Maintaining Your Appliances

Devices add productivity and functionality to our homes. They support our lifestyles. They add comfort to our everyday lives. In fact, we could do very little without them yet we often take them for granted.

1. Why You Need To Regularly Maintain Your Appliances

Usually, we don’t give our appliances much thought until they break. Repairs tend to be costly and sometimes we have no other choice but to replace the device altogether. Regular maintenance can reduce the likelihood of such events and help your devices last longer and that is not all.

Energy-efficiency

Cleaning those filters regularly and keeping them free of dirt and debris ensures your appliances are working efficiently. Skipping on maintenance does not only increase the odds of a device breaking, but it will also increase in higher utility bills as electric rates are not the only ones that can make your bill skyrocket ‘all of a sudden’. A device that is not being properly cared for uses much more energy to keep going. Also, it won’t be doing such a good job anymore.

Longer lifespan

Taking care of your devices helps them live longer. It’s like watering and attending to your garden, everything in this world needs to be ‘nurtured’ to bloom and stay alive.

Safety

A clogged dishwasher can flood your kitchen. A refrigerator that isn’t keeping food cold enough can be the cause of food poisoning. A blocked dryer can literally burn your house to the ground.

These are just a few basic reasons why one can never overemphasize the importance of regular and proper maintenance.

2. DIY Appliance Maintenance Tips

Many people fail to realize that so many appliance malfunctions could have been avoided with regular maintenance which does not even have to involve a professional handyman that comes with a hefty bill.

Clean your AC filters and replace them when needed

Clogged filters restrict air flow and reduce energy-efficiency so make sure you clean them every two to four weeks. It’s really not hard as all you have to do is open the front and vacuum a reusable filter to remove as much dirt as possible. As for disposable filters, you just need to replace them.

Check your oven

If your oven door does not have a tight seal, you are losing more than 20% of the heat when baking. Not only that but food could be cooked unevenly, along with taking more time. All you have to do is locate the rubber on the door, obviously when it’s not hot. You will feel any broken, torn, or deformed areas underneath your fingers.

Tend to your refrigerator

Unlike your TV, your refrigerator works 24/7 so it’s using up a lot of energy. If doesn’t function as it should, it’s using even more. Begin with cleaning the coils of clogs from dirt, dust and pet hair that restrict air flow and make it work even harder to keep the low temperature. Use a vacuum twice to remove any loose particles. Coils are usually located either near the floor on the front side or at the rear of the fridge. Second, change your water filter as an inefficient one won’t remove any contaminants or impurities and you got this fridge with an extra feature to ensure you won’t drink toxic water. How often you should do it depends on the usage, but it should be somewhere between three to six months.

Inspect your washing machine

Check the hose for any leaks, cracks or even weak spots as most washing machine floods come from the hose which is the weakest part. Clean your machine regularly as soap scum tends to build up and leads to an awkward smell, mold, and grime. All you need is white vinegar and baking soda.

Even your garbage disposal deserves to be cleaned

Pour a mixture of ice cubes and salt, or vinegar down the drain and then run cold water for 10 seconds. To remove odors, let a handful of citrus peels do their magic.

Takeaway

Regular and proper maintenance benefits your appliances, your wallet and ensures your safety. So, go ahead and show your appliances some love, on a regular basis.