for a new toaster.
Unless anyone can suggest how I make hygienic a toaster that had a mouse in it?
Bleargh. I feel slightly sick. The mouse will be feeling a lot worse, as the cat caught him when I tipped him out of the toaster.
it's time
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40 responses to “it's time”
yuk! nope, can’t think of a way to really clean a toaster!
I cannot believe you took the time to take a photo!
I’m thinking about getting some antiseptic type spray and spraying it (while not attached to the socket) and then letting it dry out overnight – does that sound like it might work?
Actually I’m thinking of throwing it out, but it’s a really good toaster…
bleargh.Won’t the heat just kill anything unhygienic? I’d shake it out (in case of droppings), put it on a couple of times empty, and then make a round of toast for the kids.
But apparently C is more squeamish than I am!Replace squeamish with hygienic.
Of course, IRL, I might feel slightly differently 😉 I threw away my doormat when I found a dead rat on it.
New toaster.
New toaster, though theoretically i agree with Alison. Doesn’t mean i’d do it though!
as the mouse wasn’t dead or mangled, i would go with cleaning what you can clean – dismantling what you can dismantle – and then heating it a couple of times, and the only have toast grilled in the oven!
@Deb I thought we were all supposed to take photos?
@Helen Yes, I suspect that’s the way we’ll go too. Will look forward to Tim getting internet access and adding his opinion 🙂Well yes, of course we’re supposed to take photos. It’s just…I think my reaction might have been to scream and throw the toaster out the window as quickly as possible, rather than reaching for the camera.
And yes, IMO definitely new toaster time. I mean, no matter what I’d sprayed in it or how hot it got, there’s no way I’d be putting anything that had been in out from now on into my mouth…Children looking over my shoulder at photo. 8yo says “Why didn’t she turn it on?” LOL
That’s why we don’t have a toaster. Just in case. Word gets around fast, in our street’s mouse population.
@Deb…… Is that a boy thing? 😉
if it was a really expensive/new toaster I’d go with dismantling/cleaning (not with spray stuff though, it would burn onto the elements and stink) and running empty a few times to kill off anything. If it was getting old and you fancied something nice and new it would be the perfect reason to get rid of it!
Great photo though!@T-bird it’s a relatively new Dualit, can probably find out how old it is by searching the blog looking for “cheap Tesco toaster blows up”…
I’ll take on board the not spraying. I’ve had a look though and it doesn’t look very dismantleable 🙁You could let it run a few times, then make a piece of toast and offer it to the cat; if he goes for it, you know it still smells of mouse 😉
The mouse has presumably been running around the kitchen unless it was brought in from outside and deposited in said toaster for a cat game of cruelty. If so, would you get a new kitchen?
Also cats lick their bums and them their paws so its the germy cat paw I have slightly more issue with 😉@Michelle I can, and have scrubbed the kitchen. Although I’m still going bleargh, not least at the thought of the cat on the surface where he is absolutely not allowed, and only goes when he sees mice. (He’s caught one under the toaster before, and that’s where I assumed this one was. I’ve no idea how it got into the toaster, but I assure you it was under its own power). But I can’t scrub the toaster, so I’m thinking new toaster. Unless I can figure out how to clean it properly, which given this thread, looks unlikely.
Wouldn’t bother me at all, but then I eat meat so much as I wouldn’t aim to tuck into toasted mouse I wouldn’t be all that squeamish about it having been in the toaster. The heat would definitely kill any residual germs. And no, it’s not just boys who would have the thought of turning it on, I might well have done the same ;).
This set of comments has been very useful in devising a list of the houses I would and wouldn’t eat toast in.
lol, still!
Ugh I would so get a new toaster. Ours is a Dualit too but would still get a new one if there had been anything other than bread or crumpets in it!
I reckon our cat just likes his mouse toasted.
Fair enough. Lot of fuss about nothing. 🙂
Do mice pop up? That’s the question!chris has undone ours before and replaced the elements. I am sure it is possible.
toasting them is ok Tim, but they have a tendency to get stuck.
Personally, I’d empty out the crumb tray as that’ll likely have caughtt any mouse poo. Give the tray a wash and then carry on using it, any germs anywhere that might matter will soon get zapped by the heat from the elements. Can’t believe someone would want to throw it away.
Ours is dead easy to take part – the screws are all obvious – but we have one of the ‘classic’ design type ones. From the picture it looks to have black ends? So is it one of the ‘Lite’ ones – Can see that the construction is simpler – the bits holding on the stainless steel top – are they rivets then? – no hidden screws on the bottom somewhereNot your own then presumably, Chris P? 🙂
The only time I had a similar experience the animal in question was a slug, which actually short-circuited the toaster and, simultaneously, any similar dilemma I may have had.
If you’re really going to throw away a perfectly good DualLit, I’ll happily take it off your hands. Not sure what Jan will say though, so it might wend it’s way in to the office 🙂
PMSL @ Merry and Jan! 😆
Great photo, not sure I would have taken the time but appreciate looking at yours. Thank you for sharing x
Oh dear I would have to replace that toaster too! Great photo and story, if a little grosse too
ha ha! made me laugh! x
Love the photo and comments!
Ha, great photo. So now it’s had a mouse and cat in it? Did it start with a fly…then a spider…? 😉
Yes, I’m inclined to agree with you – probably entirely possible to get it hygienically clean, but I’d chuck it.That is absolutely hilarious!! How on earth did you disinfect it, lol!!!! I’ve loved reading the comments too. Did you cat butter the mouse before he ate it?
Brilliant photo. Can totally see my cat desperately working on the toaster like that. I’d keep the toaster. As others have said, heat will kill the germs.
Don’t tell anyone, but we did…
welll I seem to recall I had toast made in it, and I STILL LIVE!
It didn’t do us any harm 😉
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