Maintenance tips to keep appliances humming

Our dishwasher died three days before Thanksgiving.

I realized just how spoiled I’ve become when told no delivery would be possible until a week after the holiday … and even then, maybe.

What?! Just the idea of cleaning all those Thanksgiving pots, pans, dishes, glasses, forks and knives was overwhelming. My husband suggested we move forward with our plans to host the family for Thanksgiving dinner and use the in-house free labor (aka the kids).

Thankfully for the kids, my sister lives just two miles away. So I gave up control and we had Thanksgiving dinner there. The kids loaded her dishwasher.

We ended up being without a dishwasher for just two weeks, but it felt like months. We’re treating this new one like our first child (I even read the entire manual).

Homeowners spend anywhere from $300 to $2,000 each for major appliances. Repair costs aren’t cheap and sometimes it is more cost effective to just replace.

Bottom line: even when you get a great deal, it’s worth it to periodically put in a few minutes toward upkeep.

Consumer Reports came out with a list of tips on how to make the most of your appliance investments. It basically boils down to common sense and cleaning 101, but it’s still worth a share.

Refrigerator: Vacuum the compressor coils every three months or so. If you are like me and have no clue what compressor coils are, much less where they are, check your manual. Lost or misplaced your manual? No problem. You can find most manuals online. Try not to over stuff your fridge so the compressor can work smarter, not harder, to keep your food cool.

Dishwasher: Keep your filters clean, wipe down the interior door and pay attention that none of the items loaded will interfere or damage the spray nozzles.

Oven: Use that self-cleaning feature or if more adventurous, do it manually. Either way, get that oven clean at least once a year. And clean your rangetop and burners at least once a week. If you’re lazy and hate to clean drips under your burners, invest in cheap burner trays and throw them out periodically.

Washing Machines: Smaller loads with the recommended amount of detergent will get your clothes clean without making your washer work harder. Do an annual clean up of the screens where the hoses attach to the washer.

Dryers: Clean your lint filter after each load of laundry, and clean those ducts at least once a year.