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.

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!

Life span of appliances

Eventually your appliances will wear out. Here is the average lifespan of some of the most common ones:

Appliance	Years
Air-Conditioners	8-15
Boilers	20-35
Compactors	6
Dehumidifiers	8
Dishwashers	9
Disposers, Food waste	12
Dryers	13
Exhaust Fans	10
Freezers	10-20
Furnaces	15-25
Gas Ovens	10-18
Heat Pumps	16
Humidifiers	8
Microwave Ovens	9
Range/Oven Hoods	14
Electric Ranges	13-15
Gas Ranges	15-17
Refrigerators	9-13
Washing Machine	5 -15
Water Heaters	10-11

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!

Garbage Disposal Maintenance

You almost never think about your garbage disposal. You wash bit of food off the dish you were washing and down into the drain to be grinded up. After that, you don't worry about your garbage disposal again until its time to start over. However, failing to do the proper maintenance can be a costly and smelly mistake. Here are the top maintenance habits you should have for your garbage disposal:

Run!
Run your garbage disposal often, even f you're not disposing of anything. This prevents rust and buildup.

Clean the blades
Pour some dish soup and let it run for a minute.

Back to the grind
food materials such as chicken and fish bones, egg shells, and fruit pits are not only ok but good for the garbage disposal. They scrape and clean material off of the blades and the walls.

Not the whole enchilada
Big items should be cut into smaller bits so they don't overwhelm the disposal.

One of the best ways to raise your property value

Boise's housing market has recently seen a major boom. So much so, that the market can't keep up with the demand. If you're wanting to make your house more appealing to potential buyers, you have to make your house stand out. One of the best ways to make your house more appealing is to get new appliances, like stoves, fridges, and washers and dryers. Its such a good method, HGTV ranked it among it's top 10 ways to raise property value.

If your appliance is in need of an upgrade, come see us today!

Garbage Disposal Problems

Garbage disposals are a nifty addition to the modern kitchen. It eliminates waste so easily you literally just throw it down the drain. However, this appliance occasionally needs maintenance. Here are two of the most common problems and fixes for them:

1. If you (or your kids) put too much down the disposal, and it's not working, there's an incredibly easy fix. First, fish out as much out of the drain as you can. After that, look under the sink and look at the actual disposal. On the bottom there should be a button which  resets it. You should be good to go.
2. If the motor is running, but the blades aren't spinning, you may have something jamming the blades. If you can't get it out with your hand, there's still an easy fix. Grab an Allen wrench and turn the bottom bolt of the disposal. This positions the blades to where you should be able to get the jam out.

If you need any other maintenance help, give us a call!

How to clean a dishwasher

First things first: pull out the bottom rack and make sure there isn't and food bits around the drain that's causing a clog.

If you're good there, put a cup of white vinegar in the top rack and run the empty dishwasher on hot. White vinegar is a cleaner and disinfectant and it works even better with hot water.

Lastly, put one cup of baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher and run a short hot cycle. This gets any stains out and gives your dishwasher a fresh smell!

De-stink Your Sink!

Garbage disposals have to do a lot, and its no surprise that they periodically need to be cleaned. Luckily, doing so is super easy and quick. Here's how you do it:

Pour half a cup of baking soda down the disposal, then pour a full cup of white vinegar on top of it. This will make it all fizzy sounding, which is normal. Let it sit for a couple minutes. In the mean time, go boil a kettle or pot of water. Once it is boiling, pour the water down the sink. This helps get things loose easy to clean off.

After that, put two drinking glasses of ice down the disposal. Then grab rock salt (normal salt will work, just not as well) and put it over the ice. Turn the sink's water on and turn the disposal on. Keep the disposal on until you can't see the ice anymore. This gets the gunk off of the blades of the disposal.

After that, keep running the water and the disposal and get the citrus of your choice, a lemon, orange, or lime, and put them down the sink. This helps deodorize your now clean sink!

How to Clean Your Range Hood Filter

Changing your range hood filter is important to keep the vent working properly. We found a video that will teach you how to clean or replace it!

Are you Cooking Christmas Dinner?

If you're cooking Christmas dinner, it might be a good time to check your appliances. Are they ready to handle the load of cooking for a whole family? If your appliances are up to the job, we can help.

Call us at
(208) 385-9074

Visit us at
www.wesappliance.com

Or stop by at
530 N Orchard St, Boise, ID 83706

Keep Your Appliances Running Longer

We rely on our household appliances every day and need to me functioning at their best. Doing simple maintenance task can help to extend their life immensely.

• Fridge: Clean your refrigerator coils regularly. They can get caked and clogged with dust.This build up can cause the fridge to fail. This is especially important if you have pets in your household because it will build up faster
• Oven and Range: Be careful how you clean your oven and range, and what you use to clean it. Overly harsh chemical cleaners can clog range burners. It is also prudent to avoid spraying cleaner directly on to knobs because the cleaner can leak behind the knobs and cause electrical shorts. Always use soft cloths, light cleaners. If you must use a harsh chemical, apply it to the cloth before the surface.
• Dishwasher: Don't pre-wash your dishes too much. If the dishes get put into the dishwasher with too much water on them or too much soap it can cause your dishwasher to overflow.
• Washing Machine: Don’t overload your washing machine. Overloading your washing machine adds wear and tear to the motor and can cause damage and leaks. Even though doing more that one load can be a hassle it will save you time and money in the long run by preventing damage.
• Dryer: You probably already know to clean the lint trap, but make sure you also give it a deep clean to get any lint in the ducts or around the exit vents. This is where lint and dust tend to build up. Make sure to clean the moisture sensor also. Residue from dryer sheets and dust can clog it up and make your dryer work harder than it needs to.

With these maintenance tips you can keep your most used appliances in topnotch running order and keep them running longer.

Get Cleaner Dishes Now!

Having a dirty dishwasher means your dishes are not getting as clean as they could be. In just a few simple steps, you can clean and deodorize the inside of your dishwasher using common household ingredients. It's super easy to do, and your dishes will come out of the dishwasher cleaner than ever.

Things You'll Need

• Distilled white vinegar
• Baking soda
• Lemon essential oils (optional)

Step 1:

Take out the bottom rack of your dishwasher and spray the inside of your dishwasher liberally with vinegar.

Step 2:

Use a clean cloth to wipe down the seal and inside of your dishwasher. Remove any waste that may be trapped in the bottom.

Step 3:

Put the bottom rack back into your dishwasher. Pour 1 cup of vinegar into the bottom of your dishwasher.

Step 4:

Add 1 cup of baking soda into the bottom of your dishwasher. If you are wanting to add a fresh deodorizing scent add three drops of lemon essential oil.

Step 5:

Run your dishwasher on the Light Wash cycle.

Cleaning your dishwasher once a month will not only make your dishes cleaner, but will help prevent mold and mildew from forming also. This method no only disinfects and cleans the inside of your dishwasher, but also helps clean the plumbing that is connected to your dishwasher as well.

For more helpful tips like these


Call us at

208-385-9074

Visit us at

www.wesappliance.com

Stop by at

530 N Orchard St, Boise

Business hours:

M-F: 9–6; Sat: 9-5

A tip for your oven between heavy cleanings

If you're going to cook something that will leave your oven a mess, put a baking sheet on the bottom rack of your oven. This will make it so the mess falls in the cookie sheet. You can wash it instead of the whole oven! The clean up a lot easier!

For more helpful tips like these

Call us at
208-385-9074

Visit us at
www.wesappliance.com

Stop by at
530 N Orchard St, Boise

Business hours:
M-F: 9–6; Sat: 9-5

Tips for properly loading a dishwasher

Knowing how to load a dishwasher can help improve it's efficiency and extend it's life expectancy. Here are the steps to take to get your dishes squeaky clean!

• Scrape off big chunks of food and rinse the dish if food is still caked on
• Load bowls and cups upside down
• Don't stack dishes
  Put cups and heat sensitive dishes on the top rack
• Put silverware in the basket with handles down, with exception of knives
  wash anything that is expensive or fragile by hand

If you have any questions,

Call us at
208-385-9074

Visit us at
www.wesappliance.com

Stop by at
530 N Orchard St, Boise

Business hours:
M-F: 9–6; Sat: 9-5

Here's some alternative uses for your major appliances:

Dishwasher

Disinfect smelly sponges and wash rags

Place them in the dishwasher, and run those stinkers through a regular cycle with your dishes. This time, add detergent.

Clean and shine garden tools

Dirty garden tools can spread germs and bacteria throughout your garden. Place your metal garden tools and shears on the top rack, and run through a regular cycle. Don’t try cleaning eating utensils at the same time, though.

More things your dishwasher can scrub

• Baseball caps
• Metal switch plates and outlet covers
• Range hood grilles
• Metal vent covers
• A gazillion hard-plastic kids toys
• Plastic sports equipment and pads

Freezer

Freshen denim

If you don’t want your favorite jeans to fade, place them in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer for a week. Yes, your loved ones may think you’ve lost your mind. But the cold will kill germs and freshen the jeans without cooking them in hot water, which fades colors.

Life extender

Candles will burn slower, hosiery will evade runs longer, and NiMH and NiCd batteries will last longer when you store them in your freezer.

Steel wool

Instead of watching steel wool rust in a sink holder, place it in a plastic bag and store it in the freezer. The steel wool will stay free of rust longer.

Ice cube trays

They’re not just for water anymore. These little compartmentalizers are great for freezing single portions of pesto and making coffee cubes that cool but don’t water down your iced coffee drinks. Bonus: Freeze grapes in a plastic bag, then throw a few into white wine for a quick cool-down.

Microwave

Juice helper

You’ll squeeze more juice from lemons and oranges if you zap them in the microwave for 10 seconds, then squeeze.

De-germ sponges

Soak a sponge in water with a spritz of white vinegar, and place it in the microwave for two minutes. Not only will your sponge smell fresh, but the steam will make scrubbing the microwave and its telltale spaghetti sauce a snap.

Homemade heating pad/hand warmer

Fill an old sock with rice (not instant) or dried beans, tie the end closed, and place in the microwave for 60 seconds on high. Always touch lightly to check the temperature. If the pad isn’t hot enough, add 15 more seconds. If you want the heating pad to smell nice, add a drop or two of essential oil to the rice/bean mix before heating.

Tips to Help the Dishwasher Run Better (part 2)

If you're lucky enough to have some mechanical help with your dishes, how's your helper doing these days? Cooking can be tough on the dishwasher. All those goopy soups, milk-crusted mugs, and baked-on casseroles can overload it; perhaps you're feeling like things aren't running so smoothly or smelling as good as they ought to in there.

Well, we're here to help, with 5 more tips for making your dishwasher run its best.

Are these tips familiar to you? I was already doing several of them, but a few were new, so I thought they might be to you as well.

6. Run an empty dishwasher with vinegar

It’s the same concept as running a vinegar load in your washing machine. You simply toss a cup of white vinegar into the bottom of an empty dishwasher and run a normal cycle. It cleans out old food particles to keep your dishwasher smelling fresh.


7. Clean the dishwasher trap

Down in no-man's land, under the lower sprayer, there's usually a piece that is removable. Under it you'll usually find bits of food that didn't make it out the drain or even pet hair (eww) if you have a fur-ball of any kind running around your home. Sometimes the tray comes out fully so it can be rinsed in the sink; sometimes a towel is needed to remove the gunk buildup.


8. Clean the dishwasher seals

After a few months of use, your dishwasher accumulates a little bit of ick and stick around the rubber gasket in the door and often around the soap door as well. Make sure to give them a once-over with a damp towel to keep the grime down.


9. Check your water heater's temperature

There's a joke about where to put the thermometer, but we'll pass this time around. Make sure your water heater is set between 120 and 125 degrees. Many units are shipped new set to a much lower heat. This is the ideal temperature for washing dishes; don't be tempted to turn it higher or else it will cause water to flash dry and not roll off your dishes, taking the ends of the dirty bits with it.


10. Test your water

Hard water is killer on dishes and your ability to really get things clean. Make sure to have things tested and soften accordingly.

Tips to Help the Dishwasher Run Better (part 1)

If you're lucky enough to have some mechanical help with your dishes, how's your helper doing these days? Cooking can be tough on the dishwasher. All those goopy soups, milk-crusted mugs, and baked-on casseroles can overload it; perhaps you're feeling like things aren't running so smoothly or smelling as good as they ought to in there.

Well, we're here to help, with 5 tips for making your dishwasher run its best.

Are these tips familiar to you? I was already doing several of them, but a few were new, so I thought they might be to you as well.

1. Don't confuse scraping with washing

No one wants to wash their dishes before they wash their dishes; it's just silly. But you wouldn't want to eat a Thanksgiving dinner and then go run a marathon right after. Well, neither does your dishwasher. Scrape food bits off before loading up to help reduce particles stuck on dishes once the cycle is over.

2. Don't overcrowd the dishwasher

It's something that's easier said than done. It's quite tempting to layer in one more bowl or plate to avoid hand washing. Just remember, it's better to wash a few pieces by hand than it is to rerun an entire load because things were too tightly packed.

3. Run hot water before starting the dishwasher

Before starting the cycle, turn on the faucet and run until the water is hot to the touch. This means your first dishwasher fill cycle will be hot, instead of cold, until it finally makes its way over from the hot water heater. This is an especially important tip in winter time, as it takes longer for the water to heat up.

4. Use the correct cycle

It can be tempting to use a shorter, lighter setting to save on time and water bills, but make sure you're washing all your super dirty dishes by hand if that's the case. Just like doing your laundry, keep soil levels together when washing to end up with the best performance.

5. Don't double up on rinse aid

When looking to purchase a new soap for your dishwasher, make note if it includes a rinse aid. If it does, then there's no need to add any extra. If it doesn't, skip the extra purchase and just fill the reservoir with white vinegar. It'll do the trick every time!

3 Reasons To Run Your Dishwasher At Night

Dishwashers are a love hate relationship for some and straight up mandatory for busy households on the go. What time do you run yours? Here's a few tips on why starting it before bed is the most beneficial for your family!

Even though many don't own a dishwasher, others do and there's a bit of know how that goes along with it. They're an appliance like everything else, but the times in which we run it can impact our home, bills and peace and quiet. Here's a few things to keep in mind:

1. Humidity versus Air Conditioner:

Your dishwasher adds humidity back into your kitchen air and even though it's much needed to get the dishes dry, it means your air conditioner has to work a little bit harder. Even though some might live where air conditioning isn't needed, it's still pushing triple digits in many places. At night, when your house is more calm, that need won't be as great.

2. Sound Reduction

Although some have new quiet dishwashers, many of us have older units that hum, buzz or just make what could be considered the loudest white noise you've ever heard. Although it doesn't make you go crazy, it will make you turn the tv up or talk louder in your own home. Run it at night and let that noise soothe you to sleep instead!

3. Avoid Higher Energy Costs

After lunch and dinner is when many cities are using the highest amounts of energy and thus, the charges for such use is higher. If you can delay your dishwasher, set it to go off after midnight, helping your pocket book by a few pennies. It all adds up at the end of the month!