How to Extend the Life of Home Appliances with Proper Care


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It’s not a secret for anyone that the more we care about anything, the more, longer and better it will serve us. In this article, we will show you how to extend the life of your home appliances with proper care. After all, even if you can cook in a dishwasher, then who knows – what new possibilities of your equipment will suddenly open up tomorrow? We collected tips and tricks that will certainly come in handy. Let’s talk about maintaining order and small trouble-shooting.

 

Refrigerator

 

Shelves

 

The refrigerator must be kept clean, and not just for aesthetic reasons. Make it a habit to clean the shelves now and then so as not to wipe off an unnoticed (and often also “fragrant”) stain from spilled milk or other dried/frozen/stuck food particles from the shelf.

 

Doors and seals

 

Probably, each of us, getting into someone else’s car, at least once heard the phrase “do not slam the door!”. Also, many have heard the “hit harder!” In the first case, everything is fine with the lock. In the second – the situation is already bad. That is, in the second case, the door has already been “slammed”.

 

For the refrigerator, the same rules apply.  Don’t slam the door! Otherwise, the door will not close tightly, or not close at all. If the door is “bad”, then the compressor is also bad, and it is the “heart” of the refrigerator. Again, don’t slam the door!

 

The seals must be cleaned regularly. In their secluded curves can be anything: from food particles to mould. A drop of something sticky (jam, for example) can glue the seal to the body, because of which, when the door is opened, it can come off, breaking the tightness. In addition, your refrigerator can simply “make a puddle”.

 

The smell

 

If your refrigerator, when you open the door, spoils your appetite with an unpleasant smell coming from it, then you need to get rid of it! Not from the refrigerator, but from the smell. We’ll need absorbents: newspapers and coal. 

No, we will not arrange the Inquisition for your refrigerator by burning it.

 

Unplug your fridge and let it completely defrost.

Take out everything edible (and not edible – too).

The next step is to clean the refrigerator in any way convenient for you, by any suitable means. Shelves, drawers, walls, shelf fasteners – in general, everything.

Now – put a few crumpled newspapers on each shelf. This also applies to the refrigerator and freezer.

Add one container with coal to both chambers. Close the door and wait. It is worth changing newspapers and coal for fresh ones once a day. You will feel the result in a day. The whole procedure will take approximately 3 days. In especially “neglected” cases – up to a week. Some people recommend using sliced ​​lemons for the same purpose – they are probably just as effective, but newspapers plus coal are more budgetary.

 

Microwave

 

Cleaning the microwave is quite simple: the main ingredient is water. See what you have “at hand” – lemons or vinegar? Use a slice of lemon or 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a glass of water. Water with lemon should be boiled in the microwave for a minute, vinegar – about 2 minutes. Then we wait for about 10 minutes while the steam does its job. We open it and remove all dirt with a dry cloth in almost one motion.

 

Stove

 

First, you need to understand what kind of surface your stove has.

 

1. Enamel

 

The most common coating. The main rule is no iron sponges or agents! Nothing to scratch the surface. Soft sponge, products with the consistency of a gel or “gruel” (including soda and water). Apply, wait for 10 minutes, wipe off easily.

 

2. Stainless steel

 

In addition to special cleaning agents for such surfaces – you can use the one for washing glass. In especially “neglected” cases – soda with water in proportions of 1 to 1, left on the dirt for half an hour. Wipe off with a paper towel without rubbing.

 

3. Glass-ceramics

 

Contaminants can be removed either with special household chemicals intended for this or with a light solution of vinegar in water. We strongly do not recommend using anything else – glass-ceramics is very capricious, and products not intended for it can leave behind stains and streaks that can never be cleaned with anything.

 

Oven

 

Cleaning:

 

Method 1: Preheat the oven to 100 degrees. Use a glass of water, add a dishwashing detergent and put it into the stove. Boil it for about 15 minutes. Give the oven some time to cool down. Then open it, remove the glass and wipe the inner surface of the stove with a sponge. 

Method 2: Do the same as in method 1, only add a slice of lemon or vinegar instead of dish detergent (yes, just like with a microwave).

Method 3: Clean a slightly warm oven with a sponge and vinegar. Wipe it, leave it for 10 minutes and remove the dirt with the same sponge or rag.

 

Kitchen hood

 

Cleaning the hood grid is not a pleasant task. Often the most popular way – dishwashing detergent – is ineffective. There are several more ways: rub the grid with half a lemon and let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse off the lagging plaque with a rag or sponge. If the grid is small, boil it in a saucepan with baking soda (about half a glass). In very bad cases, it is worth using the legendary WD-40. Spray it on, leave for an hour, and then clean it gently with a brush.

 

Dishwasher

 

As paradoxical as it may seem, the dishwasher is most effective when fully loaded. Not overload, but full load. Also, the dirtiest dishes should be placed closer to the centre.

 

Dishes

 

Some people still debate whether to remove food particles from dirty dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. The answer is clear – definitely yes. These particles can clog into the spray arm, interfering with the normal flow of water. Into a filter or seal, spreading an unpleasant odour and creating “unsanitary conditions”. This does not mean at all that the dishes need to be cleaned before the dishwasher – otherwise what is the point of it? Just remove all visible residues from them.

 

Filter

 

There is a filter right at the bottom of your dishwasher. It also needs to be cleaned from time to time. Take a look at the instruction manual of your dishwasher in order to find out exactly where it is located in your particular case and how to remove it.

 

Washing machine

 

Check everything

 

Before your clothes are in the washing machine, it is worth twice, or better, three times to check all the pockets for forgotten things: coins, keys, smartphones, flash drives, lighters – in general, everything that can damage not only your things, but also a washing machine.

 

Fasten all the zippers, all the buttons, and turn everything that has them inside out. There are cases when the glass in the doors of the washing machine was knocked out with metal buttons accelerated to high speeds.

 

Loading

 

Do not overload the washing machine under any circumstances. Even if “it is very, very necessary to wash this all until tomorrow.” As a result, almost all the units of your washing machine will be overloaded, and if some of them fail you won’t be able to wash any of your clothes till you find good quality washing machine repair experts. 

Important note: the manufacturer always indicates the permissible weight, so this very weight is the weight of WET things, not dry ones. They weigh more when wet. Much more.

 

Detergent compartment

 

Once a month or so, depending on how much you use your washing machine, you should take out the detergent and conditioner compartment and clean it. Warm water, any “non-aggressive” cleaning agent and a rag. If there are solid deposits of dried detergent-and-unknown-something-else in the corners, use an old toothbrush.

 

Filter

 

If your “Narnia”, into which everything unnecessary (boxes from equipment, any old junk, temporarily unused things or any rubbish that “will come in handy”) falls into is a balcony, then for the washing machine it is a pump filter. Look through, for a variety, instructions for your washing machine, in order to find out where it is located in your device. Make sure to clean it regularly. 

 

Noise

 

Is your machine trying to “run away” from you during the wash? Does it make a noise that makes a neighbour with a hammer drill seem not so bad? All clear. The centre of gravity is violated. This causes discomfort not only for you but also for the device itself. Arm yourself with the most ordinary building level and adjust the legs. Also, it is worth using special rubber foot pads that dampen vibration. They significantly reduce the noise level.

 

Conclusion

 

We sincerely hope that after reading this article and putting it all into practice, you still have lemons, vinegar, and soda left over. Also, we sincerely hope that your equipment will serve you faithfully for many years.