Let’s face it – your household appliances need to be taken care of regularly. When you think about it (and most of us probably try not to), they represent a pretty significant investment, which easily totals several thousand dollars or more when you think about all you spent on them.

But the fact is that appliances don’t just cost you money to purchase. No, it also takes a good amount of money to use them everyday to cook food, to wash/dry clothes and of course to keep your home  cool or warm. Just the way it’s important to give your home walls a new color from time to time and maintain them, it’s important to keep your appliances in top condition too. In the following article we look into a few tips that will help you get the most out of your home appliances…

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1. Clean Regularly
   One of the most basic appliance maintenance factors that cannot be ignored is keeping the unit nice and clean. You will have to carry out some regular cleaning to get rid of dust, dirt, etc. For example, the interior walls as well as the shelves of your refrigerator can easily become soiled with debris and food. If you don’t clean them at least every two weeks, these stains can become permanent. Similarly, if you don’t take care of the interior of your washing machine and let it get dirty and soiled, your clothes will not get as clean as they should after each wash.
2. Don’t Ignore Electrical Maintenance
   Electrical appliances require your attention in order to keep functioning properly and safely. If you want to ensure that they keep working long into the future (as most well-built appliances should), you need to maintain them effectively. Thankfully, this whole process doesn’t have to be complicated. For example, you can do simple things such as checking cords for visible or frayed wires. Look carefully at the prongs to find evidence of melting or burning. In case you find something, get it fixed quickly or dispose of it because it can be a fire hazard that might not just fry your appliance, but cause your whole home to go up in flames. In addition to this, you should also try to aim for a budget-friendly energy bill by using your electrical appliances smartly. Here’s an interesting article that gives tips on unconventional savings at home: http://www.texaselectricityproviders.com/electricity-news/unconventional-savings/
3. Maintain the Filters
   For all those appliances that have a filter design, make sure you change the filter at least as often as the manufacturer recommeneds. Appliances like furnaces, air conditioners, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners and dishwashers tend to have “filters” that are specifically designed to trap/hold debris and other contaminants so that they don’t move through your appliance. If these appliances collect too much debris in the filter, they won’t be able to function normally, which can not only reduce their effectiveness or power but it could also lead to other damage due to the improper filtering. Plus you often end up running driers or vacuums longer just to get the job accomplished when your filter is blocked.

Your investment in appliances (both big and small) is like any other investment you make in your home. If you put in the effort to maintain your appliances smartly, you’ll find that many of them will last for years. While new appliances will no doubt make you happy, remember that your existing washing machine could last as much as 15 years and refrigerator up to 20 years! So go ahead and start applying the tips that we discussed above and begin caring for your appliances today.