Annual tasks to help keep your appliances in good working condition.
It’s spring again…and that means spring cleaning time. Here are some key spring cleaning tasks for your kitchen appliances.
Clean Behind & Beneath the Fridge
Pulling out the fridge to clean behind and beneath it isn’t just your average neatnik type activity. It can actually improve the performance of your refrigerator and extend its service life. If you don’t clean this area, pet hair, dirt, and dust can otherwise block airflow to the appliance or even begin accumulating on the condenser coils responsible for generating cooled air. If you find a lot of hair and dirt under the fridge, consider opening up the fridge and cleaning the coils directly.
If you can’t move your fridge on your own, one helpful trick for cleaning underneath it is to put a pair of pantyhose over a coat hanger and use this tool to sweep out dirt and hair.
Clean Inside the Fridge
As part of your spring cleaning, you will no doubt want to clean the inside of the fridge too. If you find you have to throw out tons of expired condiments, don’t wait too long to restock. A fuller fridge holds cold better than an empty one, giving you better performance and efficiency.
Change Your Refrigerator Water Filters
Your refrigerator water filters actually need to be changed more than just once a year, but your spring cleaning day makes an excellent opportunity to make one of these swaps. If you have trouble finding the right new filter for your fridge just call American Appliance Repair.
Clean the Oven
Almost all ovens these days have self-cleaning settings, so this should be the easiest part of your kitchen appliance spring cleaning. Just don’t neglect to check inside before you turn on the oven so you can remove any large pieces of food debris or baking pans that may have been left inside.
Sanitize the Dishwasher
Your dishwasher may actually come with a sanitizing cycle. Why not use it? You can boost its power by placing a small dish of vinegar in the top rack before starting the cycle. You can also sanitize older dishwashers that may not have sanitizing cycles by doing a simple wash with the dish of vinegar inside.
Freshen the Garbage Disposal
One final task for your kitchen appliance spring cleaning is to freshen your garbage disposal. First, be sure to thoroughly clean the rubber flaps over the disposal, as greasy, stinky residue has a tendency to hide here. Then, you can grind up some lemons or ice to clean the blades and provide a fresh smell. Another option is to dump 3 tablespoons of Borax into the unit, let it sit for an hour, and then flush with hot water.
Get Those Small Repairs You’ve Been Postponing
While you’re getting up close and personal with your appliances during spring cleaning, you may be reminded of small problems you’ve been trying to ignore, such as loose refrigerator seals or a broken dishwasher door spring. Now is the time to get these problems fixed. Just call American Appliance Repair. We’ll be happy to provide fast kitchen appliance repair so your appliances will work as perfectly as they look.
