5 DIY Tips for Preventative Household Appliance Maintenance

Did you know that periodic maintenance of household appliances can potentially deter you from needing costly repairs? Take a look at these 5 super quick, super easy DIY maintenance tips that will save you time, money, and a potential headache!

1. Check your oven door seal: Over 20% of an oven’s heat can leak out of the unit if the door is not properly sealed shut. It’s easy to avoid this simply by checking for any torn, broken, or loose areas on the seal (gasket).

2. Clean/replace vent filters: You can washer metal-mesh filters by hand simply using soapy water (or even by placing them in your dishwasher). But don’t try to wash paper filters; those need to be replaced, and are relatively inexpensive to do so.

3. Clean the drip bowls on your stove: Underneath the burner elements of your stove are drip bowls which catch grease and spills from stovetop cooking. You can easily remove and soak these in cleaning solution, dry them, and place them back on. This can help lengthen the life of your drip bowls since burnt-on food is more difficult to remove if left on too long, and therefore would need to be replaced sooner.

4. Clean your fridge coils:  You can use a handheld vacuum to quickly suck up any loose particles embedded into your refrigerator coils (which are located behind the kickplate or at the rear of the unit). This should be done every 6-12 months, typically. Also,

5. Change the fridge water filter: If you have a filter that is damaged or weak, it may not efficiently remove all harmful contaminants and impurities in the water. You should change your filter every 3-6 months. Simply follow your water filter instructions, which vary per model.

By staying on top of these few preventative, simply maintenance tips, you can prolong the life of your home appliances and also avoid costly repairs. Good luck!