Major appliances can be a major expense. To save money around the home and make sure they last for as long as possible, my wife and I make sure our appliances are properly cleaned and maintained.

Washing machine and clothes dryer

Both our washing machine and dryer are properly levelled. It causes unnecessary wear if your machines are jumping around. We also improve the air flow and reduce the risk of a fire by cleaning out the lint trap after every load and cleaning out the duct once a year.

Oven and stove

To keep our oven working at it’s best, we keep the heating elements clean and occasionally check that the gasket forms a seal between the oven door and the oven. When using our smoothtop stove, we’re careful when setting pots on it so that we don’t damage the glass. We used to have a stove with the regular coiled elements and while many people with these stoves might cover their drip pans in tin foil, this can be very dangerous as it can cause a short circuit if it touches both ends where the element plugs in.

Refrigerator

For our refrigerator to be in tip top shape, we pull it out and clean all the dust off the compressor coils so that it doesn’t overheat. We also clean the door gaskets of all the crumbs that seem to gather there and ensure that it is properly sealing the door to the fridge.

Dishwasher

When we load the dishwasher, we’re careful that we don’t pile dishes in the way of the spray arms so that the don’t get damaged. Our model has a self-cleaning filter, but some dishwashers don’t, so you may want to check whether you need to clean it out.

Furnace

We get our furnace serviced once a year and replace the filter every month during the winter. We also drain our water heater once a year. There is a hose attachment near the bottom to help get any sediment out.

Taking proper care of your appliances will reduce the repairs and help them last longer, saving you money!

Tom Drake

Tom Drake

Tom Drake writes for Financial Highway and MapleMoney. Whenever he’s not working on his online endeavors, he’s either doing his “real job” as a financial analyst or spending time with his two boys.