You hear a scurry across the kitchen floor when you turn your back, you catch a glimpse of a critter scooting across the counter out of the corner of your eye, and you're pretty sure the little black pebbles you see when you sweep are not sprinkles—it sounds like you have mice. Mice commonly take up residence in the house, and when they do, the kitchen is the ideal place to hang out. Easy access to food and water, heat pretty much all the time, and nice dark and cozy places to hide make the kitchen a luxury in the eyes of a rodent.
The primary issue here is rodents can cause all kinds of damage to your home appliances. Here's a look at three awful ways rodents can affect your kitchen appliances.
They can infiltrate the insulation in your oven.
Your oven is capable of heating to a certain temperature and pretty much staying at that temperature for a while unless the door is open. This is possible because of the thick layer of insulation that surrounds the oven walls. Unfortunately, this insulation is ideal for mice and other rodents because it is soft, warm, and in a dark place. If mice get into the insulation around your oven, they will leave droppings and urine beyond. Therefore causing an incredible stench when the oven heats up. The insulation inside of your stove can be replaced, but this is something that must be done by a professional.
They can cause electrical issues with your fridge.
The inside of the cooling unit of a fridge contains all kinds of small wires to make the cooling process happen. If mice get inside of your refrigerator and decide to stick around, they will eventually start to chew on these wires, which can cause major electrical problems that will require extensive repairs. You may notice lights that won't stay on or intermittent problems with your freezer not keeping things frozen.
They can contaminate your small appliances.
Think about all the small appliances you have in your kitchen that you use on a regular basis. If you are like most, you will probably use your coffee maker in the morning, perhaps your toaster at some point, and your microwave or electric can opener. If you have mice in the kitchen, it can definitely contaminate these small appliances, and not all small appliances can be opened up and thoroughly cleaned easily.
The bottom line is, having a mouse problem in your kitchen can be a major threat to the life of your appliances. If you suspect you've had a rodent issue that has affected your kitchen appliances, contact an appliance repair center, like Aplus Appliance, for help.
