If there is anything that says “I am a grown-up,” it is the purchase of brand new appliances for your home. Bonus points are awarded if you were able to share your shopping experience with your pals at the same time on one of your numerous social media outlets and experienced a thrill when your shiny gadgets and equipment were delivered.
It is simply a stage of life that most of us will experience at some point. As the saying goes, “welcome to adulthood.”However, after spending long hours researching different brands, models, specifications, sizes, colors, and other characteristics, as well as visiting all major retailers to see your best options in person, the last thing you want to do is to put it under unexpected pressure well as mishandling and improper treatment.
Now that you have reached this glorious yet rarely talked about point of grown-up life, you need to figure out what is the best approach to ensure that you keep your appliances in good working order so that you can get the most out of them for as long as you possibly can. Initially, let us consider the advantages of devoting a bit more time to maintaining your appliances, regardless of how expensive they are.
It lengthens the life span of the appliance: Any reputable retailer will give you a decent warranty or guarantee, but this does not last forever. Looking after your appliance will keep it running for longer. Your home insurance may cover some of the big electrical items but for those that are not covered, a home warranty is worth looking into.
By looking after your appliance, you are likely to have to fork out for fewer repairs. No one wants to have to deal with a fridge freezer that has started to leak or a cooker that does not actually cook. The more that you look after your appliance, the fewer repair call-outs you should need to arrange – and the less money you will spend!
A well-maintained appliance will also represent better value for money. Think about a car or motorbike; if it is not regularly serviced and running properly, it will cost you more to run on a day-to-day basis. If your dishwasher is not cleaning properly, you could find yourself running it twice to get things clean, as you would with your washing machine. If your tumble dryer is not working efficiently, you would end up with longer drying times and not only will this cost you more money in your energy bills, it is pretty damaging to the environment.
Let’s take a look at some of the appliances that you might have in your home and you can keep them working for as long as possible.
A washing machine
We all rely on our washing machines to do a lot of work for us. Especially for those of us who have larger families or jobs that need us to change our clothes more frequently than we would otherwise. The fact is that washing machines can go wrong in a variety of ways, making it difficult to address them all in a single blog piece. What we can talk about is the best ways to keep your washing machine in good working order and to help it last as long as possible in that state of readiness.
- Check the pipes for leaks. You should actually be examining your washing machine’s connecting pipes at least once every three months, if not more frequently. It is necessary to inspect for loose connections, defects, and evidence of wear and strain.
- It should not be overloaded. It can be easy to just throw in that final few blouses or pants to finish up your laundry in one go and save time. Was it ever brought to your attention that excessive load sizes place unnecessary pressure on the drum and bearings? As soon as your bearings need to be replaced, you will notice that your machine will start to move around more and become overly noisy. Avoid this by washing only the recommended size loads – the amount of the load will be mentioned on the label of the washing machine you purchase. This is, of course, a guideline for load limits, and you should strive to maintain them as low as possible at all times when possible, even if it means doing more laundry.
- Maintain the cleanliness of your machine. To keep the machine clean, run some cleanser or build-up remover through it on an empty cycle at least once a month. This will eliminate any detergent buildup and allow your machine to continue to clean effectively while remaining fresh and hygienic. Many people swear by a simple cleaning routine involving white vinegar and bicarb of soda.
- Use a water softener to soften the water. People who live in hard water areas will tell you about the harm that hard water can do to equipment throughout the home, including the kitchen. Seek out a water softener for well water and hard water to assist you in maintaining the operation of your household appliances that use water – such as coffee makers and kettles, as well as dishwashers and other kitchen equipment.
Ovens and cookers
Have you ever served your supper only to discover that it was still raw or undercooked after being cooked at the acceptable temperature for the appropriate amount of time? This indicates that there is a problem with your cooker or oven, which must be identified and resolved.
- Make that the door seal is in good working order. Damaged or broken door seals might allow heat to escape from your oven, lowering the temperature at which your food is being cooked. What this means for us is that food takes longer to cook or is not cooked properly, which results in increased consumption of electricity.
- It should be cleaned. We all know it is simple, but it is necessary. The majority of individuals are guilty of procrastinating when it comes to oven cleaning. It is a difficult and exhausting chore that, to be honest, can be a little nasty at times. Failure to clean your oven, on the other hand, can result in a buildup of food and grease, which can negatively impact the performance of your stove or oven and significantly reduce its lifespan.
Dishwasher
Apart from the disagreements over who is responsible for filing it, owning a dishwasher at home can save you a lot of time. Let us face it, who enjoys even the simplest of tasks such as cleaning dishes? Consequently, the last thing you want to happen is for your dishwasher to fail and force you to wash your dishes by hand again!
- It should be cleaned. It sounds crazy, right? A machine that cleans things for you must be cleaned often to ensure that it continues to perform at its peak. Spend some time every now and then removing the limescale that has built up, clean the filters, nozzles, and anything else that is required to make your machine function. As a result, you will get a consistently clean result wash after wash. When you see how much dirt and grime you can eliminate by doing this on a daily basis, you will be pleased you did it. Self-cleaning machines are included in this category as well.
- Do not overfill it. Not even that final glass or bowl. While you may not believe that overloading your dishwasher will cause damage, over time it will cause it to underperform and deliver less than clean results at the end of a cycle.
- While you may not believe that overloading your dishwasher will cause damage, over time it will cause it to underperform and deliver less than clean results at the end of a cycle.
- Breakages should be cleaned completely. Make a thorough inspection of your machine, looking for debris such as broken pieces of glass and/or crockery. Leftover fragments will undoubtedly find their way into your dishwasher and cause harm during the washing cycle.
Fridges and freezers
We are all aware that the temperatures in our refrigerators and freezers must be maintained at specific levels in order to keep our food fresh and nutritious. But did you know that there are things you can do to ensure that the facilities where you store your food are operating at peak performance?
- Keep the doors shut. Every time that you open and close the doors to your fridge or freezer, it has a negative impact on the temperature within the refrigerator or freezer. Keep all doors and drawers closed at all times and make it a habit to do so. When browsing for snacks or restocking from your grocery haul, it may be more convenient to leave the doors open. Try to keep the door closed as much as possible to avoid spoiling food that can spoil as a result of temperature changes.
- Keep it clean. Leakages are inevitable. It could be from food or beverages. Making sure it is cleaned as soon as possible will ensure that the environment inside the refrigerator and freezer is safe for all of the other goods that you have kept in them in the future.
It stands to reason that you would want to keep your appliances operating at peak performance for as long as possible, especially those that you cannot afford to replace right away. Make the effort to ensure that you are doing everything you can to ensure that your new appliances continue to function well for as long as possible. When it comes to increasing the life of your appliances, this is absolutely critical.
