Dealing with home appliances might seem like a tedious and unnecessary job. However, if you don’t maintain your home appliances properly and regularly, you might end up having to spend a lot of money on repairs you could’ve easily fixed when they were minor issues.
Here are seven practical ways to maintain your home appliances on your own.
Clean Refrigerator Coils
The refrigerator might be one of the most essential home appliances because it stores the food which can easily go bad at room temperature. That is why maintaining your fridge properly and making sure it doesn’t go through any major issue is very important.
However, if it abruptly stops working, don’t worry. There are ways to fix it. If the fridge stops working on a hot day, it is probably because of the coils. On most of the refrigerators, you can easily access the coil by removing the front grille.
Once you’ve done that, use the coil cleaning brush to push out any dirt and dust that has piled up in the coils. Afterward, you should vacuum the coils. In case the coils are located on the back of your fridge, just carefully pull out your fridge to clean them.
Recalibrate Your Oven Temperature Setting
If you notice the temperature in your oven is off, or if the new oven doesn’t seem to heat well enough as the old one did, there is a straightforward way you can fix it. All you need to do is recalibrate the temperature setting on it.
Make sure to use the instructions on your manual or simply google and download an online version of it by using your oven’s model number.
It is recommended you find a good-quality oven thermometer and place it on the center shelf. Then, all you have to do is to wait for the oven to maintain its constant temperature. Follow the procedure stated in the manual so you can adequately match the temperature setting to the thermometer reading.
Keep the Dishwasher Clean
If you notice your dishwasher doesn’t get your dishes properly clean anymore, you need to check the food-filled filter. In most cases, if your dishwasher doesn’t work properly, it’s because the food-filled filter is clogged and blocking water from reaching the spray arms through which it cleans the dishes.
It is easy to fix this problem and it only takes about two minutes. All you need to do is pull out the lower rack and then remove the filter cover. In case you can’t find it, use your dishwasher manual to locate it. Once you remove it, use a wet/dry vacuum to clean the screen.
Also, make sure to slide the nearby float switch, and if the cover sticks, clean it with water.
Clean Up Stove Spills
Another home appliance maintaining tip is to clean your stove spills regularly. If a stove burner isn’t working, it is probably because of spilled food. The easiest way to clean it is by using the toothbrush because it can reach smaller parts of the stove. Use it to clean up the food spills from the igniter.
If you have an electric ignition stove, the igniter is a little ceramic nub, which is usually placed either on the stovetop or under the ceramic seal strike plate. You also need to make sure the ceramic seal strike plate is correctly positioned on the stove burner.
Clean the Microwave
Microwaves can quickly get dirty and overworked sometimes. That is why it is crucial to clean it regularly and properly. The best way to do it is to do a steam clean. It is an effective process.
You just have to place water and lemon slices in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it up in the microwave. The water vapor this creates will help with the cleaning process by making it easier to wipe down any food spills in the microwave.
Clean the Air Conditioner filter
One part of maintaining your air conditioner means cleaning its filters regularly. Make sure to clean them out at least every two or four weeks to ensure optimum airflow.
In case you have a reusable filter, simply vacuum it to remove the piled up dirt. However, if you have a disposable one, replace it with a new filter once the current one gets too dirty.
On the other hand, maintaining your air conditioner doesn’t just stop there. If you want your air conditioner to last longer, you need to get replacement parts every once in a while.
For instance, if you happen to have an LG air conditioner, you need to get appropriate replacement parts for LG to make sure you have suitable ones.
Clear Out the Crumbs in Your Toaster
Last but not least, cleaning out your toaster is also very important. Every toaster has a crumb tray. If it overflows, you can end up causing a fire hazard. If you use toaster daily, you should be emptying the crumb tray at least once a week to prevent any issues with the toaster.
All things considered, maintaining your home appliances regularly and adequately is essential. Making sure you spot any issues on time before they grow into something more problematic will save you a lot of money and ensure your home appliances last longer. Here are the top ten free natural cleaning hacks for your home.