Extend the life of your kitchen appliances with these tips

After taking the time (and the money) to pick out the perfect wall mounted kitchen faucets, dishwasher, oven, countertops, etc., our guess is that you don’t want to replace them anytime soon. Therefore, you’ll have to take care of your appliances so they stay functional for as long as possible. Here are a few tips to extend the life of your kitchen appliances, saving you money and time in the long run:

Faucets
Caring for your kitchen faucets simply means keeping up with regular maintenance. You don’t want mildew and residue to build up over time and destroy the finish on your faucets. Remove hard water spots using a generic window cleaner. However, be sure to avoid using coarse sponges, as they can damage the finish of your faucet.

Refrigerator
In order to keep your refrigerator running for its average lifespan of 13 years, you should pay attention to the coils. Dirt and dust can accumulate on those coils, reducing the airflow, which can cause overheating. Using a handheld vacuum, periodically clean the coils to remove that dust.

Dishwasher
We tend to hurriedly toss the dishes into the washer in order to cross the chore off our list. However, doing this can damage the vinyl coating on the racks. To prevent this from happening, slow down and be careful not to nick the finish when you’re loading in bowls, plates, cups and silverware.

Another thing you can do to extend the life of your dishwasher is to clean out the filter (typically located on the bottom of the appliance). Getting rid of those food particles that have built up from dirty dishes can help the machine run more effectively.

Microwave
The food particles that tend to get left in your microwave not only dirty the appliance, they can actually cause it to work less efficiently. Therefore, try to clean your microwave on a regular basis. Use a damp cloth to wipe down the interior, removing grease and grime.

Washing machine
You might have piles of laundry to do, but it’s best to separate all of your dirty clothes into different loads. Overstuffing your washing machine can put a strain on the appliance’s motor.

Dryer
Make sure to regularly remove the lint that can build up in the filter of your dryer. Lint can be a fire hazard, and the buildup often causes the machine to take much longer to dry your clothes. Make a habit of cleaning out the lint filter before and after each load of laundry.

Garbage disposal
There is so much food and residue that gets thrown into your garbage disposal, so it’s no wonder there can be a lot of buildup inside. To remove the mess inside, toss a few ice cubes down the drain and grind them up. The cubes help to get rid of the excess food. You can then tackle the unpleasant scent by grinding a few orange or lemon peels. They will give your disposal a fresh, clean smell.