This is a guest post from Lana Hawkins.
Although home appliances are becoming better and more affordable all the time, you should still maintain your old ones. Regular maintenance will prolong their service life, and improve their performance. Not to mention that your family will be protected from any infections that dirty and improperly maintained appliances might cause.
Here are a few tips on how to maintain the most used home appliances.
Refrigerator
It is the one appliance in your home that runs non-stop. If it breaks down, you have a serious problem with food storing. We all know pretty much everything about cleaning the inside of the refrigerator and removing the smells, but very few of us pay attention to the coils and wires at the back of the fridge. Over time, dust cakes up on these coils and reduces your fridge’s efficiency. It is recommended to vacuum clean the back of the fridge once every couple of months to remove the dust. Make sure to unplug the fridge from the wall while doing this.
Dishwasher
Almost all dishwashers have food filters that collect scraps from your dishes. Every time you run the dishwasher, the scraps that got caught in the filter rinse over the dishes. Sounds disgusting, right? To avoid this, you should pre-clean the dishes before placing them into the dishwasher and clean the filter at least once or twice a year. Another thing to remember are the seals. They should stay moist all the time. Otherwise, they might dry out and crack, and fail to keep the water inside the dishwasher. If you are going away for more than a few days, pour some mineral oil and water into the dishwasher to keep the seals wet.
Ovens
If you are lucky enough to have a self-cleaning setting, you can skip right to the next paragraph. If not, the best piece of advice we can give you is to clean as you go. If you do not wipe up the spills immediately, the heat will weld them into the oven surface, making the dirt nearly impossible to remove. Of course, you should be careful not to burn yourself, so wait until the oven cools down. Spray a mixture of white vinegar and dish-washing soap onto all surfaces, let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe it down with a paper towel.
Dryer
If you were to take your dryer apart, you would not believe the amount of lint found inside. Clean your lint filters every time you take a load of clothes out from the dryer. Otherwise, the lint will clog the vents that send the heat out. Your dryer will take more time to dry the clothes, and more time means more heat, which is a potential fire hazard (especially in cramped kitchens or attics). In fact, fires caused by overheated dryers are one of the most common causes of 911 calls.
Washing Machine
Your washing machine’s biggest enemies are hard water and (ironically) humidity. If your water is hard, calcium will soon build up, clogging the machine’s inlets and outlets. For this reason, occasionally run the washer without any clothes or detergent. Just pour in a few cups of white vinegar and start the longest and hottest wash cycle. Never leave washed clothes in the washing machine for too long, because mold thrives in humid environments. In case your old one is still causing troubles, I recommend replacing it with a new washing machine.
Air Conditioner
As the summer is slowly approaching, you will be using your air-conditioner more often in the next period of time. Make sure to replace the air filter on time (before the heat sets in), and repeat the process at least once more before the end of the summer. If it is a reusable filter, wash it regularly – every 3 months or so.
Try out these tips and let us know if they work out for you!
Lana Hawkins is a crafty girl and an architecture student from Sydney. She enjoys writing about home improvement and inspiring interiors. In her free time, Lana loves cooking for her family and friends, and spending time in nature.
