How often do you think something is broken when really it just needed to be cleaned in order to work properly? Did you know that improper cleaning is one of the biggest reasons a tool or appliance can break? We've seen it too many times, so this week we're taking a look at 5 of the areas many of you are cleaning wrong.
Your Dishwasher
If you're noticing your plates and silverware aren't coming out clean, it might be time to clean your dishwasher. Many people will just toss in a packet from the store that claims to do it all. Then a few weeks later the dishwasher is having trouble again, and you're wondering why you wasted your money in the first place.
Mix up some hot water and dish soap, grab an old toothbrush, and attack the inside of your door. You'll want to spend time on the detergent capsule and cap (the place where you actually put the detergent in) and any other nooks and crannies where you notice a build-up of hard water, detergent, scum or dirt. Next, remove the racks and use paper towels to get rid of all of the food and debris at the bottom of the dishwasher. While you have the racks out, give them a once over to see if they have any cuts, nicks, or built-up gunk that might cause problems. Once you've done that, put the racks back in and run it while empty. Once you've got that taken care of, take out all of the accessories and give them a thorough cleaning with hot water and soap. Your final step is to pull out the filter, which will be located at the back of your dishwasher. Use just hot water to rinse it out and carefully scrub away any debris that may have become lodged in it.
Your Washing Machine
Many of us think that a washing machine should keep itself clean. After all, it's washing your clothes. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way, and soap scum can build up inside your washing machine, leading to dirty clothes. Just like with your dishwasher, there are soaps at the store that will claim to clean your machine, and they do work for a time. These can actually do a good job at getting your drum clean. Unfortunately, there's more to your washing machine than just the drum.
For this you're going to want to start with finding any seals or gaskets and carefully checking and cleaning those. We're talking super delicate; you don't want these to crack or become dislodged and leak everywhere. From there you're going to grab white vinegar and use that mixed with water to clean the inside of your drum using a toothbrush and a sponge as needed. It's not a difficult process, but it is one you should consider doing once every six months.
We covered this more in-depth in one of our more recent posts, which we'll link down below in the additional reading section.
Your Oven
We've talked a fair bit about how not to clean your oven. In truth, we cover it every year. We tell you not to trust the shiny "self-clean" button that it is full of lies. We remind you that using the self-clean button will often mean getting an entirely new oven. (Yes, it's clean at that point, but did you really want to spend that much money just to 'clean' your oven?)
So, how should you do it? Grab a pyrex pan or something else that's oven-safe and fill it with two inches of water. Set your oven to 225*F and put the pan in the oven. If this is the first time you're cleaning your oven, we advise letting it work for 30 minutes. If you keep your oven relatively clean, you can do half that. Turn the oven off at that point and let it cool until you can touch the walls safely. At that point, add some dish soap to the pan, grab a soft sponge and start scrubbing. Once you're done, make sure to go over everything again with clean water, cleaning away the soap.
Like many things, we suggest doing this once a month.
Your Cast Iron Skillets
We love our cast iron skillets. It's the only way to properly cook sausage and gravy in our opinion. BUT They're a pain to clean if you aren't sure about what you're doing. Your blogger ruined one of her first pans by using soap. Learn from her mistakes and don't use soap on your cast iron skillets.
There's a 'seasoning' coat that has to be baked into the pan at a high temperature. Each use of a skillet will add together for an overall flavor that builds over time. There are only three steps that have to be done to keep your pan clean and happy. After you're done cooking and the pan is still hot, use hot water to rinse the pan. Wipe down the pan with a soft sponge, without any soap, rinse it again, and then pat it dry. Your final step is to rub in a thin layer of oil using a paper towel.
If your pan is dirty with rust or food that just won't come off, grab some kosher salt and ice and use that to scrub the pan, afterward repeating the steps above.
Your Refrigerator
Sounds easy right? Just take everything out and wipe it all down? Well, yeah. That's the majority of what you need to do. Cleaning your refrigerator is more of a time-consuming process than anything, and that's because you need to clean everything so thoroughly. If you don't take everything out, you can have crumbs or liquids pushed into the corners that start to mold or rot. We advise grabbing a large ice chest, putting everything in that, and then tackling your refrigerator with a vacuum, a sponge, and then a toothbrush, in that order. The vacuum is to get out debris, the sponge is for general cleaning, and the toothbrush is to get rid of any build-up you might have in corners or shelf slides.
Image credit: Marco Verch
Which ones did you already know, and which ones surprised you? Let us know over on our Facebook page, or in the comments below. What other areas do you want us to tackle? Tell us that too!
If you've tried cleaning and you're still having trouble with your appliances, let us know! We service all major appliances from all major brands. If we don't know what's going on, we'll keep digging until we figure things out. You can set up an appointment with us on our contact page or by reaching out to us at ((214) 599-0055). If you live somewhere between Dallas and McKinney or Garland and Coppell, we can help.
Additional Reading:
Why you should clean your washing machine, and how.