Appliance Care Tips

You want your appliances to last a long time, and Mr. Appliance is here to help. Use these appliance maintenance tips to help your appliances run more efficiently and stay in great shape. When you master home appliance care, you spend less time and money fixing premature (or totally preventable) appliance problems.

Mr. Appliance offers appliance maintenance and repair services for every major appliance in your home or business. If your appliances need professional attention, connect with your local team today! Call (888) 998-2011 or schedule an appointment here.

Home Appliance Care Hacks

Check out these lesser-known appliance care tips, and put them into action.

• Refrigerator & Freezer
  • If you have a water dispenser or ice maker in your unit, change the water filter every six months. Check the owner’s manual to find out where your model’s filter is.
  • For efficient operation, vacuum out the refrigerator and freezer coils at least once a year. The coils can be located behind the vent cover on the front of the unit, or they’re in the back (depending on model).
  • Keep these appliances clean. Grime or ice buildup can lower efficiency.
  • If something is broken, ask Mr. Appliance for expert refrigerator repair and freezer repair.
• Dishwasher
  • Clean your dishwasher at least once every six months. Here’s how to clean it!
  • Buy a kit to replace or cap rusty tines (the vertical spikes on the racks inside) so they don’t stain your dishes.
  • If your dishwasher needs professional care, consider our dishwasher repair services.
• Oven, Stove & Range
  • After using your oven’s self-cleaning mode (recommended every six months), wait a full 6 hours. Then unplug it and wipe down the inside with a solution of white vinegar and water.
  • If your stove has coil burners, watch out for small red spots on them. These could indicate that the burner will short out soon. If you see one, replace the burner!
  • Call Mr. Appliance when you need oven, stove, or range repair services.
• Vent Hood
  • Clean or replace grease filters and vents. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendation for frequency. This is important for minimizing the risk of fire!
  • Periodically clean the vent hood’s fan blades to prevent dirt and grease from building up.
  • Trust Mr. Appliance for your vent hood repairs.
• Garbage Disposal
  • Use cold water for the grinding process and for at least 30 seconds after you turn off the disposal.
  • Read our garbage disposal blog for more tips—like substances you shouldn’t put down the disposal.
  • When your garbage disposal is stuck or broken, get professional garbage disposal repair.
• Microwave
  • To save energy, unplug your microwave when it isn’t in use.
  • Don’t run the microwave with nothing in it. This can damage the appliance or even cause a fire.
  • Don’t put these things in your microwave!
• Washing Machine
  • Level your washing machine if it starts to shake.
  • Clean the washer’s lint trap. Yes, it has one!
  • If your washer needs professional care, get washing machine repair service from your local Mr. Appliance.
• Dryer
  • Make sure you clean the lint filter every time.
  • Don’t forget to schedule professional dryer vent cleaning once every 3 to 12 months.
  • When your dryer is kaput, contact us for local dryer repair.

Why Perform Appliance Maintenance?

Practicing appliance maintenance helps you prevent unexpected breakdowns. A task as simple as cleaning your appliances can make a huge difference. (Bonus: Here’s how to clean front-load washer mold and clean your refrigerator.) With uncomplicated actions, you can keep your utility bills low and extend the life of your appliances.

Just don’t forget to practice appliance safety and call a professional if you get in over your head!

Additional Resources for Appliance Care

Even some appliance troubleshooting procedures can be DIY, if you have the right resources.

• Electrical Appliance Testing
• Appliance Troubleshooting

Specialty Tools for Appliance Care

These are some of the common tools that appliance maintenance experts use.

• Hose Pinch-Off Pliers
• Hose Clamp Pliers
• Snap Ring Pliers
• Spanner Wrench
• Nut Driver Set
• Wire Stripper
• Clamp-On Ammeter
• Volt-Ohm-Amp Meter
• Non-Contact Voltage Tester
• Non-Contact Multimeter
• Test Leads and Jumper Wires
• Wrench Set

Speaking of experts—we’re here to help! If you need professional appliance care, call (888) 998-2011 today or schedule an appointment online.