I'm an appliance repair pro – they need cleaning more than you think & you should be careful vacuuming after renovations | The US Sun

2022-07-30 08:53:11 By : Mr. ABRAHAM BAO

YOUR appliances make your life easier, and when one starts acting up, it's easy to spiral into worries about expensive repairs and thwarted chores.

According to one expert, cleaning your home appliances regularly is the best way to keep them running – and there are circumstances when you should step away from the vacuum.

Adam Morris is an appliance repair expert with 10 years of experience and a strong background in mechanical and electrical engineering.

As one of the minds behind Appliances Made Simple, Morris provides vital information for homeowners who want to keep their appliances running smoothly.

Morris broke down the best ways to clean often-overlooked appliances, including one that's central to the cleanliness of your home: the vacuum.

It's one of the appliances many give a quick once-over between uses, but don't take the time to clean properly, leading to wear and tear on the machinery, not to mention dirt spread around the house.

"It only takes a minute to clean," Morris said, "especially with modern ones which will come apart super easily."

Any time you empty the vacuum's canister or bag, you should also do a full-scale cleaning session.

"Remove all that dirt, fluff, and hair from anywhere you can see, including the roller on the bottom," Morris instructed.

He also warned not to overlook a part of the vacuum that plenty of homeowners simply replace, leading to unnecessary spending.

"People will also tend to empty out the dust and dirt collected but not clean out the filters," he explained.

Cleaning the filters will extend the time between replacements and will also keep the vacuum itself running for longer, Morris said.

"With the price of vacuums, I'd prefer to keep mine going as long as possible," he added.

It's fine to use your vacuum to get dust out of refrigerator coils, the back of the TV, and other delicate areas, but there are some circumstances under which you should never run the vacuum.

When picking up broken glass, for example, using a vacuum might seem like the safest option, but shards can damage your vacuum by ripping into filters and cutting internal elements.

If you've completed a recent DIY project or had professionals in for a renovation, avoid vacuuming up the area.

"If you've had the builders in, picking up fine dust could clog the filters or break the motor," Morris warned.

Similarly, ash acts like fine dust and clogs your vacuum, so don't use your vacuum to clean up around your fireplace, patio fire pit, or other areas where ash might accumulate.

"You may also find that the ash ends up flying around rather than actually being sucked up," Morris warned.

Speaking of ash, Morris said that many homeowners also overlook the oven, or don't clean it thoroughly, because of misconceptions around "self-cleaning" appliances. This can result in a burning smell every time you cook.

"You can end up with bits of food that need removing," he said, "or maybe your trays haven't had a good clean in a while."

Don't rely on a cleaning spray or the self-cleaning setting alone. Every three or four months, settle down in front of the oven and sweep out any burnt food, scrape at any spills, and remove the trays for a deep clean.

"It's certainly worth doing every so often to reduce the smells and smoke that your oven may be causing," Morris said.

If your washing machine gives off a mildew smell, or your dryer produces an odor while in use, regular cleaning can take care of that, too.

"I had to do this only yesterday, as my washing machine was smelling a little bit funky, and it gets on your clothes," Morris said.

In most cases, you don't even need any specialty product – Morris said that washing machine-specific cleaning products are usually a waste of money.

"You can wash your washing machine, by simply running a hot cycle with some detergent," he said. "The other option is adding some white vinegar on a hot cycle, then once complete, chuck in some baking soda and run it all again."

The ingredients will react together in your washing machine to give a deep clean without doing damage. Try to clean the washing machine once a month, or adjust that rule of thumb based on your usage levels.

You don't need to clean your dryer as often, since it's less prone to mildew or mold – as long as you keep the lint screens and vents clear, you only need to give it a dedicated cleaning twice a year, Morris said.

"There isn't a need for any cleaning solution of any sort," he explained. "Simply wiping around the dryer drum and rim with a microfiber cloth followed by a damp cloth does the job."

Then, run an empty cycle for 10 minutes to dry the drum and keep things sparkling clean.

The final appliance Morris said is often overlooked is the dishwasher. You should give it a thorough cleaning every six months, and in between uses, clean the interior, rinsing the filter at least once per week.

Morris said that there's a common cause behind chunks of food and smelly residue left over in the dishwasher, but it's not what you might think.

"There is just simply no need to pre-rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher," he said. "Of course, remove any food, but a thorough pre-rinsing isn't necessary."

Instead, Morris said, load fewer dishes every time you use the dishwasher, even if it means running more cycles. Overloading the dishwasher renders it far less effective.

"This is something I see a lot of people do," Morris said. "It just doesn't allow the dishwasher to get to the right places, especially if you end up with no gap between items."

He warned that the "time-saving" strategy will cost you money, time, water, and dishwashing pods in the long run.

"It may seem a good idea to cram it all into one load," Morris said. "However, you may end up running it multiple times to get one thing clean."

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