All too often, our home appliances break down before their time. The most common reasons are our laziness in regard to reading the manuals and a tendency to treat our gadgets the wrong way. Basically speaking, our attitude towards our little electricity-munching domestic helpers seems to be full of mistakes.
In this article, the staff of Engineering Insider offers you a selection of highly useful maintenance tips. By following them, you’ll not only ensure that your appliances don’t break down prematurely but will actually manage to extend their working life!
Related: 20 Mistakes That Shorten the Life of Our Gadgets
Washing machines
- Do not place heavy objects on top of your washing machine, and don’t stand on it.
- When putting clothes in the washing machine, don’t forget to check all the pockets thoroughly. Remove loose change and other objects before starting the wash cycle.
- Make sure to only use special washing machine detergents and softeners. Hand-washing detergents create too much foam and can cause breakage.
- Wipe the rubber parts inside the machine after each wash. Remove the dispenser drawer, clean it out, and leave to dry. Do this regularly to prevent the formation of mold.
- Remove finished loads immediately. Letting heavy damp laundry sit inside the machine for a long time can damage the drum.
- If your washing machine isn’t fitted with a special self-cleaning cycle option, do it manually (approximately once a month). Run the empty machine on the hottest cycle, plus an extra rinse. Make sure to put some lemon juice, vinegar, or descaling agent into the washing powder dispenser compartment.
Related: 20 Mistakes That Shorten the Life of Our Gadgets
Refrigerators
- Your first steps towards proper fridge maintenance need to be taken before it’s even delivered to your home. Ensure that the fridge is transported upright and is not tilted more than 40 degrees. Otherwise, the compressor oil might leak out and damage the whole system.
- Switching the refrigerator on immediately after it’s been delivered can also cause compressor oil leakage. If you know for a fact that the fridge was not tilted during transportation, wait for four (preferably six) hours before turning it on. When in doubt, better to wait for about 15 hours.
- Do not put hot dishes into your refrigerator – be sure to let them cool down first.
- Modern refrigerator models don’t need to undergo complete defrosting twice a year. However, it is still worth giving your fridge a full cleaning now and then, having disconnected it from the socket beforehand.
- Don’t forget to clean the back of the refrigerator from dust occasionally (it’s best to use a vacuum cleaner). Needless to say, you should unplug the fridge first.
Slow cookers
- Dirty pans and pans with wet outside surfaces should never be put into slow cookers. Failure to follow this rule will lead to breakage.
- It is important to wipe the inside surface of your slow cooker’s lid after preparing food to stop unwanted moisture, oily fumes, and leftover food bits from accumulating there.
Related: 20 Mistakes That Shorten the Life of Our Gadgets
- Don’t use the slow cooker pan to rinse grains – this could scratch its inner surface. For the same reason, you should only wash the pan with a soft sponge.
- Be sure to keep the cooking ingredients below the maximum capacity mark.
