Five Ways to Extend the Life of Five Essential Home Appliances
You rely on your refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, and laundry room and you perform well when you need them. The last thing you want is for them to fail or to repair or replace them costing you a ton of money. Here are five simple tips from US News Money to keep this machine in good working order for a long time.
Some of them assume that you have at least semi-experienced hands in the household, but most of them are simple maintenance methods that anyone can do. Here’s a rundown of the much longer and more detailed list on US News Money, compiled with the help of Chris Granger, Vice President and CEO of Sears Home Services in Chicago, linked below:
- Refrigerator : Clean the refrigerator coils regularly . They can cake and become clogged with dust, which reduces the efficiency of your refrigerator and can lead to damage. This is especially important if you have pets.
- Oven and hob : Take care when cleaning the oven and hob, as well as when cleaning it. Too harsh chemical cleaners can clog burners, especially gas burners, and spraying liquid directly onto the control knobs on the front of the oven or stove top can spill liquid into the electrical components behind those knobs, resulting in short and costly repairs. Always use a soft cloth, light cleaners, and if you need to use something harsh, apply it to the cloth in front of the surface.
- Dishwasher : Don’t wash your dishes too often. This is a hot topic , but washing dishes too often inevitably means they are still damp and even a little soapy before they go into the dishwasher where they are washed again. This can cause your dishwasher to overfill, overflow, or leak all over the kitchen floor.
- Washing machine : Do not overload the washing machine. Every washing machine warns against stuffing too many clothes into it, and for good reason. Overloading the washing machine increases engine wear and can lead to damage and leaks. All of this comes with bad news and leads to costly repairs or replacements.
- Dryer : You probably already know how to clean a lint trap, but make sure you also clean it deeply to prevent lint from getting into air ducts or around air vents where dust collects. Likewise, clean the moisture sensor while you are working with it , as debris from the dryer sheet and dust can clog it and make it difficult to dry your clothes.
There’s more to the full part, including some quotes from Granger and the kinds of service requests he and his team see regularly. All in all, good preventative maintenance will keep your most frequently used and expensive appliances in good condition over time, whether you own them directly or rent them from a homeowner.
How To Extend The Life Of 5 Essential Devices | USA Money News