small fires http://humantouchofchemistry.com/why-does-baking-soda-extinguish-fires.htm. We try to always have a container near the stove for that reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthwestMom Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Could you vacuum up the powder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted March 9, 2013 Author Share Posted March 9, 2013 Could you vacuum up the powder? This is one thing I'm trying to find out. Also I have masks so I'm definitely going to wear that when I clean it. Can I say just how much I'm dreading figuring out how to clean that?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I had to use a fire ext at the beach this year. I vacuumed up what I could, then used a whole roll of paper towels and Windex to finish. I sprayed it on the top of the stove, so I don't know about the inside of the oven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gracesteacher Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 what did the fire house say? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I was heating something up in the oven and, fortunately, I was in the kitchen when I noticed a really odd smell. Then my brain kicked in and I realized it was an industrial/plastic like smell. Sure enough my husband said a few days ago he put something in without realizing the plastic lid for something else was stuck to the bottom and bits of plastic melted to the bottom of my oven. He thought he had gotten it all up. When I opened the oven, dark black smoke flooded out. I closed it quickly to think and grabbed our little kitchen extinguisher. I only used two tiny puffs to put it out but the white powder is everywhere and even though it's been about an hour and half my house has a weird feel in the air that feels in it's in my lungs. Know what I mean? For me it's like being around a smoker and how it feels like it takes a couple of hours to get the feeling out of my lungs. 1. How do I clean my oven now? At least the bottom 2/3 of it is covered with this white powder and, to be honest, I'm concerned about opening it and disturbing that. 2. How do I clean my kitchen and nearby areas? This white powder is EVERYWHERE. I've wiped down all the counters and shelves and all but it still seems to be settling just a little bit. 3. How do I get this smell out of my house? I can't believe what a big deal just a tiny fire with a very tiny use of extinguisher has made. When I closed my oven I began racking my brain about what alternatives to the extinguisher there were but in such a quick time I couldn't be absolutely, 100% certain of what the things were and I needed to make a decision quick. Wish I had used something different. Thank you! This is really freaking me out and, wouldn't you know it, we have out of town guests who arrived yesterday and aren't leaving until tomorrow. Having used extinguishers many times (have a kid that loves fire means you get good at extinguisher use) The powder is a nuisance but not harmful. You will be finding it on everything all over for sometime. To clean out the oven, just use a damp cloth to clean out the worst of it. The dampness will keep it from being inhaled as you work. Once it is relatively clean you can go about cleaning it as usual. (unless it is a self cleaning oven, do not use that feature until it is 100% cleaned out) Open your windows and doors to air the house out. I found the last time I used an extinguisher in the kitchen it took me a good week to get it all cleaned up for good, because it took a while to settle and was up on to of cabinets, inside the drawers and cabinets that were not fully closed, on the outside of every surface, decoration, ceiling etc. Put out a bowl of vinegar to combat the plastic smell or once the stove is scrubbed clean simmer apples and cinnamon in water to give a nice homey smell to cover the plastic scent until it airs out. As for the guests, order pizza tonight, serve them coffee/tea in the kitchen and keep the conversation/laughter going as you work. Be sure to laugh about it often because right now it is a blessing to only be dealing with a mess and significant damages or loss of your home. The biggest mess I ever had was when I needed the fire department to put out a fire, that was that powder adn soot everywhere. They had a huge fan though to blow the smoke and smell out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 My husband caught a toaster on fire. We just aired the house well to get the burned plastic smell out. I think we left for a while with the windows open and air conditioning fan running. I googled and it looks like you can vacuum and then wipe up what's left of the powder. If it ever happens again, when we had oven fires growing up (my mom is one of those distracted types) we just turned it off and kept the door closed so it burned itself out without oxygen. I assume that still works with today's ovens? I may have to look into that in case it happens here. I wouldn't want to stand there while the fire spread thinking I was doing the right thing. After reading the suggestion, I'm going to put out a bowl of baking soda. I hadn't heard of that idea and I don't think I want to use an extinguisher unless I have to after this thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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