7 Tips for Maintaining Your Kitchen Appliances
Kitchen appliances are among the most used items in every home as they play a big role in helping prepare, store, and serve food. In turn, you have the responsibility of ensuring these appliances are always in their best state to ensure their functionality is never compromised. Here, we look at seven tips for maintaining your kitchen appliances.
1. Strictly follow the user guide
One of the perks of buying luxury kitchen appliances is that they come with detailed manuals that offer insight on how best to use them. This will help you avoid costly damages and ensure you do not void the warranty due to product misuse or lack of proper maintenance.
2. Consistently inspect your appliances
You need to proactively check the state of your kitchen appliances to avoid noticing underlying problems when it is too late. For example, dishwashers and refrigerators face the risk of rust and lime buildup that can lead to severe damage if not dealt with immediately. Save yourself from these problems by checking your equipment for small problems before they become major ones that are costly to fix.
3. Keep up with the maintenance schedules
Extend the life of your kitchen equipment by sticking to the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedules. Typically, these guidelines cover aspects such as how long replaceable parts should be in use, areas to inspect for wear and tear, and signs of a drop in functionality that you should never ignore. For example, poor temperature control or abnormal noises from your refrigerator is a common indicator that something is wrong and needs to be corrected before it is too late.
4. Regularly clean your kitchen appliances
Whether you own modern or classic kitchen appliances, a best practice for keeping these items in their best shape is by regularly cleaning them. However, you need to know how and when to clean your appliances given their varied designs and build. For example, while you can opt to deep clean your dishwasher once every month, an oven with self-cleaning cycles might need weekly cleaning if it is regularly used. If you’re still saving up for a self-cleaning oven, make sure to protect your hands when cleaning kitchen appliances. Many cleaning solutions can be harmful if they come in direct contact with your skin. There will also be lots of oil, grime, and other buildups that can accumulate on your kitchen appliances. This icky stuff might be hard to remove from your hands after you’re done with cleanup. Always keep a box of disposable nitrile gloves within reach in your kitchen. That way, you can quickly put on a pair before every cleaning session. These gloves last longer than latex ones, and they are powder-free to prevent any allergic reactions.
5. Stick with professional technicians
Whenever you need to repair your kitchen appliances, it is best to find professional technicians near you. To stay safe, ask your dealers to recommend technicians within your region who you can rely on for all appliance maintenance and repair needs.
6. Know when to replace your old appliances
Most kitchen appliances have a lifespan of between five and 15 years, after which it will be too costly to keep owning them. As such, if any kitchen gadget has seen its better days, you can always make the smart choice of replacing it with a modern and better model.
7. Correctly position your kitchen appliances
It is essential to know how to position each kitchen appliance to avoid interference that might impact their functionality or lead to safety hazards. Some of the best practices to adhere to include:
- Place your fridge an inch or two away from the wall to improve airflow behind it and ensure it runs more efficiently
- Avoid placing your oven and refrigerator too close, as the temperature differences between these appliances will cause them to overwork and wear out quickly
Endnote
Quality kitchen appliances come at a price, and with these maintenance tips, you can guarantee their longevity and get the most from your investment.