Tag Archives: appliance repair tips

Guide to Getting rid of Unpleasant Odors from Your Fridge

Are you tired of opening your refrigerator and being met by foul odors? A bad-smelling fridge is not only unpleasant, but it also indicates the presence of bacteria and mold. But don’t worry; there are simple and efficient techniques to get rid of those unpleasant odors and restore the freshness of your refrigerator. Some of the ways you can go about it, as given by refrigerator repair professionals, include:

Empty and declutter the fridge

Begin by emptying your refrigerator of all items, including expired food, leftovers, and other potential odor causes.

You should throw away everything that has gone rotten or is no longer required. Doing this helps you to identify and concentrate on the source of the odor.

After removing all the items from the fridge, clean it. To clean the internal surfaces of your refrigerator, combine mild dish soap and warm water. Pay specific attention to spills, stains, and crevices, which can harbor bacteria and odor-causing agents. Rinse and thoroughly dry the surfaces with clean water.

Use natural deodorizers

Keep a bowl of baking soda or activated charcoal in your refrigerator to absorb odors. These natural deodorizers operate by neutralizing and trapping odors. To keep the baking soda or charcoal effective, replace it once a month or as needed.

Besides baking soda and activated charcoal, other products that you can use to absorb the odors include:

Coffee grounds: Because of their strong aroma, used coffee grounds can work as a natural deodorizer. Place used coffee grinds in an open container or coffee filter in the refrigerator. Coffee grounds assist in masking off-putting odors. For the best outcome, change the grounds every 1-2 weeks.

Lemon or citrus peels: Citrus fruits have a pleasant aroma that might help to mask odors. Put some lemon or orange peels in a bowl or on a platter in the refrigerator. Citrus oils in the peels mask and absorb undesirable odors. Every 1-2 weeks, replace the peels.

White vinegar: Vinegar is known for its deodorizing abilities. You need to wipe off the inside of the refrigerator with equal parts water and white vinegar solution. This assists in eradicating odors and disinfecting surfaces. Before replenishing the fridge, allow the vinegar to drain and air out.

Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract provides a lovely aroma that you can use to refresh your refrigerator. Dab a few drops of vanilla extract on a cotton ball or a little piece of fabric. Refrigerate it to give it a pleasant aroma. Every few weeks, replace the cotton ball.

Essential oils: To a cotton ball or a tiny piece of fabric, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, such as lemon, lavender, or eucalyptus. Put it in your refrigerator to infuse it with a lovely scent. For the best outcome, renew the essential oil regularly.

Properly store the food.

You must ensure that all food is firmly wrapped or stored in airtight containers. This keeps strong odors from penetrating the refrigerator and helps keep it fresh. To seal leftovers and other food products, use plastic wrap, zip-top bags, or storage containers.

You should keep the perishable goods at or below 40°F (4°C): To inhibit bacterial growth and protect food quality, keep the refrigerator temperature to or below 40°F (4°C). You need to check the temperature with a refrigerator thermometer and make the necessary adjustments.

Store raw meats, poultry, and shellfish on the bottom shelf or in a separate drawer to avoid cross-contamination. Place these foods in airtight containers or plastic bags to keep juices from spilling onto other meals.

You should properly use the different refrigerator zones. To help you out, here is a guide on how to organize the different fridge sections:  

Higher shelves: Store ready-to-eat meals on the higher shelves. These shelves are best reserved for leftovers, cooked dishes, and drinks. These meals require less cooking and have better safety margins.

Lower shelves or drawers: Keep raw meats, poultry, and shellfish in these sections to prevent drips from contaminating other foods. This zone is also suitable for storing dairy goods such as milk and yogurt.

Door shelves: Due to frequent opening and closing, anything stored in the refrigerator door may be exposed to slightly higher temperatures. Keep condiments, sauces, and other foods with high acidity in the door since they have a longer shelf life and are less likely to spoil.

Have a fridge cleaning schedule.

You should have a cleaning schedule for your refrigerator. Aim to clean your unit at least once a month or more frequently if necessary. Regular maintenance prevents the accumulation of odor-causing substances and aids in the upkeep of a clean and fresh-smelling unit.

The beauty of cleaning the appliance is that you don’t need to hire a professional to help you with it—you can easily do it on your own.

As a rule, avoid using harsh chemicals that can ruin the appliance.

Check the drip pan and drain.

Odors can occasionally be caused by a clogged or dirty drip pan or drain. Consult your refrigerator’s owner’s manual for instructions on how to reach and clean these components. Taking care of them can help prevent the development of unpleasant odors.

The drip pan is at the bottom of the refrigerator, behind the front grille or kick plate. If you can’t find it, consult the owner’s manual for your refrigerator.

Before proceeding, disconnect the refrigerator or switch off the electricity to avoid any electrical dangers.

When you find the drip pan, carefully slide it out of its place. Be cautious, as it may contain contaminated water or residue.

You should empty the drip pan contents into the sink or a suitable container. You can rinse it with warm, soapy water or clean it with a mild cleaning solution, depending on the level of dirt and grime.

Scrub away any residue with a sponge or cloth, then thoroughly rinse. Before putting it back in the fridge, ensure it is fully dry.

There you have it.

Following these basic suggestions will efficiently remove odors from your refrigerator and enjoy a fresh and pleasant-smelling atmosphere for your food storage. Remember to practice good cleanliness and careful food handling to avoid recurrent odors.

For peace of mind that your unit is in top working condition, have it inspected by an experienced commercial appliance repair Alexandria professional at least once a year.

Faulty Dryer Repair Tips

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A faulty clothes dryer not only inconveniences you, it also puts your home at a fire risk. The US consumer product safety commission (CPSC) estimates that faulty clothes dryers cause over 15,000 fires annually. To prevent this danger, you should repair your dryer as soon as you notice a problem. To guide you through, here are dryer repair tips:

Timer

A faulty timer results to the dryer’s timer not functioning properly. To fix the faulty timer you should disconnect the leads from the motor and set the VOM or Volt-Ohm to RX100. You should then clip off the probes onto the leads, and if the timer is set on infinity you should replace it.

Drum

If the drum isn’t spinning it’s as a result of the motor pulley not working correctly. The remedy for this is simply replacing the pulley. Before you replace it, you should take your time to clean out the different dryer compartments with a vacuum in order to remove dust and dirt.

Sometimes the drum may fail to spin if the dryer belt is broken. To fix it you need to replace the belt.

Terminal block

A problem in the terminal block results to the dryer not working at all. Even when you turn it on it doesn’t work. You should thoroughly inspect the terminal block before you decide to replace it. For ideal results you should use VOM to check for the terminal block voltage.

When doing the work you should exercise extreme caution as you need power to test the terminal block. To be on the safe side it’s always wise that you hire an appliance technician to help you with the testing.

If the terminal block is working perfectly, but the dryer isn’t working, you should take a look at the switches. You should set the VOM to RX1 and get rid of the leads to the switch. You should then switch the reader to infinity and press the start button. If the reader doesn’t switch to zero, the switch is most definitely faulty and you should ask an appliance repair expert to replace it.

Conclusion

It’s recommended that you repair even the most minor dryer problem as soon as possible. To avoid high appliance repair costs you should prevent the problems from occurring in the first place. One of the ways is regularly cleaning the dryer. When cleaning it you should remove all traces of lint that might be stuck in the lint filter. You should also hire an appliance inspector to undertake appliance inspection on a regular basis.

Cooktops Repair: How To Remove Scratches From A Glass Cooktop Stove

The reason you installed a glass cooktop is that you enjoy the design aesthetics of the cooktop. While the cooktop is elegant and a great appliance to have, it often easily develops scratches that give it a cheap, dingy look. You don’t want this, do you?

To restore your cooktops to their original glory, you have to remove the scratches. The beauty of it is you don’t have to hire cooktops repair professionals to remove the scratches as you can easily do it on your own at home.

Want to learn how to do it?

Here are ways on how to remove scratches from a glass cooktop stove:

Baking soda

The good thing with baking soda is that it’s easy to find, and when properly mixed, it’s not dry or abrasive. To eliminate scratches using baking soda, make a loose wet paste by combining baking soda with water in a small container.

You should then apply the paste directly to the affected area using your fingers, then using a soft cloth, buff the scratches in a circular motion. Once you are done, wipe away the paste using a clean, damp cloth.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste sounds like an odd choice, but it contains several valuable ingredients, such as baking soda and peroxide. These ingredients buff out small abrasions without damaging your cooktops.

Begin with getting whitening toothpaste and two soft cloths. Squeeze a small amount of toothpaste onto a soft cloth, then apply it to the damaged area. Rub it in circular motions for at least one minute, then use a wet cloth to wipe out as much toothpaste as possible.

To clean up any leftover liquid, wipe the stovetop with a dry cloth. Repeat this process until you get your desired results.

Metal polish

You can use some metal cleaners to get rid of glass scratches. The cool thing is the metal polish removes scratches and scuffs and at the same time polishes the stove.

To get rid of scratches using this method, you need a soft cloth, glass safe metal polish such as Brasso, and a wool pad. Begin with pouring the cleaner on your cloth pad, then gently buff the scratched or scuffed areas by moving the pad in a circular motion on the affected area.

Once you are done, use another damp clean piece of cloth to remove the cleaner. For best results, dry the area with a separate soft cloth.

Nail polish

You need to combine clear nail polish with glass polish to get rid of scuff marks and scratches, leaving you with a clear, shiny stovetop. To get rid of the scratches using this method, use glass polish, clear nail polish, and a light buffing pad.

Use a brush to cover the scratches or the damaged areas, then wipe away any excess polish before it dries, so it doesn’t stick to the stove. Allow the remaining polish to dry for 30 minutes, then using a non-abrasive pad, gently buff each area with nail polish for at least 30 minutes.

Once you are done, place a small amount of glass polish on the buffing pad and touch up the areas you just worked on. When done right, this will hide even the worst of the scratches.

Glass repair kit

You might have the impression that the glass repair kit will be harmful to the finish on your cooktop, but this isn’t the case. Get a glass repair kit and multiple wool pads or soft cloths.

Then follow the instructions given on the repair kit to remove the annoying and embarrassing scratches.

Valuable tips when removing scratches

As much as you want spotless cooktops, you shouldn’t scrub the cooktops with abrasive materials as you will scratch the surfaces, causing more damage and dulling the surfaces further.

To prevent scratches, appliance repair Springfield professionals recommend always checking the bottom of pots and pans before using them. Remember, any burned-on food particles are more than likely to cause damage to the cooktop.

Also, never move the pan back and forth on the glass stovetop, as this will cause scratching. Some people argue that cold pans don’t harm the stovetop, but this is a lie. Any pan has the potential to scratch your surfaces, whether hot or cold.

Do I Need A Dishwasher? Dishwasher Repair Experts Answer

Many homeowners term dishwashers as the most expendable kitchen appliances as the act of cleaning dishes is a mere convenience. After all, you can clean the dishes with your hands, right?

According to dishwasher repair professionals, owning a dishwasher isn’t all about convenience—it comes with plenty of other benefits. If you are asking, do I need a dishwasher? Here are some of the reasons you should get one:

Dishwashers save time

The time you spend to load the dishes in the dishwasher and hit the start button is minuscule compared to washing and rinsing every bowl, plate, knife, or fork by hand.

Since you have more time in your hands when you clean the dishes with your dishwasher, you can spend the extra time engaging in other activities such as spending time with friends and family, reading, knitting, or tackling other house chores.

Dishwashers are more hygienic.

When cleaning the dishes by hand, you use old sponges that are usually hotbeds for Salmonella and E.coli known to cause food poisoning. Washing the dishes with a dishwasher is an entire ballgame. Since the appliances use hot water, they kill all the germs, which leave your dishes clean and sterilized.

Modern appliances even have the HygienePlus function that ensures maximum hygiene by killing 99.9% of germs. They achieve this by rinsing the dishes at temperatures of up to 70 degrees Celcius.

You can’t do this when cleaning dishes by hand, can you?

Dishwashers save you money.

You might think we are mad when we say dishwashers save money, but this is the case. According to the EPA, most faucets use 2.2 gallons of water per minute.

Dishwashers, on the other hand, use 3 gallons of water per normal wash cycle. So unless you have superpowers and you can clean all the dishes in under two minutes, the dishwasher has got you beat already.

You might argue that dishwashing machines use energy, so you save on your power bill, but a recent study showed that just 10 hand-washing sessions use more energy than needed to build a dishwasher.

Dishwashers save your skin.

The constant act of hand washing your dishes leaves your hands rough and dry, or even cracked and bleeding if you have a commercial kitchen. When using the dishwasher, the work is done by the machine—not you.

This is relieving, especially if you have a large kitchen or suffer from arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome.

When cleaning the dishes, you are at more risk of dropping your dish or knife, which not only increases the chances of breaking your precious and expensive dishes, it also increases your chances of getting hurt.

Dishwashers are stress reducers.

Many people hate doing dishes. I remember growing up and doing the dishes was the prominent bone of contention between my brother and I. We used to pile the plates up, and I know this is the case with most homeowners.

A recent study showed a direct link between the amount of clutter in the house and stress levels. As the mess piles up, the more stressed someone gets. So when you procrastinate on cleaning the dishes, and you let them pile up, you increase your stress levels.

With a dishwasher, you are less likely to put off cleaning the dishes as you only need to put the dishes in the dishwasher and press the start button.

Dishwasher tips

While dishwashers bring plenty of benefits to the table, you need to use them properly to get the most from them. Some of the tips to consider include:

Keep your dishwasher clean: A dirty dishwasher means dirty dishes, so work at keeping your dishwasher as clean as possible. Every few days, remove the screen and filter then clean your appliance.

Load the dishwasher properly: You need to load your appliance properly for it to clean the dishes properly. The cups should go in the top rack, plates, and bowls on the bottom rack, pots, pans, and baking dishes angled properly for water to reach the inside, and stagger the dishes, so they don’t nest together.

Always aim for a full load: When cleaning the dishes, always aim to run the dishwasher when you have a full load. According to appliance repair Fairfax professionals, this ensures you get the most of the water, energy, and detergent.

Can You Put Pots And Pans In The Dishwasher? Dishwasher Repair Experts Answer

The dishwasher is supposed to make it easy to clean your cookware, but you should be conscious of the utensils you put in your dishwashing machine.

If you have pots and pans you would like to clean, you must be asking, can you put pots and pans in the dishwasher? According to dishwasher repair professionals, this depends on the type of material used in making the pots and pans.

Copper pots and pans

If your cookware is made from copper, you should avoid putting it in the dishwasher as you risk tarnishing the pot’s color and shine. To maintain the look, wash the copper pots and pans by hand.

Has your pot acquired a burnt bottom? Sprinkle some salt on the affected area and cover it with white vinegar. Let the mixture sit for fifteen seconds then proceed to scrub.

Stainless steel pots and pans

Experts report that it’s safe to expose your stainless steel pots and pans to the dishwasher, but you need to exercise some caution. Dishwashers come with excessive humidity that can corrode the metal, but when you wash with hand, you can control it as you can control the water temperature.

So when you are handling stainless steel pots and pans, you are better off washing the cookware by hand. Only consider using the dishwasher if the manual says you can safely do it.

When using the dishwasher, ensure there is enough space between the pots and other items inside to prevent scratching. Enough space also ensures the dishes get properly cleaned and dried.

Aluminum pots and pans

It’s always wise to avoid cleaning the pots and pans using the dishwasher, but if you go through the manufacturer’s manual and it says the units are dishwasher safe, you should go ahead and wash them in the appliance.

When cleaning the pots and pans, remember that the aluminum material has the propensity to scratch, so you should remove all the cookware and cutleries before you begin a dishwasher cycle.

You should note that when you regularly clean the aluminum pots and pans using the dishwasher, it’s common for the pots to develop a dull finish. To retain the gleam for a long time, alternate it with handwashing from time to time even if the manual says its dishwasher safe.

Non-stick pots and pans

It’s a common practice for manufacturers of non-stick pots and pans to recommend the dishwasher for cleaning their pots and pans. While this is the case, many homeowners have reported that the process is too tough for the pots and pans, so you are better off avoiding it.

The best way of keeping the pots and pans in top shape is to wash them by hand with a small amount of soap. When you do this, you ensure the pot retains some oil, which keeps the pans non-stick.

In addition to the pots losing their non-stick quality, they also hold a lot of odor, which is unpleasant.

During a dishwashing cycle, the pots tend to knock every item around, and this has been shown to loosen the handles.

Cast iron pots and pans

For a long time, cast iron pots and pans have been considered as dishwashers unsafe, so you should never put them there. The interior of the dishwasher can be hot as well as wet, which isn’t good for the cast iron cookware.

When you put the pots in the dishwasher, you wash away the protective coating leading to rust. To avoid this, you should wash your pots and pans by hand.

What should you put in the dishwasher?

As you have seen, the pots and pans you put in the dishwasher depend on the material used in making them. To ensure your appliances are safe, scrutinize the manufacture’s manual.

To ensure the dishwasher gives you an excellent service, keep it in top shape. This calls for you to clean it regularly. You also should regularly inspect it for any flaws and fix if present.

Sometimes even dishwasher safe pots and pans get damaged, so to keep your appliances in good condition, appliance repair Springfield professionals recommend you clean them by hand.

While this will take most of your time, it will preserve the lifespan of the pots and pans.