Canton, Mich. – RepairClinic.com(R), the trusted online shop with replacement parts for major household appliances and outdoor power equipment, today shared a summary of easy, money-saving care and repair strategies for home appliances just in time for Mother's Day.
“The best A birthday gifts often come with somewhat elbow grease and thoughtfulness,” said Chris Hall, president of RepairClinic.com. “We've learned from your own moms and wives that sometimes simple fixes throughout the house are much more appreciated than expensive gifts.”
Here are 10 easy care and repair tasks that you can do to save your mother money, keep her appliances and outdoor power equipment running like new for longer and even protect her from danger.
1. Lower her energy bill with a quick refrigerator-coils brush off.
Coils, located on the back or beneath the refrigerator (with respect to the model), are what result in the refrigerator cold by removing heat. They're also dust, dirt and pet hair magnets. The coils have to work harder to release the heat if layers of dirt form. The end result? Higher energy bills! Lower your mom's next bill by unplugging the refrigerator and taking advantage of a long-handled, bristled, condenser brush to clean off the coils.
2. Keep her safe from a fireplace by removing dryer lint.
Dryers cause thousands of major house fires every year in the U.S. because of lint buildup. A dryers' venting system should be cleaned out from inside of the dryer to the outside vent cap at least once annually. Also, if your mother's venting is white and vinyl, replace it immediately with an aluminum equivalent. White vinyl no more meets national fire code standards in america.
3. Make her lawn greener with sharper rotor blades.
Sharpen or replace her lawn mower's blades. Dull mower blades tear, rather than cut the grass, and the result is a lawn having a common white/yellow hue at the surface. Sharp blades provide a proper cut for a more vibrant green appearance. While you are at it, you could mow her lawn and show off your good work.
4. Keep her dishes clear and clean with a simple dishwasher check.
If your mom complains about a funny odor inside of her dishwasher, cleanse the bottom inside under the door. There might be mold growth where the water cannot reach. Many dishwashers also have filters that require a thorough clean out or replacement from time to time, depending on the model.
5. Make her microwave oven sparkle with a simple wipe down.
If your mother is like ours, food particles on the inside of a microwave are a major annoyance. They are able to also cause burns around the microwave walls because the particles absorb energy. You can use warm water and a non-abrasive sponge to remove them. A microwave oven cleaner will also help loosen particles that are really stuck.
Non-electronic microwave parts like door latches, glass trays and their associated parts are inexpensive and simple to replace.
6. Give her lawn a manicure with new trimmer line.
If your mother has a string trimmer, replace the standard round line with string that has a three, four or six-sided profile. This gives a faster, cleaner and noticeably more professional cut compared to standard round shape.
7. Inspect her washer to avoid a laundry-room flood.
Take a detailed look at the hose on your mom's washer. If there are cracks or blisters, it might burst soon. If the fittings are corroded or rusty, it's already leaking. Replace right away. Use stainless steel hoses for additional peace of mind.
8. Reduce her energy bill by cleaning up her range.
Check her range's drip bowls or pans. If they are dirty and can't be cleaned, it's best to replace them because the shiny surface helps to radiate heat back to the pot or pan which increases their efficiency.
If she has a self-cleaning oven, avoid using spray oven cleaners, as they can damage or destroy the special coatings around the walls and floor from the oven that make the self-cleaning function operate properly.
9. Freshen up her waste disposer.
If your mother complains of an odor near her garbage disposer, pour a mixture consisting of one gallon water and one half cup of liquid bleach down the disposer. Let sit for 10 minutes and then run the faucet for any minute.
10. Prevent a summer AC breakdown.
Central air conditioning units should be cleaned annually to keep them operating properly. Borrow your mother's hose and gently wash out leaves, grass, dirt and other debris from between the coils. Window air conditioner units require a bit more care. After removing the unit from the window, you'll need to disassemble it in order to thoroughly clean out its coils and fan. You should also check and clean or switch the air filter.
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RepairClinic.com(R) makes fixing things easy for millions of people. Since its founding in 1999, it's been America's most popular, trusted online store with replacement parts for major household appliances and outdoor power equipment. Free repair resources including guides and more than 500 how-to videos empower individuals to fix their appliances by themselves. Its how-to repair videos have been viewed more 6,000,000 times. One million parts for 130 brands are stocked at its 86,000-square-foot facility in Canton, Michigan. Do-it-yourselfers also appreciate its generous, no-hassle One year. Period. TM return policy. In-stock parts are guaranteed to ship the same business day. Visit RepairClinic.com to learn more.
