Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

I have seen some silicone things that are designed to go in the bottom of cast iron so you don't scratch flat top. I will see if I can find it again.

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Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

We use silicone pot holders as trivets for hot stuff. I just looked in Dh's order history and we have these. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 They are thick and easy to clean, no crevices. I usually just use hot soap water as needed but they can also go in the dishwasher. Ours are almost 12 years old and still look great.


No issues at all with our flat electric stove.

Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

The only pan I can think of that won't work on electric would be something with a rounded bottom, like a wok. I have a wok with a flat bottom that does work on electric.

Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

You also aren't suposed to use large heavy things like hot water bath cannerson flat tops because they can crack the glass

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Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

Yes, you are not supposed to use a canner on a glass top stove. I know someone who does, though. I would not do it. I have a separate, electric coil stove that I use if I want to can.

Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

We had a flat top electric stove in our last home. I liked it. We kept a cast iron comal to warm tortillas on a back burner and never had an issue.
I do recommend getting a cleaner designed for the stove top. I found it easier to keep it clean if I wiped it down each night (and used cleaner on any spots that needed it). Every once in awhile I had to use a scraper (something the builder gave us when we closed on the home) to gently scrape stuck on messes.
We have a gas stove in our current home (big move 2 years ago). I like it too, but sometimes I miss how easy it was to wipe down the stove top without lifting two big heavy grates out of the way and not worrying about knocking the covers off the burners. :giggle

Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

My concern w the ducts is moving when my allergies are so bad and in the middle of mold season. Dust is my worst allergy. I’m supposed to see my pulmonologist on oct 20 which is likely the day we r scheduling movers ...

Dh said since a ranch he will clean them :hunh I’m pondering that :giggle

Great info on electric and cast iron.

Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

What abt pressure cookers? Anyone know?

---------- Post added at 10:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 PM ----------

Like this? https://www.amazon.com/Induction-Coo...a-627652930935

Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

It was more like this https://thecooktopmat.com/ but it was from a manufacturer of flat stove tops.

Which isn't at all what I described before but when I dug back though searches I had rembered it wrong

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Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

I love having a flat top stove. I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to use a canner on it, so I have. But not too much- I do not can a whole lot. But I love how easy the flat top stove is to clean!

Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

Congratulations on the new house!

You put together a great list! Did your house inspector give you a report of all the things you can do to the house? One thing I suggest doing when moving in to a new house is getting a free energy audit by the state. They will send a company of your choice (from their list of authorized vendors) to check your energy efficiency and suggest things for you to do to your home. You don't have to use them to do anything they suggest but it's really helpful to have a general idea of what is needed to make your home more energy efficient.

As for cleaning the ducts, I am extremely cautious about getting it done. The wrong approach by a bad company can cause serious damage. Be sure the company is highly reputable before you do that.

For the fireplace, definitely do not use it until you get it inspected. Creosote buildup is one of the top reasons for house fires and you can't always tell easily if there is a crack in the flue. They typically cost between $200 and $300 in my area.

Some other things I like to do before I move in to a house is treat for any insects (like possible spider eggs if the house had been vacant for some time). I like to take pictures for potential before and after pictures when I do room makeovers. I like to get the dryer vent cleaned out. I also clean out the bathroom vents. And I like to give the house a thorough airing.... like all windows open for a couple of days.

Good luck with everything! When do you close on the house?

Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

We have a glass cooktop. I use cast iron on it. I turn it on to 3 and set timer for 3 minutes to warm it before I grease and cook. Never 4. Food burns then.

Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

With that much carpet I would buy a personal carpet cleaner. I believe it pays for itself in just a few cleans. My friend had one because she said it was so much less expensive. We borrowed and it saved us a bunch of money and it was fairly easy to use. In the end we discovered the original hardwoods under the carpet and removed it all and restored the hard wood flooring so now we only have area rugs and I just vacuum them.

I have been told also in the past that carpet cleaning slowly removes the protective coating so it will stain easier after so many cleans.

I don't know if either are true but buying your own carpet cleaner might at least be worth looking into.

Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

Yea, I've heard all those rules about flat tops too and when I first bought this house 10 years ago I was worried because of that. That said, I use cast iron exclusively and my kids cook daily on the stove top with cast iron as well and we've never had an issue. I only point out that my kids do it too to prove that, in least in our case, it doesn't require precision and extreme caution because my kids are good at neither. ;) :lol :lol I also can on my flat top and have never had a problem. I've never used a stove top pressure cooker on it only because i haven't used a stove top pressure cooker since owning this home.

My fave cleaner for my stovetop is "Bar Keeper Friend." But for the most part unless I have something cooked on that I need to scrub off I tend to just use whatever basic spray cleaner I'm using on the rest of my kitchen.

Re: Need help w new to us house -- protective items, repairs, cleaning (very random)
 

My dh (a former carpenter who was a foreman) did our inspection and has a list but doesn't do fireplaces or HVAC . . .I did get a referral for a fireplace guy :woohoo haven't called yet agree - would never use without inspection repair and cleaning. We just need to know what maintenance at home looks like so I'm hopeful that they will teach us??

Hope we may be able to air out the house. That's gonna be tricky in october. Praying for dry days or we will just be inviting mold in :( I haven't decided if it's better to shut the house up with a really good air filter or open up. (we have horrid mold allergies and I have been diagnosed with mold poisoning)

I didn't know that you could get a free energy audit. This is a wonderful idea. :tu We were grateful both of the toilets, the furnace water heater and A/C are new energy efficient models. With a ranch I'm expecting our electric/gas bill to plummet.

We have decided will not leave the carpeting in long :think We will either tear it all out if hardwood underneath it or we will replace it with laminate in the bedrooms first. Hoping that the bedrooms are a spring project and we just need to survive winter with so much fiber in our home :P . My allergies have reached an all time worst ever in my life (4 meds now :cry) Anyways, With our allergies, I only want to use dry chem. I have been researching and there isn't any water so doesn't cause carpeting to decline so quickly. as a part of his job, DH actually fixes personal carpet cleaners and told me to not use them. The water will potentially not dry fast enough in October in WI anyways -- since wet or damp things can grow mold in 72 hours. That's why he was hemming and hawing until I found a natural dry cleaner with amazing reviews.

That's awesome about your carpeting. I'm super hopeful we discover hardwood under our carpet. That would be a dream :heart

Thank you all for the info on electric stoves. I'm going to be coming back to this It's beautiful and I love the idea of it but I'm super intimidated. My mom has one and when we used to see her, she was still super fastidious about it. I told dh I wanted to try our new stove but set aside money to convert back to gas if I hate it :shifty We cook so much. I can't have a stove I hate. :no Since the fireplace converts to gas he said there's gas near by and not to worry we can convert if I hate it :shifty