We all have
that fear. Your washing machine breaks in the middle of a cycle, flooding your
laundry room. Your refrigerator shuts down after you just restocked with
groceries. Or your oven stops working just before a large holiday meal. What
many people don't realize is that these and other major appliance malfunctions
can be avoided with just a little TLC.
There are
simple appliance maintenance tasks that you can do on your own, with little
investment (time or money) and no prior experience. Here are the first five of
ten easy DIY tips for maintaining your appliances.
1. Verify your oven door has a tight seal.
Without a proper seal, your oven can lose more than 20 percent of its heat. The
result is that food takes longer to cook or cooks unevenly. To check the seal's
condition, open the oven door and locate the rubber or fiberglass gasket around
the perimeter of the door. Feel for any broken, torn, or deformed areas, and
close the door to see if you can find any leaks. If you do, replace the seal.
2. Clean or replace dirty range hood or downdraft vent filters. Wash metal-mesh grease filters by hand in soapy water, or run them through the dishwasher. Charcoal or paper filters should not be washed. Replace them instead.
3. Clean stove-top drip bowls. Remove drip bowls from underneath your burner elements and pre-soak them in a cleaning solution for five minutes. Then hand wash and replace. Remember to clean drip bowls immediately after spills. If spills burn into the bowls, you might need to replace them.
2. Clean or replace dirty range hood or downdraft vent filters. Wash metal-mesh grease filters by hand in soapy water, or run them through the dishwasher. Charcoal or paper filters should not be washed. Replace them instead.
3. Clean stove-top drip bowls. Remove drip bowls from underneath your burner elements and pre-soak them in a cleaning solution for five minutes. Then hand wash and replace. Remember to clean drip bowls immediately after spills. If spills burn into the bowls, you might need to replace them.
4. Clean coils in your refrigerator.
Dirt, dust, and pet hair can clog up refrigerator coils, restricting air flow
and causing the refrigerator to work harder to keep cool. Once or twice a year,
use a handheld vacuum to clean the coils and suck up any loose particles. The
location of refrigerator coils varies by model, but most can be found either
behind the kick plate (the front panel near the floor) or at the rear of the
fridge.
5. Change your refrigerator water filter. Filters that don't efficiently remove contaminants and impurities could expose
you to harmful water. Instructions for changing the filter vary by model, but
most are as easy as turning the filter a quarter inch and popping it out or
locking it in place. Perform this simple task every three to six months,
depending on water usage.
Follow these quick and easy repair tips to keep your appliances running like new. Stay tuned for the rest of the list on our next blog post.
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