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Kitchen Appliance Maintenance
How to Extend the Life of Your Kitchen
Appliances by Performing Periodic Kitchen Appliance Maintenance
By: Mark J. Donovan
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Kitchen appliances take a beating,
however that doesn’t mean they need to be thrown away every 5 years. With proper
and regular kitchen appliance maintenance you can significantly extend the life
of your kitchen appliances. Kitchen appliance maintenance also doesn’t mean
having to spend a fortune on buying service contracts or calling in the “pros”
to maintain your appliances. No, quite the opposite in fact, there are many places where you can buy replacement parts, such as
here, that make the job much easier (and a lot cheaper). With just some simple household tools, a little
effort, and buying the occasional replacement part you can maintain your own
kitchen appliances.
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Kitchen
Refrigerator Maintenance
Refrigerators take a lot of use and abuse. One of the first areas to inspect on
a refrigerator when getting ready to perform some kitchen appliance maintenance
is the rubberized gasket seals around the doors and drawers. Often they start to
peel away or crack. When this happens the refrigerator ends up working overtime
and thus reduces its life. If the gasket seals are cracked replace them as soon
as possible. Also, clean the gasket seals regularly. Often food products end up
on them making them sticky which can help lead to them breaking.
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Use a mild household detergent and
cloth to clean them. Finally, pull the refrigerator out and vacuum around and
underneath it. Also vacuum the refrigerant coils to remove any dust from them.
Dust that collects on them causes the refrigerator to work harder and thus
reduces the life of your refrigerator.
Stove and Oven Maintenance
Make sure to wipe down the top of your stove with a mild dish detergent and
cloth after every use. If your oven has a self cleaning function use it
regularly to remove any baked on food from it.
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If the oven does not have a self
cleaning mechanism than place a shallow pan of ammonia in the oven over night
and then clean the oven the next morning. The ammonia will help break down the
baked on food and grime. Use mineral oil and a damp cloth to clean and shine the
glass and windows on the stove/oven.
Dishwasher
Maintenance
To maintain the dishwasher make sure to always rinse your dishes prior to
putting them into the dishwasher.
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Also inspect and clean the gaskets
regularly looking for any leaks or damage to them. Finally, at least monthly use
a lemon based dishwasher cleaner to keep the inside of your dishwasher
sparkling.
Garbage Disposal
Maintenance
Make sure to use your garbage disposal regularly, including turning it on every
time you put food debris in it. Also, periodically run a lemon through the
garbage disposal. The acidic lemon juice will help clean and sharpen the garbage
disposal blades.
Microwave Maintenance
Every time you use your microwave inspect that it is still clean. |
Photo By Mark Donovan |
If you see any food debris in it wipe
it down with a mild dish detergent and damp cloth. Make sure to remove the tray
periodically and clean it and the bottom of the microwave. Also, boil a
water/lemon mixture occasionally in the microwave to help clean and make the
inside of your microwave sparkle. The lemon will also help to break down any
stuck on food so that you can more easily wipe it away.
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How to Finance your Kitchen Remodeling Project -
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Related information on Kitchen Remodeling and Kitchen
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Additional Kitchen Makeover Design Resources
Kitchen Faucets and Appliances from Amazon.com
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