Scrubbing Woes

Before I begin, I think I should mention that I am not a mad scientist. Just in case you would, you know, after reading this, come to such a frightfully absurd conclusion.

As I write, there are a few unpleasant smells coming from the kitchen. Not from anything that is, or was once edible, so never fear, my cooking is still safe to eat - but its coming from an empty pot.

Almost empty.

A couple of days ago, I was joyfully making applesauce, like old times, when to my great chagrin I emptied the applesauce into a dish and saw a thick layer of burnt sugar around half of the rim of the glass pot.

Glass pot. Of course. This wasn't the first time that I faced the glass pot and any of its differently-sized compadres, armed with a scouring pad and stern, menacing glare. We meet again...

After scrubbing with dish soap and a Dobie scourer, I peered into the pot only to find that it didn't appear to have helped at all. I left it to soak for over a day in soapy hot water and returned the following day to inspect.

No improvement. We keep a very small store of cleaning supplies at my house. Evidently, we ought to carry some heavy duty cleaners, since I'm around and constantly forget to NOT use and of those very difficult to clean glass pots. My next resort was to look online for remedies. Baking soda with boiling water. Great - nice and simple. But, as we are busy students who barely have enough time to cook meals to sustain ourselves, we certainly do not bake bread nor cookies (at our house), and alas have no baking soda.

First I tried boiling water in that pot. Once the water boiled, I emptied the water and hurriedly plunged my hand in to scrub as soapy steam rose up to make use of the loosening properties of heat. This helped a little bit. And a very little bit at that. Not to mention...steam kinda hurts.

Next, I grabbed some vinegar and emptied a bit into the pot. Vinegar...acetic acid...acid...corrodes. I wasn't altogether sure if it would react with charred sugar, but hey, I gave it a try. Added a couple of squirts of my toothpaste to it too (it is the only thing in the house containing any baking soda at all). I was slightly disappointed that there was no "volcano effect" on the stove - remember first grade when teachers showed that off? Though, I suppose I should be happy that I didn't burn the house down or explode anything. I suppose my toothpaste doesn't have that high of a percentage of baking soda in it after all.

A few layers dissipated. But wow, does hot vinegar smell! Add to that some variance of mint and you've got quite a gross combination. The closest thing to a chemical hood is the oven fan, so that was blasting on high.

There was still a solid bumpy layer on the bottom. I then grabbed this toxic oven cleaner (which I had been avoiding) and desperately sprayed it on the bottom of the pot, set it under the oven fan and ... took a shower.

When I emerged, there was some improvement and I repeated the toothpaste treatment (without the vinegar). This time, I was prepared with two oven mitts as I scrubbed. I couldn't quite tell if that white vapor coming off of my mitt was smoke or steam...I'm thinking it was steam since I wasn't screaming in pain (though I may have killed off some sense receptors in the whole scrubabaloo process).

So, if you ever see me about to use the glass pot, do me a favor and take it away. Or else, get me some non-stick cookware :)