In the long list of "to-do's" that many of us face day in and day out, it can be easy to let maintaining our home fall behind. Our kitchen appliances works hard every day for us and our families, storing food, cooking food and cleaning our dishes. Kitchen appliances get used often, but how often are we really taking care of them? With some regular maintenance, we can keep our kitchen appliances running properly and extend the life of the appliances significantly.
The refrigerator is an essential appliance for any household. It does not matter if it is constantly packed to the brim or spends most of its time somewhat bare, it needs regular maintenance. The first and most simple way to maintain your refrigerator is to immediately clean up any spills that occur inside of the refrigerator with warm, soapy water. Next, vacuum the bottom rear of your refrigerator where the condenser coils are to prevent debris accumulation from blocking air flow and diminishing energy efficiency.
When your microwave starts to look a little grungy and you see little pieces of food all over the inside, it is probably time to clean your microwave. Clean out the inside of your microwave with warm, soapy water and get rid of any food pieces. If things still seem stuck on, it still appears dirty or has a bad odor, you can microwave one cup of water for about three minutes and let it sit in the microwave for a few minutes longer. This will help steam off anything that is particularly stuck on and should be able to be removed easily with a cloth.
Most everyone relies on a dishwasher to clean their dishes these days. Dishwashers get used regularly and go through a lot to keep our dishes looking nice. Just because the dishwasher is in charge of washing things, does not mean it is constantly clean. First, check the seals to make sure you do not see any cracks. If they look ok, just wipe them down with some warm, soapy water. Next, check the drain for any debris or food particles and clean it out if any has built up. Additionally, you can pour some white vinegar in your empty dishwasher and run it. It will help remove any buildup inside your dishwasher and help remove any odors.
For your oven, range or stovetop, it is important to follow manufacturer instructions as there is a large range of products with different methods of cleaning. Some may be self cleaning and others may not be. A basic rule of thumb to always follow is to clean up your oven, stovetop or range after each use and immediately remove any spills (as soon as it is safe to do so) to prevent hard-to-clean buildup. For almost all of the kitchen appliances, cleaning with warm soapy water will go a long way and when extra help is needed, basic household items such as vinegar and baking soda will help remove any tough spills.