4 Essential Appliance Maintenance Tips for a Trouble-Free Holiday Season
The holiday season is almost here—a time for family, friends, and festive feasts. To keep your household running smoothly, ensure your appliances are in top shape. This article shares practical appliance maintenance tips for Australian households, including pre-holiday checks, cleaning advice for fridges and ovens, and ways to keep small appliances working efficiently.
1. Perform pre-holiday checks by testing each kitchen appliance
The best way to guarantee that every kitchen appliance is operating as it should is to test each one individually. This is important for appliances that you haven’t used in a while.
Run the dishwasher on a variety of wash cycles over a few days. Cook something in the oven and also test the griller. Make sure each hotplate is working on the stovetop. Check that the fridge and freezer are cold enough. Test blenders, food processors, toasters, kettles, and any other appliance in your kitchen.
If any appliances are underperforming or faulty, either fix them yourself or call an appliance repair technician.
2. Clean your appliances
Keeping your kitchen appliances clean not only makes them more hygienic to use and aesthetically pleasing, but regular cleaning is a vital part of appliance maintenance that improves their efficiency and increases their longevity. Before the holiday seasons get underway, clean every appliance in your kitchen, including major appliances such as your fridge and oven.
A. Fridge cleaning tips
Allow the stock in the fridge to diminish over several days and then remove everything from inside. You could place items in a cooler while cleaning takes place. Now that the fridge is empty, remove all the shelves and the crisper and wash these with warm soapy water, rinsing thoroughly.
Use soapy water to clean the interior of the fridge, then wipe all surfaces dry with a clean cloth. Don’t forget to wash around the seals. Grime builds up on the seals. It looks unsightly and can sometimes cause the fridge door to not close properly.
Repeat the same process for the freezer.
B. Oven cleaning tips
One hot tip for keeping ovens clean and avoiding a major cleanup job is to wipe down the interior of the oven each time you use it. Let it cool down a little first, but it’s far easier to clean if you wipe it down with soapy water while it’s still warm.
If your oven has a buildup of grime, remove the wire racks and give them a thorough clean. You might need to use a pot scrubber to remove oil and burnt food from the racks.
You can use a combination of baking soda, salt and water to remove stubborn stains on the oven walls and the interior of the glass door panel. The baking soda method is most effective when you leave it on overnight. Spray the interior with warm water, then apply your baking soda, salt and water paste. If this method doesn’t remove all the grime, you can try an oven cleaner liquid or spray.
You can use the baking soda idea to clean the hotplates and the surrounding surfaces too.
C. Dishwasher cleaning tips
Before cleaning the dishwasher, first check all the door seals and inspect for signs of damage. Next, remove the filter located on the bottom of the dishwasher and clean it. Wipe up any loose food particles, then close the door and run the dishwasher through a full wash cycle while empty. This will give the appliance a thorough clean.
D. Microwave cleaning tips
If you’re not in the habit of wiping your microwave clean after each use, or you fail to cover food when heating, chances are the interior has food and liquid splashes everywhere.
A simple trick to make microwave cleaning easy is to place a cup of water with a dash of dishwashing detergent inside. Run the microwave on high for several minutes, then allow the buildup of steam time to soften the grime. Now it’s a simple matter of wiping the interior clean with a soft damp cloth.
3. Avoid using too many appliances at once
Running too many high-powered appliances simultaneously could overload your home’s electrical system, tripping a circuit breaker. Avoid interruptions to your holiday cooking schedule by operating just a couple of electrical appliances at the same time.
4. Have your kitchen appliances professionally inspected and tested
The most effective way to ensure your appliances are ready for the coming holiday season is to have an expert inspect them and test them. An appliance repair technician may find faults or potential faults that the average person won’t detect.
Not only will professional inspection and testing guarantee that your appliances run smoothly, but it also ensures that every appliance is safe and not a fire hazard or an electrocution risk.
Where to buy quality appliance spare parts?
WWSpares is your go-to shop for quality spare parts for all kitchen appliances and other household appliances in Sydney. We stock an exhaustive range for all the top brands and models. Before the holiday season arrives, shop for spare parts today and have your appliances ready for a season of festive fun. Browse our shop or contact us for further information.
