Tips for Extending the Life of Your Dishwasher & Washing Machine

When remodeling a kitchen and laundry room, the average American homeowner spends over $8,000 on appliances alone. The good news is that today's appliances are built sturdier and more energy efficient than appliances in history.

Here are some tips to help you extend the life of your washing appliances to avoid having to make costly appliance service calls:

Dishwasher

Principally, there are two ways to extend the life of your dishwasher: running fewer loads and keeping it clean.

Run Fewer Loads—You can run fewer loads by avoiding washing cycles that include exceptionally big items like pots, pans, sheet trays, and other awkwardly sized items. Not only do these items take up too much real estate in your dishwasher, it's probably not designed to wash this item in the first place.

Additionally, lightly used bowls, glasses, and plates often do not need to be run through a dishwasher. Simply hand wash, rinse, and let them dry on a rack or in the dishwasher if needed.

When you do run dishwasher cycles, you should also choose an appropriate setting. Many people opt for the "quickest" cycle to save time, but if this cycle doesn't properly wash your dishes, you may be forced to run even more cycles to get the job done.

Keep it Clean—Dishwashers aren't designed to scrape or scrub grubby kitchen items. Not only will your dishwasher not get these dirty items very clean, but you'll also dislodge potentially troublesome food debris that can clog, corrode, and damage your dishwasher internal components.

It's important to remove any food items from kitchen items before putting them through the dishwasher. Also, it's important to remove and thorough clean your dishwasher's filter every month. You can also run a cup of white vinegar through your dishwasher once a month (on a short cycle, without dishes in the machine) to help break down any food debris stuck in your dishwasher.

Clothes Washer

Similar to a dishwasher, a clothes washer's life can be extended two ways: using the right stuff and choosing the right cycle.

Use the Right Stuff—Clothes washers process thousands of gallons of water and other liquids. One of the biggest mistakes consumers make is not using appropriate soaps.

It's important to always use high efficiency laundry soap. Not only does it produce less suds, but it also contains smaller concentrations of corrosive lye-based detergents that can eat away at your washer's internal components.

The same concept also applies to fabric softener. When you don't need, don't use it. When you do use it, use it very sparingly. Once every month you should also run one cup of white vinegar through your washer (on a short cycle, without clothes in the machine).

Also, if you notice that your machine is having difficulty draining, consider removing an thoroughly removing your drain pump filter.

Choose the Right Cycle—Today's clothes washer seem to have more cycle choices than ever before. Regardless of your washer's cycle, however, there are three things to consider when selecting a cycle: water level, water temperature, and spin speed. Choosing the wrong settings can put extra strain on your washer, which can wear it out prematurely.

Many people select water level based on the volume of clothing they put in the washer. This is a mistake because most clothing compresses drastically when wet. The only time you should ever choose the largest water volume is when washing big items like blankets. Additionally, you should only use hot water or the highest spin for clothing that specifies the need for such settings.

To learn more about maintaining or repairing your appliances, contact companies that perform appliance services.

About Me

signs your washer and dryer need servicing

Do you know when your washing machine and dryer aren't working properly? Did you know that just because the machines go through the cycles that it doesn't necessarily mean that they are in good working order? I had no idea that my washing machine had something wrong with it until the technician came out for a regular cleaning and inspection of it. It was then that he provided me with a ton of information to determine when those machines need servicing. I have provided that information here for you on my blog. Hopefully, it will help you identify small problems before they become costly.

Latest Posts

22 January 2024
As a restaurant, hotel, or any other establishment that requires a commercial refrigerator, keeping the fridge in top-notch condition is essential. Th

14 July 2023
If you're like most people, then your household appliances get plenty of use on a regular basis. All that use will eventually lead to problems. When t

23 February 2023
A self-service laundromat is a place of business where you can go to do your own laundry. If you've never used a self-service laundromat before, then

Search

Tags