Easy Tips for Prolonging the Life of Your Appliances
Appliances are among the most expensive items you will need to purchase for your home. The last thing you want to do is have to replace your washing machine or refrigerator only a few years after purchasing a new one. To prevent this from happening, you should work on regular maintenance in order to prolong the life of the appliances. Here are some ways to do that.
Keep Appliances Clean
The first thing you can do to help prolong the life of your appliances is keep them clean. By cleaning them regularly inside and out, you ensure that debris build-up doesn't affect their function. Many appliances do better when they are clean, from the inside of your oven and outside of your stove, to cleaning your dishwasher and emptying the dryer lint in your clothes dryer. Try to remember to add appliances to your weekly cleaning schedule.
Defrost Your Freezer Regularly
If you have an older refrigerator, you may experience issues with your freezer and having too much frost. This can build up and cause permanent damage to the appliance, requiring you to replace it. Newer refrigerators often have frost-free freezers, but if you want to hold onto your refrigerator a little longer, keep up with removing the frost. Make sure you don't use a metal tool or knife to remove the frost from the freezer, as that can also damage it. Instead, use a scraping tool made of plastic that will be hard enough to clear the frost, but won't scratch the inside of the freezer.
Maintain Your Dishwasher
An appliance that often gets overlooked, rarely cleaned, and not maintained often enough is the dishwasher. This is also one of the appliances you probably use most often. You need to keep the appliance clean in order for it to work effectively. Run an empty cycle with nothing but a glass of vinegar inside to clean it out occasionally. There is also a filter in your dishwasher than can be removed and cleaned out. It may be clogged with food debris or build-up, and leading to issues with the dishwasher. Also check the connection of the dishwasher and look for signs of leaks that need to be repaired.
With all of your appliances, they need to be inspected on a regular basis. Make sure you don't ignore little problems, such as fittings that seem loose, or leaks out of the dishwasher, refrigerator, or washing machine. If you hear weird sounds or smell weird odours, have the appliance inspected before the problem gets worse. Regular maintenance and repairs can help prevent having to replace it prematurely.