Extending the Life of Your Appliances
Follow these guidelines and tips to help extend the life of your home systems and appliances—it could save you the cost of unnecessary repairs or early replacement

General

• Change the batteries in your smoke detectors twice a year—choose family
  birthdays or holidays as reminders.
• Unplug small electrical appliances, such as toasters, blenders, etc. after using them.
• Inspect appliance hoses and ventilation according to owner’s manuals.
• Clean small electrical appliances after each use; unplug and cool before cleaning.
• Use only distilled water in steam irons to avoid mineral buildup.
• Strap the water heater solidly to wall studs to prevent it from movement during an earthquake.

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  Plumbing

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• Repair minor drips and leaks as they occur.
• Avoid flushing anything but toilet paper down the toilet.
  

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  Dishwasher

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• Load dishwasher properly—and run only when you have a full load.
• Use only dishwasher detergent in recommended amounts.
• Load more fragile items on the top rack of the dishwasher

  Garbage Disposal

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  Run a strong flow of cold water through garbage disposal throughout grinding and for at least 30 seconds after turning off grinder.
  
• To freshen your disposal, occasionally grind a half lemon or lime while running cold water.
  
• Do not put fibrous foods down the disposal, including celery, corn husks, and potato skins. Never put rice (uncooked or cooked) down the garbage disposal.
  

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  Refrigerator/Freezer

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• Clean refrigerator compartment regularly, even though it does not require defrosting.
• Wipe up spills in the refrigerator promptly to avoid staining and odors.
• Clean coils with a condenser coil brush
• Once a year slide the refrigerator out and vacuum around and beneath it.
• Defrost freezers about once a year, before frost is 1/2 inch thick on inside
  walls and clean.Use a plastic or wooden scraper, not a sharp instrument.
• When storing items in the door, place the heaviest items closest to the hinge
  side; this will reduce stress on the door and inner door panel when it is opened
  and shut.

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  Oven

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• Clean the interior of your oven regularly.
• If you have a self-cleaning oven, do not use any other method to clean it.
  

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  Microwave Oven

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• Do not use metal pans or containers with metal trim.
• Clean microwave oven and removable glass shelves regularly; food residue
  keeps reheating and can cause the glass shelves to break.
• Clean around microwave door to prevent soil buildup which could keep
  the door from closing tightly.
• Only use mild soap and/or baking soda mixture to clean the interior to avoid
  damaging the lining.

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  Cooktop/Range/Hood

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• Keep gas burners free of dirt and debris.
• Clean exposed metal of range hoods regularly with sudsy water—do not use
  abrasive pads or scouring powders, as they may scratch the finish.
• Occasionally clean the metal filter in warm, sudsy water. Charcoal filters
  should be replaced once a year.
• Never spray cleaners directly onto the control panel. Put some cleaner on a soft,
  damp rag, and then wipe the surface.
  

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