A suggestion for people who have had confirmed overheating problems, and perhaps for those who are running self-clean for the first time and want to avoid potential trouble -- When running self-clean, aim a portable desk fan at the unit. If it's a free-standing range with control panel on top, set the fan on a chair or stool and direct the airflow toward the controls and such that some air blows down behind it as well. If a wall oven, try to determine where is the intake grill and direct the fan there rather than at the unit's exhaust flow. The point is to get some additional cooling happening. Sure, this shouldn't be necessary, but it's a small concession to make for the convenience of self-clean. I've run self-clean on my GE Profile range several times to no ill effect. I typically set it to run at night so it's finished in the morn and thus had not monitored how much heat is involved. Last time I ran it during the day and found that the control panel did get quite hot. There is no cooling fan on my range, and although no problems had occurred as a result of previous runs, this time when I noticed the heat buildup, I set a small deskfan blowing at the panel and it cooled noticeably within a few mins.

I found this in a thread entitled "Duet and fabric softener", I hope it's what you're thinking of: Try cleaning your machine after the last load of the day. Turn on the machine. Then 1. Set the cycle to DRAIN/SPIN 2. Set the spin to NO SPIN 3. Press the PREWASH button TWICE in quick succession (you may have to try this more than once until you get the code C:0:0) Then let it go and you will have a short cycle that is designed to clean out your machine with VERY hot water. (If you see a lot of suds in your machine during this cycle you may have to do it again because you have a buildup in your machine.) After the cycle finishes, open the door and let it dry out. Your machine's insides will look shiny and clean. You should run this "cleaning cycle" at least several times a week. It is short and doesn't take much effort at all.

Hi Jockewing, I found the information following on the eHow.com site. An option not mentioned below is spot remover from a carpet cleaning company. I have some from Chem-Dry, which says it can be used on upholstery also, after testing it in a hidden area. (BTW, I still have a half-bottle of Aero Spot Remover, which is trichloroethylene, but I'm keeping it. LOL) How to Purchase Dry Cleaning Solvent for Upholstery Cleaning 1. Upholstery, such as the fabric used on couches, loveseats, chairs and recliners, can be tricky when it comes to removing stains, residue or marks on the fabric surface. Always blot up any stains or liquids as soon as possible with a clean, soft cloth. Further cleaning can be done with dry cleaning solvent, especially if the fabric tag has a cleaning code of "S", indicating that dry cleaning solvent is the best way to remove stains. There are a number of places to purchase the solvent. Stop by your local furniture retailer, particularly the retailer where the upholstery was purchased, if possible. Ask if they sell dry cleaning solvent that will remove stains from upholstery. 2. Look at hardware or home repair stores for dry cleaning solvent in the cleaning supply section of the store. 3. Visit local dry cleaning shops and ask if they sell the solvent. Explain the type of upholstery you are attempting to clean and ask if they have any additional stain-removal tips. 4. Purchase dry cleaning solvent online. In the search engine field, type "upholstery safe dry cleaning solvent" to view online retailers that sell dry cleaning solvent appropriate for use on upholstery. Water-free solvents are typically the best type of dry cleaning solvent for cleaning upholstery. Dab a small amount of the dry cleaning solvent onto the stain and blot gently until the stain is gone. Perform a test on an inconspicuous area of the upholstery with the dry cleaning solvent to check for staining or other discoloration before removing stains. Here is a link that might be useful: How to Purchase Dry Cleaning Solvent

I am more convinced of my advice to be careful of what you pay the contractors after reading your break down. Be savvy with what you spend. Just for fun go to Home Depot or Lowes and figure out the cost of the insulation if you buy off their shelf. Masco owned insultaion companies that provide the insulation material and install it will do it for less than than the porduct cost at the big box store. Normally around $1.50 to $1.75 a square foot of the insulated surface in R13(2x4 ext wall). Do the math if you insulated all 4 walls of your kitchen you should be paying $552 for the entire room not including the celing. I am guessing you are not insuling all 4 walls of your kitchen. Maybe you sound proofing your walls. I bet you would have mentioned that as you are on top of what is going into your project. Again please do not think I am trying to discourage you or be holier than thou I am trying to give real world examples of my past expeirence. Example 2 - I built a 3 bed / 2 bath 1200 finished sqft house with no garage on a poured concrete walk out basement foundation with 8 foot ceilings using no steel columns in the basement I might add. I designed the house and had a panel company build me the floor, walls, and roof systems as a delivered package. I had the floor system built as open web floor trusees that clear spaned the entire basement there are no center support beams or steel posts in the entire basement. I built this house about 5 years ago with a Nephew for a family from my church. I did that entire house including site work, well and septic systems, foundation all lablor and materials for $120,000. It took my nephew and I by ourselves 4 months to do it. I had a plumber as a sub and a HVAC sub. My nephew and I split $30k for the labor to build the house. I understand that your wall plate is either rotted from water or termite damaged. It should not take more than a day for 3 guys to build a temp wall to hold the upper sturcture up while you replace the plate assuming the affected area is only in the area of the kitchen as described. They are charging you a lot of your hard earned or borrowed money. Just be carefull. Any good 3-5 man crew should have your kitchen done in 3 weeks tops. One of the things that makes the projects go much longer is that each sub wants the space to themselves while they are working there. I see the posts like yours on here and think to myself how some contractor is loving life working for the poster. It seems people are really savy on buying the caibinets tops and similar items but just get taken to the cleaners on the labor and the projects take way to long. I did a buy fix sell 3/2 home with garage and basement and gutted both baths to the block walls same with the kitchen, added a plumbing for a future full bath in the basement requiring to repipe the entire house to bring it to current building codes for plumbing vents, replaced the water heater, tore out a retaining wall for the basement stairs that was caved in replaced all the windows to double hung vinyl with low e and argon filed with full screens in the house, put in new stainless hot point appliances uba tuba granite at $40/sqft paid way to much for it. Added recessed light and undermount lights, new garage disposal, 1st floor was all hadwood flooring sanded and re finished all floors, re tiled baths, re land scaped with new foundation plantings the entire house with mulch, Added recessed lighting in the living room. Tore out a 70's style glue up ceiling like mini drop ceiling in the family room in the basement. Put up new drywall ceilling with recessed lights in the family room in the basement. Put in new builder grade carpet through out the basement. I added crown molding in all living areas of the house. I replace all electrical devices in the house including all other light fixtres interior and exterior. I did that in 3 weeks using a 4 man crew that cost me $700 for a 10 hour day. My total cost with labor and materails for the whole house was $32,500 It can be done. Again not trying to beat you up but give you examples of there are ways to keep your hard earned money with out giving it away! In my store I offer 150 different stock to entry level semi custom cabints to chose from with 10 -level 1 granite colors, removal of old kitchen, installtion of new kitchen and appliances, with your choice of 30-42" wall cabinets including crown and light rails, also painting the kitchen area when done for $7,000-$10,500 for everything. Flooring would be extra if needed. I make about $3,000 and I use a licensed contractor to actually perform the work for me under my daily onsite supervision. The cabinet style list to chose from even has 6 different inset flat and raised panel cabinets. 10 different Linen whites with glazes the list goes on and on. Now granted your cabinets will be from a much more talented cabint maker than these prgram as it is intended for those that do not have budgets as high as yours. I do not believe the regional cost differnces matter her to great differences. Here is why, that house I fixed up and the one I built from scratch were both in Loudoun County Va in Northern Va where I used to reside. Loudoun and its county to the East, Fairfax, have the highest income per household rates, approx $180k per household, in the nation. It is every bit as expensive there as it is in San Fransico. Be smart and be careful with your money. I hope your kitchen becomes all you hoped it would be.