Arm yourself and your kitchen for Turkey Day

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Published Date 11/16/2023

Adults will laugh, argue over politics, and moan about how much they ate. Kids will scream, run around, and delight in just being with other kids they don’t see every day. But what about you — the host? What can you do to prepare for the upcoming feast day called Thanksgiving knowing you’ve done all you can to make this easier on yourself?

Being the host is no simple task, but you can take the stress out of the prep work and get your home —especially your appliances — ready for your guests with a few practical tips offered by This Old House.

To prepare your dishwasher for the onslaught, take out the racks and scrub them with mild detergent, including using a toothbrush to remove any gunk on the utensil holder. Has your dishwasher seen better days? If you notice exposed metal or nicks in the vinyl when cleaning your dishwasher, patch those spots with a rubber coating — available at your big box store or on Amazon. Make sure the sprayer arm has no clogged holes, check the space under the arm for any food scraps, and if your unit has one, clean the filter using the instructions for your model.

Lastly, wipe down the door gasket with a damp cloth dipped in distilled white vinegar, focusing on the bottom, where debris collects, then run the dishwasher empty except for a bowl filled with two cups of white vinegar in the center of the lower rack. Your dishwasher is now armed and ready for holiday action.

Your fridge needs some attention as well. Make room for LOTS of items by dumping any leftovers before you start cooking. Did you know that airflow is essential inside a fridge, as well as outside? While the freezer thrives on packing items closely together to keep them colder, a fridge prefers enough room between items in order to not hinder the airflow that works to cool food.

Wipe up spills instantly — especially important if the spill comes from raw meat, whose juices contain bacteria. You can prevent spills by defrosting meat in a covered container on the bottom shelf. And if you haven’t been doing it, you should also be cleaning your condenser coil regularly. “Turn off the fridge and clean the coil—it’s often located underneath the fridge—with a brush or vacuum,” says This Old House. “Letting dirt build up on the coil can increase energy usage and encourage appliance failure.”

Next on the agenda is/are your oven(s). If you notice If baked-on spills in your oven, you may be tempted to set the self-cleaning cycle and walk away. But if you’ve got an oven close to its expiration date, think twice, say the pros. Why? Because the high-heat setting can trigger a service call on an older oven (13 years, on average). Bottom line: Don’t wait until the day—or week—before a holiday cook-a-thon to clean it. Instead use an oven cleaner followed by a thorough wipe-down with a diluted white vinegar solution, suggests one appliance expert. “Be aware that your owner’s manual may warn against spray cleaners for liability reasons because some people overuse them and some products produce toxic fumes. Applying a paste of baking soda followed by a final swipe of diluted white vinegar can work, too, but expect to use a lot more muscle.”

On to your stovetop. But wait. Read this first: While you’ll never see this in the news, Thanksgiving is the peak day of the year for kitchen fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Nearly three times more fires occur on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year. “Most of these fires involve the kitchen stovetop,” says Lorraine Carli of the NFPA. “The majority of the cooking fires occur because of unattended cooking.” Be sure to have stovetop safety measures in place to prevent a fire in your home.

Don’t forget that your garbage disposal will be on double duty as well. Study what you should avoid putting into it, make sure everything is working smoothly before your guests arrive, and if guests intend to “help with the dishes,” make sure you instruct them as well.

Now. Let’s eat!

ThisOldHouse, TBWS

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Bobbie Jo Haggard, NMLS 92472;
Licensed to do business in Washington & Oregon.

Heartland Mortgage, Inc. NMLS# 3205; Office(509) 529-3280
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