Is Your Fridge On Its Way to An Early Demise?

Appliances do wear out. (Check out our Appliance Life Guide to discover how many years you can expect to get out of your appliances.) However how well you treat that appliance will determine wither your your appliance needs to be replaced sooner or lasts beyond the expected life cycle. These are our 12 best tips to for proper use and maintenance of your major household appliances.

Washing Machine

Always Empty Pockets, Every Time. Such a simple step, yet people forget or neglect. Coins, paper clips, metal objects — these things can cause serious damage to your washer. Inner drum damage can stretch and put holes in clothing; outer drum damage can lead to leaks, a malfunctioning washing machine, and water all of the floor, which just leads to more damage. All easily avoidable by taking a minute to empty the pockets of every item that goes into the washer.

Dryer

Clean the Lint Trap, Every Time. Lint that doesn’t get caught in the lint trap — because the lint trap is full — builds up in the dryer and in the filter, resulting in a dramatic reduction of airflow, so that your dryer has to work harder to dry your clothes, doesn’t run as efficiently as it should, increases wear & tear, and leads to premature failure. More dire than that, excess lint can lead to dryer fires. All easily avoidable by pausing to empty the lint trap every single time.

Glass Stove Top

You Thoroughly Clean Your Cook Top After Every Use. What’s the point of having a sleek, glass surface if you’re just going to let it accumulate baked on grime? And, the more you ignore the buildup the worse it gets, compounding, until you decide to turn to hard chemicals, Brillo, or razors and then end up destroying the surface and now you’re in the market for a new one. When, a 2 minute thorough wipe down after every use would have saved you this trouble.

Refrigerator

You Give Your Fridge a Mini Clean Every Time You Make a Shopping List. Chances are, if it’s time to make a grocery run, your fridge is getting near empty. And, if you need to open the fridge to check whether you have enough milk to get you through the week (or if it’s expired) that’s the best time to take 5 minutes and spruce things up. With less food in the fridge, it’s easier to move items to wipe down shelves and the inside. While youre moving things around, just toss week-old leftovers and expired condiments. Finally, give the outside door gasket a brief pass, to remove crumbs and debris; this will help ensure a good seal, keeping cold air in, making your fridge work efficiently, and prolonging its appliance life

Dishwasher

You Know There Exists a Dishwasher Trap, You Know Where to Find It, and You Regularly Clean It Out. These days, you’re not supposed to pre-wash your dishes; the enzymes in modern day detergents need something to clean! So it’s not unusal for food particles to accumulate. The dishwasher trap It’s ususally found underneath the lower sprayer; it will be removable. Sometimes the tray comes out fully so it can be emptied and rinsed; sometimes you’ll need to get there with a wet towel to clean it out. Either way, cleaning out the dishwasher trap regular will go a long way in keeping your dishwasher running efficiently.

While proper use and care will go a long way to keeping your appliances running effiently, it’s always a good idea to have a regular maintenance inspection of all of your appliances just to make sure they are functioning at manufacturer expected levels.