Four tricks to keeping appliances clean

Keep your appliances clean and they’ll reward you with reduced energy consumption and extended lives.

Here are four tricks to keeping appliances clean and working well:

1. Know how they work.

We’re talking about understanding your appliances beyond the basics. Knowing how they work and why cleaning certain components will go a long way in keeping appliances working well.

Check out RepairClinic’s popular appliance How It Works video series.

Also, be sure to regularly review owner’s manuals for manufacturers’ instructions on maintenance.

2. Don’t leave cooking messes.

As tempting as it is to leave spilled food until a more convenient time for cleaning, it’s best to remove them right away. This is particularly important with cooking appliances with such as ovens, cooktops and microwave ovens.

Clean up spills with manufacturer-recommended scrapers on smoothtop surfaces. Never use oven cleaning solutions on ovens equipped with a self-cleaning feature; the chemicals will erode the interior coating that enables the self-cleaning feature to work. Use warm water when the oven is completely cool to remove spills.

3. Clean what doesn’t get cleaned when they’re working.

It may seem counter intuitive to clean appliances that clean for a living but there are locations that never see the water and the soap.

Monthly, clean the washing machine tub, as it’s common for detergent residue to build up and cause odors. Use a washing machine cleaner.

Every three months or so, clean out your dishwasher’s filter. Monthly, wipe the space between the door and the bottom of the tub. Food can collect there and cause mold growth.

4. Quit suffocating them.

Lint buildup in dryers and their venting systems is a fire waiting to happen. Lint buildup causes air flow restriction issues that lead to the dryer having to work longer to dry loads.

Recommended brushes:
• Dryer vent cleaning brush
• Long-handle brush for removing lint from the dryer chute

Always have a clean air filter in your furnace or air handler. A dirty air filter will cause your furnace to have to work longer and use more energy. It may also cause premature wear of the motor and blower.

Shop Air Filters