Kitchen appliances represent some of the biggest investments we make around the home, with the average homeowner spending at least £2000 on kitting out their kitchens with a full complement of appliances.
What a shame, then, that so many get damaged and deteriorate before their time because of the owner’s lack of upkeep. Sometimes, it’s as simple as keeping your electronics clean to ensure longevity. With that in mind, here are 4 kitchen appliance cleaning tips you need in your life.
MAINTAINING THE FRIDGE
The fridge is one of the, if not the, most frequently used appliances in the kitchen. Kettle, you don’t get a look in, we’re afraid. Since it’s crucial in keeping hygiene levels up and food safety prioritised, it’s important to make sure that it is always running smoothly and is always clean. If only it were that simple…
Emptying the fridge and doing a deep clean will prevent any mould or mildew build-up and allows you to throw out any uneaten food that could be taking up space. Sweeping below the fridge is important, too, because dust and dropped food can accumulate underneath it. Making your fridge run better also means you need to clean the condenser coils, which are located at the bottom or back of the fridge and can be cleaned by vacuuming or hand-dusting them. When the condenser coils are clean, you can benefit from less energy use on your next utility bill, too.
DESCALE
So you’ve been researching how to descale the Nespresso machine? Nice one, but there’s plenty more places in the kitchen in need of such treatment.
Indeed, descaling is meant to help clean the build-up of water-related minerals that scuff and mark your appliances. Coffee makers, kettles, dishwashers, ice makers, and anything in the kitchen that uses water are particularly prone, and will have to be descaled. You may think ‘have to’ is a little dramatic, but this is essential to ensure the longevity and efficiency of these appliances.
Fortunately, it’s a simple process. Put two cups of white vinegar in a bowl in your dishwasher, soak your kettle in a mix of equal parts vinegar and water for an hour, and use a vinegar solution as a wipe for other appliances…all for easy do-it-yourself maintenance using items you’ll already have in the kitchen.
THE MICROWAVE
First things first; the key to a clean microwave is regular maintenance. While you can, of course, invest in a microwave cleaner, unlike other appliances, the wonderful thing about microwaves is that you can clean them with things you have lying around the house, using the power of the device itself to do all the hard work.
An incredibly simple way to get your microwave oven really clean is to ”sit a bowl of water with some lemon juice in it, then press the on button.” This has the effect of steaming off hard-to-remove foodstuffs on the plate and sides of the oven, while adding a fresh, citrusy aroma at the same time.
DISHWASHERS
Clean something whose job it is to clean other things? Are you mad? Yep, many of us don’t think about cleaning our dishwasher as we think it’s getting clean in the cycle. However, food debris, hard water minerals and grease can build up over time, dramatically reducing the performance of your dishwasher.
If you haven’t cleaned your dishwasher in a while, buy a dishwasher cleaner which will have your washing machine running like new. After that, be sure to wipe out any scraps that get stuck at the bottom of your dishwasher every day and rinse your filter every week. On top of that, the experts recommend doing a deep clean every month – you can simply use white vinegar to wipe the insides diligently. Some even suggest running the dishwasher on a hot water cycle with vinegar. Hey, it just sounds crazy enough to work.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Keeping your kitchen appliances in good working order doesn’t take much effort but is essential in ensuring their longevity. The investment of a little elbow grease every now and then will save much larger investments in the years to come. Every little helps, as they say!