Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Bonanza of Birds and A Big Stink

Today I sat in my sunroom to eat lunch. My husband put up the bird feeder again about a week ago. We take it down in the summer as there should be plenty for the birds to eat in nature. While eating, I saw house finches, titmice, a nuthatch, and a chickadee. The birds in the last few days have finally discovered the feeder with its sunflower seeds. I felt happy watching them.

 It has been a beautiful sunny autumn day. The sun coming through the patio door warmed my arms after a chilly morning. I put my fall kitchen towels out today, too. 


I am not a fan of the color orange, but this towel has reddish orange and a kind of russet.

I needed some cheerful things around me because I have been battling a big stink. On September 30th I heated a breakfast sandwich wrapped in a paper towel in my microwave oven. I went to another part of the house for a few minutes. When I came back, there was a terrible burnt smell. As I opened the microwave oven, some smoke came out. The paper towel had a round black charred spot. We have not been able to get rid of this bad smell.

We thoroughly washed the microwave oven surfaces. I nuked a cup of water with lemon juice. For 3 days, I had a container with baking soda inside. The baking soda soon smelled like the oven. I changed the baking soda often but the smell remained. Besides those attempts, the internet suggested changing the charcoal filter on the microwave. The what? It turns out the over-the-range microwave has not only a grease filter, but this charcoal filter. In fine print on the papers left with me when Grace Village bought and installed the appliance, it told me about the filter. I could find nothing about a part number or the size of the filter on those papers nor online at Whirlpool.

 Today the replacement I ordered on Amazon arrived and is too big. I finally contacted the Grace Village maintenance scheduler. She said the guys might have a filter; if not, they could at least measure it so the right one could be ordered. I wish I had just turned it over to them from the beginning.

My little raspberry Renuzit cone fights valiantly to counteract the burnt smell, but as soon as I use the microwave the air blowing out of the vent next to the filter stinks it up again.

Have you ever had a successful way to get rid of an odor like this?

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