Maintenance Tips for Longer Appliance Life

Even the least domestic among us can appreciate the seriousness of a damaged dishwasher or a fridge that’s more hot than cold.
Surface cleaning will keep your kitchen and utility room looking good, but you need to take the extra step of performing routine maintenance in order to prolong your appliances’ lives. Following these tips may help you avoid repair or replacement costs:

 
Refrigerator

Gaskets (the flexible seals around the edges of the refrigerator door) that are ill-fitting, sticky or torn can let cool air out and warm air in — and ruin your food in the process.
Wipe down gaskets with a cloth soaked in warm water and dish detergent, and then dry them with a towel. To ensure the door seals properly, close it over a dollar bill. If you can easily pull the bill out, the latch may need to be adjusted or the gasket may need to be replaced.
Use a food-safe cleanser (or a solution of water and baking soda) to wash the drawers, racks and interior surfaces several times each year. Additionally, at least twice annually, use your vacuum cleaner attachment to clean the condenser coils beneath and behind the fridge. The dust and pet hair that collects there makes your refrigerator run less efficiently.
* Twice a year pull out your refrigerator, unplug it and vacuum the coils located either in the front or back, more often if you have shedding pets. If possible, allow a 2-inch space around the top and sides to let the coils breathe.
* Make sure to check for level after maintenance.
* Clean the door gaskets with soap and water and check the seal. “The gasket should last the life of the refrigerator, but if it becomes warped or damaged replace it,”
* Replace the water filter every six months, (more often if you have hard water) or when the indicator light comes on. Water filters for most fridges are in stock at Mary’s appliance if we don’t have it we can order it in for you. have your model number and/or Filter Part Number ready when its time to get your replacement.

 

Range and oven

If your oven has a self-cleaning feature, use it and no other method. If your oven is not self-cleaning, use a cleanser specifically designed for ovens to ensure proper food safety. Clean your stove top regularly. Baked on food or grease is unsightly, unsanitary and can become a fire hazard.
If you cook a lot, you’ll need to clean or change your range hood exhaust filters several times per year (less frequent cooking requires less frequent cleaning). At least once each year, clean behind and under your oven with a vacuum cleaner attachment. If you need stove top cleaner for your smooth top stove it is sold at Mary’s Appliance.

Dishwasher

If you run your dishwasher often, its interior surfaces should be fairly clean. If, however, you don’t use your dishwasher at least once each week, you’ll need to wipe it down on a monthly basis. Interior surfaces can be cleaned with a paste of powdered dishwasher detergent and water or a liquid dishwasher detergent on a damp sponge or cloth.
If the plastic coating on a dish rack tine wears away, it may corrode and rust — and that rust can end up on your dishes. Recoat tines to protect them from further deterioration. Manufacturers offer vinyl repair kits for exactly this purpose. If new racks are needed call Mary’s with the model number of your machine and we can order new racks for you but remember the racks are costly and proper maintenance will prolong the life of your machine and racks.
If you notice a white film on your dishes this can be a cause of your soap either using too much soap and/or cleaning your dishes off completely before the wash cycle can cause this film the dishwasher detergents are enzyme based and need food particles to clean properly the film is most likely not the dishwasher fault but the soap left behind. There are special cleaners to remove the white film from your dishes and dishwasher it is called Limishine and sold at Mary’s for $6.99.

Dryer

Anything that impedes your dryer’s airflow creates a potential fire hazard and can cause your appliance to fail. Before every load, take a minute to clean the lint filter. Every 60 days or so (perhaps remember by doing this at the start of every odd-numbered month), wash the lint filter with detergent to remove chemical residue that can restrict airflow. On this same schedule, take the time to make a visual inspection of the dryer exhaust duct line. Repair or remove any crimps or obstructions. Once each year, remove and clean the entire duct line – from the dryer to the exterior. If you have vinyl dryer exhaust ducts, consider replacing them with metal ductwork to reduce fire hazards Even if you clean your clothes dryer’s lint trap with each load, a surprising amount of lint makes it past the trap. Clogged air vents and ductwork not only lead to dryer inefficiency, and an estimated $300 additional to operate yearly, but could also spark a fire. Each year dryers cause some 12,700 residential fires, 15 deaths and 300 injuries, according to a 2007 report by the U.S. Fire Administration. In 70 percent of the cases, “failure to clean” was the leading cause. Second-floor laundry facilities pose another risk: The USFA calls these locations “hazardous” because they often require longer ductwork, with bends that could trap lint, rather than immediate outside venting. Improper ducting made of light foil or plastic can also ignite more readily and should be replaced by semi-rigid or rigid aluminum, or galvanized steel ducting. . If you need assistance doing this we can perform this for you a normal service call of $59 dollars plus tax will be charged to fix and or clean your vent and duct work for you. If needed call Mary’s service line at 402-245-HELP (4357)

Is your dryer taking forever to dry a load?

Mary’s Service Department is offering a Dryer Inspection for $59.00.

This will include, cleaning out the lint accumulation from inside the dryer and the outside vent.

We will also check the Size ratio of dryer to washer, the drum felts, and element.

If you have a problem, we will give you an estimate of the parts and cost of the repairs necessary. If repairs are done, your $59.00 will be applied to that repair bill.

Call 402-245-HELP (4357) to schedule your Inspection.

While we are at your house we will also vac/brush out the coils of your Refrigerator for an additional $10.00.

Mary’s Appliance, 1612 Stone St., Falls City, NE 68355 402-245-4003 or 245-HELP

Washer

Washing machine hose failures cause about $170 million in damage to homes in the United States and Canada each year. To reduce the chances that your hoses will fail, it’s a good idea to inspect your washing machine hoses every two years. If your inspection reveals that your hoses are splitting, blistered or cracked, replace them right away. Even if you can’t see damage, hoses wear out; change them every six years just to be safe.
Replacing your washing machine hoses is as simple as hooking up a hose to a water spigot. Just be sure to shut off the water supply to your washing machine. If there’s not a shutoff near your washer, close the main shutoff valve in your house. Unscrew the old hoses and hook up the new ones. Make sure you line up the threads and screw the hoses on tightly. When you’re done, turn on the water supply and check carefully for leaks. Washing machine hoses can be purchased at Mary’s Appliance starting at $9.99 a pair.
To keep the drum spinning smoothly for years to come, for starters, use only high-efficiency, or HE, detergent. “The suds that are created by nonhigh-efficiency detergents will get in and wreak havoc on the drum and drive system,* Once a month, run an empty hot water wash to break down any built up residue.
* Excessive vibration can also damage the drum. If you hear or see the machine shake, it’s unbalanced. Check for level, but more importantly, check the machine’s stability by rocking it from corner to corner. “All four legs should be firmly touching the ground and locked according to the use manual,”