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Double the Lifespan of Your Home Appliances

By
Real Estate Agent with Realty Executives Boston West 113011

 

Double the Lifespan of Your Home Appliances

www.patannbaker.com

Taking care of your home appliances is a lot like taking care of your vehicle. Both are expensive, and if they aren't maintained properly you'll find yourself pouring money into repairs that could have otherwise been avoided. Today we'll cover five common missteps when it comes to up-keeping your household appliances and show you how to plan ahead to save on repairs.

•Clean refrigerator condenser coils or fans Just like changing the oil in your car, the best approach to maintaining your appliances is by keeping a schedule. The coils or fans beneath your refrigerator aren't something you probably look at often. But they can get covered in household lint and dirt, which will shorten the life of your unit. We recommend cleaning them twice a year (mark it on your calendar!) or, if you're a pet owner, check the coils every couple months--all that fur your dog loses in the spring will end up clinging to your refrigerator coils. Be sure to check your manual on the best way to clean your refrigerator.

•Avoid your oven's self-clean feature Many modern ovens offer what seems like a saving grace--a "self-clean" feature. Imagine never again having to reach into the depths of a grease splattered oven. The catch? This popular function can also damage your oven or blow fuses. Plus it'll probably set off your smoke detector in the process. Our best advice? Baking soda and vinegar--consider it today's arm workout and scrub.

•Rinse dishwasher filters Many modern dishwashers in the USA crush food debris before draining them to avoid clogging your fixtures. This comes at the cost of being much louder than filter-based dishwashers. If your dishwasher has a filter ideally you should clean it at least as often your refrigerator, but if you start to notice a smell from the washer when it's clean you know it's time to rinse out the filter.

•Empty your dryer lint trap after each use When your dryer can't move air efficiently it can't dry efficiently. Running a dryer with a full lint trap places undue stress on the dryer, shortening its lifespan. The best way to remember this one is to make a habit out of cleaning it immediately when you open the dryer door. If you plan to clean the lint trap after you fold your clothes you may forget as you leave to put away your clothes.

•Don't overload your washing machine We've all had nightmares of coming home to a soapy lake in our basement. Overfilling your washing machine usually won't cause it to overflow. But it can damage or break the machine. Mind the size of your load when you fill the machine and save those king sized comforters for the laundromat. A good rule of thumb for load sizes: a small load fills a 1/3 of the machine, medium fills 1/2, and a large load fills 3/4.Keep these five cleaning tips in mind and you could end up saving hundreds on your home appliances.

Also Hawkeye Companies has an app called Home Wizard  800-781-7130  It is excellent and topics below.  Makes it easier to Love your home as they say.  Lots of cool stuff.

Tasks, Tips, Ideas, articles, extras...

Barbara Todaro
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Happily Retired - Franklin, MA
Previously Affiliated with The Todaro Team

Hi Pat Laracy Baker great points made here.... I do all of them except the oven cleaning with baking soda and vinegar.... I DO USE SELF CLEAN.... hmmmm, I'll have to try the other method once!!  hope all is well, Pat......

May 14, 2016 06:32 AM
Pat Laracy Baker
Realty Executives Boston West - Holliston, MA
Pat Baker Dream Home Maker

Thank you Barbara All is well and always appreciate your comments..  The weather is simply marvelous which really helps.

May 14, 2016 06:44 AM
John Pusa
Glendale, CA

Pat Laracy Baker These are very good tips to double lifespan of home appliances.

May 14, 2016 01:56 PM