Extend the Life of Your Kitchen Appliances

Kitchen appliances are one of the pricier items you’ll buy for your home. They’re also some of the items that homeowners simply can’t live without. If you’re wondering how you can extend the life of your existing appliances, check out this great info.

• Oven- experts recommend avoiding the “self-cleaning” feature. This feature works by creating super high heat and incinerating spills or debris making them easier to remove. Many ovens aren’t meant to withstand such prolonged extreme heat regularly. Use old-fashioned elbow grease the next time you need to clean your oven. It won’t take you long, will protect your investment, and will save your home from smelling like burned leftovers for the next few days!

• Refrigerator- You need to periodically check the gaskets. These help to seal your refrigerator and keep the cold air where it belongs! If the material has deteriorated or you’ve started to see some condensation, you ’ll need to replace it.

• Freezer- Did you know that an empty freezer has to work harder than a full one? Stocking your freezer will help to save energy costs and ensure you have plenty of food on hand for dinner each night!

• Garbage Disposal- Use cold water instead of hot when running this appliance. Cold water helps food particles solidify and more easily breakdown in the working parts of the disposer. Warm or hot water melts fats and other particles in foods making them harder to grind and remove.

• Dishwasher- Many families use their dishwasher daily (or more than once a day). If you go several days between washes, this could shorten the life of your machine. Make sure you’re running it on a regular basis so that certain parts don’t start to fail.

• Microwave- Don’t use your microwave for long cooking times. Most are designed to run best when used for only a couple minutes at a time. If you use them to cook full meals on a regular basis, they are bound to fail sooner.

By regularly cleaning and properly using your appliances, they’re sure to last a nice long time. Add these tips to your routine kitchen appliance maintenance and you’ll see fewer repair bills and longer lasting appliances.