Appliances are some of the most valuable contents of your home. If you don’t keep them well-maintained, you end up spending more time and money on repairs.
Appliances like your stove, refrigerator, dishwasher and washer and dryer are used in everyday life and we end up losing out considerably when they’re out of commission or not operating at top efficiency.
Canadian cleaning company Hellamaid discussed this very topic in an August 2023 blog post on Hellamaid.ca.
Cleaning vents and air filters are very important to keeping your appliances running in top shape.
Fridges, air conditioners, and dryers all have different kinds of filters which should be cleaned regularly. Your fridge may also have a water filter which might need changing.
Hellamaid also recommends that you check the water supply lines to appliances. For fridges with water and/or ice dispensers, you may need to look at the back of your cupboards if the line runs through them, you can also check the attachment point to your fridge to ensure the line hasn’t bent or worn. You can also check the plumbing to your washing machine or dishwasher to ensure there’s no leaks.
One of the best ways to keep your fridge running at top efficiency is to keep its condenser coils clean. If the coils are clogged with dust or debris, they cannot release heat efficiently and will cycle coolant more often, using more electricity.
Multinational consumer electronics retailer Best Buy has been in the appliance business since the 1980s as well.
In a post on upkeep for appliances Best Buy says upkeep on a dishwasher is also key to keeping it working order.
First off, you should clean your dishwasher, there are a variety of products you can buy from different retailers for dishwasher cleaning. Some are tablets and others are liquids that you put into your dishwasher and run a cleaning cycle with the dishwasher empty. Top dishwasher product producers like Finish and Cascade both sell dishwasher cleaning products.
Dishwashers also have filters which catch larger food debris to keep it from clogging your drain pipes, these filters need to be emptied regularly and can start to smell if not taken care of.
To keep a clothes washing machine running in top shape, you should avoid overloading it. Most washers will have indicators saying not to load them past a certain point. You should also keep washing machine doors open to ensure air can circulate and dry out the washer when it’s not in use.
Dryers can often create fire hazards if not properly taken care of because of the heat they use and the flammability of dryer lint. The most basic piece of dryer maintenance is cleaning the dryer’s lint trap, this should be done after every load. For some dryers the lint trap is at the top, for others it’s at the front of the drum. Sometimes lint can get past the lint trap and end up in the dryer exhaust vent hose or at the outlet on the side of your house. Ensuring these remain free of debris and excess dryer lint will help your dryer run efficiently. If you notice that your dryer is taking longer to dry, you may need to have your whole dryer vent tube cleaned professionally.
When it comes to your kitchen stove/range, there are several things to take into consideration. With both the stovetop and oven you should clean up any spills as soon as they happen. Once heat is applied they can become quite difficult to remove. If you have coil elements on your stovetop you’ll want to pull the elements out and clean the liners under them as well. If you have a glass-top stove there are cleaning kits you can get for those as well. For example, Bar Keepers Friend sells a cooktop cleaning kit which includes a plastic bladed scraper, a sponge with an abrasive scrubbing side and a cleaning solution.
For the oven if you don’t mind the heat smell, many ovens have a self cleaning function which will raise the temperature of your oven to the point where any food debris left in the oven is reduced to ash and can easily be cleaned out. You can also use a simple solution of water and baking soda which can be both an abrasive and cut through the grease left in the oven.
When you run into larger issues you likely will need to call in a professional. In the Fort Frances and Rainy River District areas, C-Tech Mechanical is one of the best options when you need repairs that you can’t handle on your own.
