Tips for loading your dishwasher the right way (Part 2)

The dishwasher is a valuable modern appliance. It allows us to clean our dishes quickly without much thought. However, its important to know how to use it the right way to ensure your dishes are as clean as they can be. Here are some tips to help your dishwasher wash dishes!

6. Place silverware face down
This makes it so the sharp parts aren't touched, which are also the parts you eat with.

7. Use only when full
Don't use your dishwasher if its only half full. Doing so waste time, money, and water. Run a load when its all the way full.

8. Unload from the bottom first
If you unload the dishes on the top rack first, it may leave water drops on top of dry dishes and leave spots on them.

9. Clean, clean, clean!
Periodically run an empty load with white vinegar. This is a dissinfectant that kills fungi and bacteria that could grow from builtup left over food particles.

Tips for loading your dishwasher the right way (Part 1)

The dishwasher is a valuable modern appliance. It allows us to clean our dishes quickly without much thought. However, its important to know how to use it the right way to ensure your dishes are as clean as they can be. Here are some tips to help your dishwasher wash dishes!

1. Load bowls and cups upside down
You don't want the dish water collecting in them

2. Leave some space between dishes
Aater and heat need to make even contact with the entire dish in order to properly clean them. This can't happen if they're touching other dishes.

3. Fragile and small stuff up top
The top rack isn't as intensive with it's cleaning cycle. THis will keep fragile and small dishes safer from breaking.

4. Angle dishes
Angling your cups as much as you can will make it so water won't puddle on the top of your dishes.

5. Don't load cups on top of the tines
Tines are the things that hold the dishes in place. These are made to have dishes between them instead of on top of them. Putting dishes on top of them could break both the dishes or the tines over time.

When was the last time you replaced your water filter?

Your tap water can have more than just water in it. It may have herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, benzene, and a bad taste to it.

Luckily, there's a very simple method to getting all of this out: Change your water filter. Your water filter needs to be changed every 3-6 months to ensure that it's filtering properly.

When was the last time you changed yours? Is it time?

Washing Machine Hoses

You should inspect your water hoses to your washing machine at least once a year. Make sure that they're securely connected  and are free of cracks, or bulges.

If there is any damage present, contact us immediately and we'll help you get it fixed before it floods your house!

Funky Lemonade?

If you wanting to enjoy a fresh lemonade this 4th of July, make sure to empty your ice bin now.

Ice that has remained in the ice bin for long periods of time can gain an odd odor and taste from the other food items in the fridge.

When you take out all the ice, it wouldn't be a bad idea to disinfect the ice bin as well.

Enjoy your 4th of July and your fresh and tasty lemonade!

A Gas Stove MUST

Gas stoves tend to live longer than their electrical counterparts by a couple years. However, they only do if you do this one thing to them:

CLEAN THEM!

Debris and spills build up can prevent the gas from burning the right way, and create more wear and tear on the stove.

When cleaning, make sure the gas is off and you take all the proper safety precautions.

Summer is in full swing!

Summer is here and it feels so good!

If you're reaching into the freezer to enjoy a popsicle, you may see a lot of ice building up in there.

This ice prevents your appliance from running as well as it could, and this makes it use up more electricity.

To correct this, take all of the food out of the freezer and put it into a cooler on ice. Unplug your freezer and leave it open. Let all of the ice dethaw. Once it has, wipe up excess water. Then sanitize it all down before you plug it back in.

Enjoy your otter pops this summer!

Is the self clean cycle on your oven enough?

Having your oven clean itself is a very tempting chore to do, or in this case, not do. You can just switch it on and it takes care of itself, right?

Unfortunately, the self-cleaning oven feature isn't as effective as a good old fashioned scrubbing. It just can't be beat.

If you're wanting to put some elbow grease in, make sure the oven is unplugged and the racks are taken out. This might also be a good time to check to see if the seal on your oven is damaged.

This simple maintenance may help keep your oven staying hot for years to come!

Looking sharp!

Did you know that garbage disposal blades dull with time? It makes them less effective at chopping up food bits.

One of the easiest ways to keep them sharp is to put ice down the disposal while its running.

This sharpens the blades and keeps them working great!

For an added bonus, throw some lemon down there to keep it smelling fresh!

Do not overload your washing machine!

Your washing machine is a delicate piece of machinery. It needs to be used properly in order to function as intended. Failure to do so may result in damaged clothes, still-dirty clothes, managing the motor, and drainage issues.

The exact amount of clothes that you're supposed to put in varies depending on manufacturer, size, and model. However, a good plan of attack is to leave at least 6 inches between the lid and the top of the load. Feel free to get a ruler and measure it out exactly so you can gauge how full in the future.

The Miracle Cleaner

So many cleaners have very harsh chemicals. Some that even encourage you to wear a mask, have flowing air, or take very frequent breaks from using it. There is one that cleaner that we always recommend that has none of the negative side effects: white vinegar.

The thing that makes vinegar such a good cleaner is the acetic acid. It helps clean away dirt, grime, and germs.

Its safe to clean your washer, dryer, fridge, oven, freezer, microwave, or just about anywhere else. If you're into green and safe chemicals, it the perfect option to switch to.

Everything Is Defrosting, So Should Your Freezer!

Its starting to warm up, the sun is coming out more, and you may have even seen some squirrels running around.

While everything is coming out of the big freeze, it might be a good idea for your freezer to do the same.

Take everything out of your freezer and into a cooler, unplug it, and leave the door open. Let it completely defrost. When the entire freezer is room temperature, sanitize it.

Finally, you can put everything back in and enjoy a more functional freezer!

The Secret to a Long Life For Your Appliances

The secret to a long life for your appliances is a simple one. Cleaning is the secret to appliance longevity. When gunk builds up, it makes the appliance work harder and thus shortening the life of the appliance.

By using this one trick, you could keep your appliances for years longer than if you didn't.

So now you know! Now go and clean every nook and cranny of your appliances!

Weird Ice

Is your ice tasting a bit funny? Is it not dispensing? Ice and odors can build up and can affect the taste of your ice and functionality of your ice dispenser. Luckily, this can be an easy fix. Take your ice bin out and dump all the ice out that is in it (and make sure the ice maker is off).  If there's any ice that is frozen to the bin, leave it out to melt. Once all the ice is gone, give it a good wash with soap and water! Once dry, put it back in and enjoy your tasteless ice!

Range Hood Filters

All the steam and splashes from cooking makes range hoods surprisingly gunked up. Every couple of months you'll want to replace them. If you have metal ones, just take them out and wash them with soap and water. Charcoal and paper filters just need to be replaced.

Christmas is Coming! Is Your Oven Ready?

If you're wanting to ensure that your Christmas dinner goes off without a hitch, NOW is the time to check your appliances. If you find that your appliance is in need of maintenance or a new appliance, call us at 208-385-9074 or stop by 530 N Orchard St, Boise, ID 83706 Mon-Fri 9:30AM-5:30PM.

The Month of Smells, Week 5: Dryer

Since they handle water, dryers can get smelly too! Luckily there's some easy tricks to prevent put a stop to this:

General deodorizing

Pull out your lint screen and clean it. After that, get your vaccuumm and put the hose attachment down the lint trap to get any further lint. After that, vaccuum behind and around your dryer. You may also want to go to your exterior vent and clean that out - ensure there's no clogs. If you're feeling particularly thrifty, you can open up your dryer and vaccuum the drum, but this is typically for professionals only.

After that wipe down the inside with a disinfectant like white vinegar.

Burning rubber

If you smell burning rubber, it means your dryer is broken. Continuing to use it will just break it further and increases the risk of a fire. Give us a call and we'll fix it for you.

Smell of gas

If your dryer is gas powered and you smell gas, you should shut your gas off immediately and check for leaks.

The Month of Smells, Week 4: Garbage Disposal

This is the appliance that probably gets the least amount of cleaning, because you never know when to clean it until it is in desperate need. Luckily cleaning it is a piece of cake! Here's the best tips:

• Put citrus peels down the disposal. 
• Plink - a garbage disposal cleaner 
• Don't overload it. Give it stuff it can handle.
• Baking soda and white vinegar 

The Month of Smells, Week 3: Oven

The last 2 weeks have chiefly dealt with appliances that include a water aspect. However, this week's is different; no water included. When cooking in an oven, some smells can linger and can affect future meals cooked in it. There's some very quick and easy ways to try to get those smells to no longer linger.

• Fill a baking dish with an inch of water and put vanilla extract in it and turn your oven on low heat, while checking on it periodically
• Bake a citrus peel (orange, lemon, lime, etc)
• Fill a baking dish with lemon juice and turn your oven on low heat, while checking on it periodically
• Fill a baking dish with white vinegar and turn your oven on low heat, while checking on it periodically
• Scrub everything with a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar

The Month of Smells, Week 2: Dishwasher

When you pull your dishes out of the dishwasher, you expect them to be rather smell-free or even have a slight pleasent scent. However, if your dishwasher is in need of cleaning, you may be assaulted by a wave smells from mold and/or mildew. Luckily there are some tell-tale places that these smells come from that are easy to clean!

The screen

In the bottom of the dishwasher there should be a cylindrical screen, and it may or may not have a cap on it. Remove this and clean any gunk out of it.

The arms

The thing that spins around and sprays water - that's what we're focused on. Food particles may get stuck on, in, or around the arms. Give these a good scrub!

The seal

Food bits can get stuck under the seal of the door. Wipe these down, but be careful not to break it!