6 Ways You Are Ruining Your Appliances
6 Ways You Are Ruining Your Appliances
You probably love your appliances, and you want them to last a long time. The way you’re treating them doesn’t always reflect that. If you want your appliances to live a long and happy life, you should stop doing these things:
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Not cleaning your lint filter in your dryer
When you fail to clean your lint filter every load, you add build up into both the internal parts of the dryer, and to your venting going to the outside. It makes your dryer run longer, use more energy, and is dangerous. If you suspect your dryer vent is plugged with lint, we do perform dryer vent cleaning as well.
Our dryer lint haul from a dryer we cleaned today. All of this lint came from the front area where the lint filter is installed.
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Leaving coins or items in you pockets
When you leave coins or lighters in your pants and run them through the washer, these items often get loose and end up stuck in the drain pump. It should come as no surprise that this isn’t good for your drain pump in your washer.
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Using cheap powder or gel detergent in your dishwasher
Your dishwasher likes good detergent. If you think that cheap powder detergent is just as good as anything else, you’re wrong. Several of the cheaper powder detergents actually contain sand. SAND! It ruins your glassware slowly, and makes it more prone to damage or etching. Gel detergents are generally inferior to powder detergents because they cannot contain both enzymes and bleach, as the bleach would kill the enzymes. Our preferred detergent is Finish Quantum tabs. Stop in and ask for a sample, or ask your technician for a sample pack if you have us out.
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Not cleaning your appliances internally
Both dishwashers and washing machines benefit from an internal cleaning with a product like Dishwasher Magic or Washer Magic to get out the buildup before it clogs internal parts like the pump. These products can also kill bacteria that are living in your appliances rent-free. Kick out the freeloaders!
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Improper installation
This encompasses so many things on so many different appliances, but the idea is the same. Install it properly. When in doubt, consult a pro. Dishwasher drain hoses, for example, should have a high loop where the hose reaches the bottom of the counter-top. Without this, drain water from the sink can run back inside your dishwasher. You probably don’t want rotten food from you garbage disposal on your clean dishes, right?
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Putting the wrong foods down the garbage disposal
Don’t put grease, oil, or fat into your disposal. Don’t use hot water, as it will cause grease to liquefy, and then solidify once it’s down the drain. Don’t grind fibrous materials like corn husks, celery, onion skins, or potato peels. No expandable foods like pasta or rice either. Choose what goes down the drain wisely.
Hopefully understanding what you shouldn’t do will help you to understand what you should do with your appliances. As always, if you are in need of appliance repair in the Omaha metro area, your hometown hero is here to help. You can schedule online or call us at 402-399-0202 anytime.
