Basic DIY appliance maintenance tips anyone can handle
Does it ever feel like your fridge just isn’t as cold as it used to be? Or maybe your dishes no longer come out of the dishwasher as sparkly clean?
Turns out, a little appliance maintenance could be all you need to make sure your appliances are running as efficiently as possible. Giving your appliances a quick refresher now and then means they’ll probably last a little longer, too, which will save you money down the road.
If you really want new appliances, Lowe’s can help with that of course! But if you’d rather upkeep instead of upgrade, here are a few basic cleaning tips to help maintain five of your household appliances:
Refrigerator
- Clean those condenser coils! Unplug your fridge, remove the base grill and use a coil cleaning brush to clean coils of things like dust, pet hair and debris. Manufacturers differ on how often to do this, but some suggest cleaning the coils every six months.
- Bonus tip: Change the water filter as recommended by the manufacturer and clean door seals monthly to maintain a proper seal.
Dishwasher
- Clean your dishwasher, run it while empty. One of the easiest ways to do that is to fill a dishwasher safe bowl with ½ cup of white vinegar. Place the bowl on the top tray of your dishwasher and run it on a normal cycle with no heat.
- Bonus tip: Inspect and remove debris from the drain grid about once a month.
Washer
- Inspect it! Every six months or so, give your washer drum a good once over, looking for any chips or rust. The exposed metal from even a small chip can rust and transfer rust stains onto your clothes.
- Bonus tip: Try to make sure your wash loads are evenly distributed. This will help avoid potential spin cycle damage.
Dryer
- Clean your vent hose. Unplug the dryer and turn off the gas valve if you have a gas dryer. Then remove the vent hose from the back and using a dryer vent brush, remove lint from the vent and the hole in the back of the dryer.
- Bonus tip: Always clean the lint filter before each new load.
Stove
- Don’t be afraid to try the self-clean option! Remove all the items from inside your oven like oven racks, foil, etc. Then take out anything in the storage drawer at the bottom of your stove. Read any additional instructions from your manufacturer, make sure the door is completely shut, and start the Self Clean cycle.