Home Maintenance Monday 1/27/25: Clean and Maintain Your Kitchen Appliances!

Most modern kitchens come with a Refrigerator, an Oven and a Dishwasher. This beautiful kitchen has all three! (PLUS ample storage and a beautiful, granite waterfall peninsula and backsplash!)

No matter what level of cleanliness you aspire to, you've got to address your kitchen pretty routinely in order to maintain it's basic usability... but when was the last time you got in there to deep clean and maintain your kitchen appliances? This week's Home Maintenance Monday challenge is to do just that! I'm going to go over a few different basic kitchen appliances and some routine maintenance that you should take into consideration for these common appliances.

Refrigeration:

Lets start with the fridge! I recently cleaned mine out and took the time to re-organized the entire thing. When I was done, everyone in my house went, "Wow, that's nice!", and I realized it had been awhile since we had gone through and just cleaned everything out! I think this is an often neglected chore because our fridges are often full of foods that we want to keep cold and we don't usually take the time to take all of that out and clean the actual fridge. If it's been awhile for you, this is a good week to tackle it!

Keeping it Filled: If having a well-stocked fridge is your reason for not cleaning it out, than you're already doing one nice thing that for your fridge, which IS keeping it full of food! Having a well-stocked fridge increases the thermal mass in your fridge, which becomes a factor in helping to keep it cool. Still, it's good to make sure to rotate your supplies, using up or discarding older foods before replacing them. I particularly enjoy going through our condiments and editing out the things we really don't use which are just taking up space. You can go shelf by shelf and empty things out to clean the spaces with a warm damp cloth and cleaning/disinfectant spray as needed.

Temperature Check: Once you've cleaned out and re-organized your fridge space, make sure you've got it set to the right temperature. Most of the suggestions I looked at for the purposes of writing this up say between 37 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature range for a fridge, while the freezer box should be set between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit. If you feel that the temperature in your fridge is not quite right, it is worth using a thermometer to double check it. You can even get a fridge thermometer to live in your fridge and there should be some available that are relatively inexpensive.

Clean the Coils: The coils play a crucial role in your refrigerator's cooling system. As the refrigerant passes through them, the coils help to release heat from the system. They are often located in the back or the bottom of the fridge where they can be exposed to dust and pet hair. When debris build up on the coils, it can make your fridge work harder to release the heat. You can easily clean your coils easily by locating them and using a vacuum brush attachment to clean them off.

Clean and Inspect the Gasket: Take a few minutes to look at the seal around your refrigerator door. Any damage to this seal could cause the fridge to work harder. It's worth wiping this seal down as well! In a worst case scenario, I've seen debris build up on the seal to the point where the fridge was leaking air. Don't let this be you!

Drip Pan: Your refrigerator owner's manual should have instruction's on how to locate and clean the drip pan and drain hole. If you don't have your owner' manual many are available online! Your fridge has a drain hole and drip pan somewhere to collect condensation and it is worth learning how to check on this part of your fridge if only to check on it every once in awhile and make sure it's not getting moldy or gross!

Filters:

If your fridge has an ice or water dispenser, your fridge probably has filters to change! Don't forget to order and replace any filter's for your refrigerator's water/ice dispensation system.

Oven:

Does your oven have a cleaning setting? Most do! When was the last time you ran yours? This can be something that you do on an afternoon when you're not planning on otherwise using your oven. A typical self-cleaning setting runs the oven for 2-5 hours to essentially charcoalize anything in there. Once the oven's cleaning cycle is complete you wait for the oven to cool completely (1-3 hours) and wipe it down on the inside. If your oven does not have the self-cleaning cycle you can simply wipe down all of the interior surfaces and use an oven cleaner for any problem spots. Make sure to clean the racks and wipe down the heating elements.

Up Top: Clean and inspect any electric heating coils. Remove heat coils to clean the drip pans. If you have a gas stove, be sure to wipe down the surface of your cooktop to keep it clean and free of debris.

Drawer: Whether your drawer functions as a broiler or additional kitchen storage, pull that thing out and clean it out! You can take the time to determine what kind of drawer you have in the process maybe your oven has utilities you had not realized!

Back There: Have you pulled your oven out recently? When I pull my oven out, I find all of my lost hair-ties, which one of my cats prefers to all other toys, so under my oven is ultimately where all of my hair-ties get stashed! It's worth pulling it out every once in awhile to sweep out the debris and run the vacuum attachment back there for a sweep or two.

Dishwasher:

Many people don't think about cleaning the thing that does the cleaning but sometimes this cleaning machine can use a bit of routine maintenance!

Dishwasher Filter: Your dishwasher has a filter and if it gets clogged up it can reduce the effectivity of your dishwasher and create unpleasant smells. Regularly clean the dishwasher filter for optimum performance. Your owner's manual will have detailed instructions on how to locate and clean the filter. Most are located on the floor of the unit. Sometimes there is a flat filter in the lower part of the washing machine as well as a cylindrical filter somewhere above. These can usually be removed and washed with soap and water. This Old House has a nice, quick, video on how to disassemble a basic unit and clean the bottom filter, check it out! "How to Maintain Your Dishwasher | Ask This Old House" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cMW6Mlj0u4

Check the Spinning Arms:

It's important to make sure that the spinning arms can spin properly when you've loaded your dishwasher up and are ready to put it on, but a hidden issue which can develop that we never see is that these spinning arms can get clogged up on occasion. You can visually inspect them and use a toothbrush to clean out and remove any debris or food particles stuck inside.

Gasket Check: The gasket helps keep all the water in the dishwasher from going all of your home. It's also a place where water can get trapped though, which can lead to mold. Clean your gasket with a vinegar solution. Experts suggest doing this once/month.

Reduce Buildup: If you want to run a clean cycle on your dishwasher, you can put a dishwasher safe container with a cup of vinegar in it in either the top or bottom rack and run the dishwasher with a hot water cycle. This will break down and residues inside the dishwasher and disinfect the dishwasher.

A beautiful, modern kitchen with black and white style details and stainless steel appliances. If cleaning up your kitchen has you thinking about your DREAM kitchen, give me a call! I would be happy to help you look for your ideal space! 503-312-5234

Resources:

"How to Keep Your Cool: A Guide to Refrigerator Maintenance" web article found at: https://safetyculture.com/topics/refrigerator-maintenance/

"The Ultimate Refrigerator Maintenance Checklist" web article found at:

https://www.townappliance.com/blogs/town-appliance-official/the-ultimate-refrigerator-maintenance-checklist

"Proper refrigerator maintenance can help increase the lifespan of your refrigerator." web article found at: https://appliancerepairnewmexico.com/5-refrigerator-maintenance-tips/

"Regular Oven Maintenance Checklist: Keep Your Oven in Top Condition" web article found at: https://andysovencleaning.co.uk/oven-maintenance-checklist/

"Easy Guide to Oven Maintenance" web article found at: https://homewarranty.firstam.com/blog/guide-to-oven-maintenance-101

"5 Dishwasher Cleaning & Maintenance Tips" web article found at: https://www.callmattioni.com/blog/5-dishwasher-maintenance-tips/