topic Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace! in Kitchen

Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

LizzieInSRQ — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 18:46:04 GMT

Well, I did a stupid thing.

Earlier this year I purchased from QVC the great 6 Qrt. Instant Pot Viva 9 in 1 in purple at a great sale price from $129 down to $79! Although im single, I felt I could not pass it up. ( THIS IS NOT THE stupid thing I refer to above).

Thanks to reading lots of forums and watching YouTube...I got over my fear of pressure cooking it. Nothing but good food has come out of it.

Well, I have a very small kitchen with no counterspace for this appliance. I stored it on top of my glasstop stove.

Last night in the middle of the night I had gotten up to get some iced tea and then proceeded to move some things around and gotten cans of blackbeans out of the cupboard to ready for a salad I'm fixing today. in my sleepiness I pushed the Instant Pot back further to give me room this morning for veggies and such as my cutting board is next to stove. I went back to my bed to watch tv to try to fall asleep

About 20 min later I smelled a very chemical smell causing me to cough a little. I opened my bedroom door and my kitchen and my living room was starting to fill with smoke. When I had pushed my Instant Pot back earlier, it has pushed the backburner knob on to 4 and my Instant Pot plastic bottom was melting, GLOWING EMBERS underneath. I quickly turned off the stove, moved the pot to the cool side, grabbed a metal spatula and a wood spoon and scooped up embers/melted plastic and through them in the kitchen sink. Opened up my sliding door, turned on the fan overmy patio table just get it circulating outside and opened my front door. I realized if i dont get this cleaned up immediately i will have a mound of cold, stuck plastic on my glass top so i spent the next hour and a half at 2: 00am cleaning this scary mess up, scrubbing and scrapping.

I did wait to later this morning and turned over the pot to see it had melted the entire bottom up to the wiring and I shudder to think what might have caught fire or exploded had I had actually fallen asleep. I've thrown it in my garbage can outside. Hazardous Waste center will not accept.

I am exhausted The house smells awful. I had just removed the battery from my old smoke detector LAST WEEK and had not replaced it...needed to go buy one 9volt. Or a new one...I was deciding. I really wanted to get a new one as this is the one that came with the house. I need it loud as I'm over 60% deaf even with a hearing aid.

I'm going to go load up on Febreeze . I've used an inhaler to soothe my lungs. I hope QVC is going to put this purple one on sale before Christmas. I have a gift card...and my life.

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 18:56:02 GMT

Thank heaven you're ok. Sorry you had sucha mess to clean up and your pot got ruined. I never put anything on my glass top just for that reason, afraid I will inadvertly hit something and heat a burner. I know crockpots are meant to be set and forgotten, I never leave the house with mine on or use it overnight. Fire is the one thing I am afraid of.

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

LoveMeSomeQVC — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 18:56:55 GMT

I'm so glad you are ok, @LizzieInSRQ Scary stuff!

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

Lisa Y — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 18:58:50 GMT

@LizzieInSRQ

Thank goodness you weren’t harmed! That’s the important thing to remember. Kitchen items can be replaced, but you cannot. I image you’ll be hyper vigilant about your appliances which isnt a bad thing. Breathe in some fresh air and don’t beat yourself up. We all do stupid things. Sending sending you {{hugs}}.

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

Shiloh09 — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 19:01:55 GMT

I am glad you are ok and not much was lost except the instant pot and some sleep time! The first time i used mine, I was holding my ipad when i released the steam for the first time ever. (I was reading the directions.) I was so,startled by the sound of the steam releasing that my ipad went flying across the kitchen floor! I was fine, the instant pot was fine but my ipad screen was shattered!

Hoping things are lokking (and smelling) better this afternoon!

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

LizzieInSRQ — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 19:05:39 GMT

@I will NEVER use my stove top for storage again other than a spoon rest! What if this was during the day and id pushed that back and ran to the store?? No house! #LessonLearned.

Thank you for your well wishes and wise words!

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

LizzieInSRQ — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 19:04:02 GMT

@Shiloh09 wrote:
I am glad you are ok and not much was lost except the instant pot and some sleep time! The first time i used mine, I was holding my ipad when i released the steam for the first time ever. (I was reading the directions.) I was so,startled by the sound of the steam releasing that my ipad went flying across the kitchen floor! I was fine, the instant pot was fine but my ipad screen was shattered!
Hoping things are lokking (and smelling) better this afternoon!

Yikes that IPAD was expensive! Sorry that happened!

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

LizzieInSRQ — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 19:09:11 GMT

I know what ya mean @CrazyKittyLvr2 ...my oldest brother died in an arson fire set by a literally mentally ill stranger. ...the fear is real that I do not light candles unless someone is here so i dont fall asleep with them still lit.

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

Havarti — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 19:10:40 GMT

Glad you are OK. It must have been very scary at the time.

If you have ammonia put some small bowls of ammonia around your house and leave it overnight. Ammonia really helps eliminate odors, but does it slowly (as opposed to spraying something in the air). It is very effective and the strong smell of ammonia only lasts a few minutes, then it turns to almost sweet scent. Do NOT leave bowls of ammonia where pets or small children might get it and consume it. I always put a small bowl on the counter when I am cooking something that might leave an odor. It really works!

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

NVmimi — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 19:36:55 GMT

I just purchased an air fryer and it came with a warning written in very large letters to NOT place the unit on your stovetop due to burners getting inadvertingly turned on and melting the air fryer!

So, you know it happens fairly often. Kinda scary!

And we can all assume you've replaced your smoke alarm, right?

Glad you are ok, sorry for the hassle!

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

LizzieInSRQ — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 19:43:59 GMT

@Havarti wrote:
Glad you are OK. It must have been very scary at the time.

If you have ammonia put some small bowls of ammonia around your house and leave it overnight. Ammonia really helps eliminate odors, but does it slowly (as opposed to spraying something in the air). It is very effective and the strong smell of ammonia only lasts a few minutes, then it turns to almost sweet scent. Do NOT leave bowls of ammonia where pets or small children might get it and consume it. I always put a small bowl on the counter when I am cooking something that might leave an odor. It really works!

Oh, I'm going to go do this right Now! This makes total sense. Thank you!

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

GenXmuse — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 19:44:48 GMT

It could happen to anyone. I’m glad you’re okay!

I’ve done some “stupid” things before in the kitchen and elsewhere!

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

LizzieInSRQ — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 19:50:22 GMT

@NVmimi wrote:
I just purchased an air fryer and it came with a warning written in very large letters to NOT place the unit on your stovetop due to burners getting inadvertingly turned on and melting the air fryer!
So, you know it happens fairly often. Kinda scary!

And we can all assume you've replaced your smoke alarm, right?
Glad you are ok, sorry for the hassle!

Well I did put a new battery in the one I have, this morning. I need to talk to someone about helping me replace with a new unit cuz frankly I don't like stepstools ladders etc. I have terrible balance (missing bones in my ears etc.) I gotta ask my brother to come over and help, gotta buy the replacement first. I could put this on a wall by myself but that is not how they work. Off to go do the ammonia bowls!

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

IMW — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 20:13:05 GMT

Try xo to remove smell and also leave a few small uncovered bowls of vinegar out. Keep windows open.

Thank goodness you’re ok.

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

ECBG — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 22:18:31 GMT

@LizzieInSRQ Oh My Goodness! Thank goodness you awoke and handled the situation! I wish you had an ionic air cleaner. We've found them invaluable. I burned the first one out after fifteen years!

Dishes odf charcoal will also absorb odors. You may also have to wash or clean window treatments. If I knew you, I'd run over and help!

Here's an angel to stay with you!

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

Free2be — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 23:04:58 GMT

You have lots of good advice here, I just want to say how sorry I feel for you. No wonder you are exhausted. That you shared this may have saved someone else from a terrible tragedy, you never know. Good luck clearing out the odor and gaining back your sense of equilibrium.

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

50Mickey — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 23:17:35 GMT

@LizzieInSRQ It would have been far worse if you had gone back to bed and fallen into a deep sleep. Please tell me that you have smoke dectectors in your home. So happy to hear that you are okay. Like someone else said we all do dumb things at some point. Don't beat yourself up. Just look upon this as a learning experience and know that someone upstairs is looking after you.

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

50Mickey — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 23:22:28 GMT

@LizzieInSRQ wrote:
@NVmimi wrote:
I just purchased an air fryer and it came with a warning written in very large letters to NOT place the unit on your stovetop due to burners getting inadvertingly turned on and melting the air fryer!
So, you know it happens fairly often. Kinda scary!

And we can all assume you've replaced your smoke alarm, right?
Glad you are ok, sorry for the hassle!

Well I did put a new battery in the one I have, this morning. I need to talk to someone about helping me replace with a new unit cuz frankly I don't like stepstools ladders etc. I have terrible balance (missing bones in my ears etc.) I gotta ask my brother to come over and help, gotta buy the replacement first. I could put this on a wall by myself but that is not how they work. Off to go do the ammonia bowls!

Lizziie, if you can't find someone to help you with the smoke detectors I believe the local fire department will do this. Please reach out to them.

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

aubnwa01 — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 06:37:03 GMT

When you're getting a new Instant Pot & a new battery for your smoke detector, you might consider buying & 2nd & maybe a 3rd alarm for your place.

My house has hard-wired ones, but they have a backup battery in them & my 3 bedroom house has 6 smoke detectors in it. My local fire dept. will replace batteries for me (I buy the batteries), just call & if they aren't busy, they come out between calls, which is great since I have vaulted ceilings & am very short & can't even reach some of mine on tippy toes on the very top of a 6 ft. ladder, which is not safe at all.

Glad you caught it before it became more serious & you had a kitchen fire.

Re: Yikes, all my fault and hope to replace!

AuntG — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 14:01:19 GMT

Glad you smelled it burning. I melted the bottom of an air fryer by setting it on a burner. Although it still worked, I tossed it out and got a smaller, clearance priced Air Fryer from QVC last week.