In addition to your weekly or bi-weekly house cleanings, there are several appliances around your home that you should take care of on a regular basis.

1. Dishwasher
2. Coffee Maker
3. Clothes Washer
4. Sink Garbage Disposal
5. Indoor Spa Tub

You should consult with the manufacturer’s recommendation on the frequency, which usually is more often than you think as they are being on the conservative side.  However, never maintaining them is not a good idea.  Think about starting with at least twice annually, then once in a routine, you can add more often.

All the items use water, so are most affected by hard water systems leaving deposits and calcification in addition to the dirt and grime left behind.  This can lead to them not working as well as they should or as new.  If you have a whole house water softener, that can delay the impact, but still general cleaning is a good idea.

Much of the calcification can be removed with the old tried and true home remedy of white vinegar, either straight or diluted.  These days, several great products exist on the market, specifically designed for each appliance that perform a thorough cleaning and decalcification in one step.  Usually it’s just required to run the device with the instructions on the cleaner and you’re done.

Dishwashers can be cleaned by placing a large bowl of white vinegar as the only item in the middle of the washer, then run a normal cycle.  If done frequently, this can keep the works running and remove some light calcification deposits.  For an easier and more thorough cleaning, look on your favorite online retailer for commercial dishwasher cleaner products and follow the instructions.  Don’t forget to occasionally check and clean out the food basket, usually located in the bottom of the dishwasher, for food particles and parts that may have come loose on your dishes.

Coffee makers, whether a full pot brewer or your favorite single cup brewer, should also be cleaned.  Take apart all the components and wipe them down with hot soapy water.  You can sometimes put them in your dishwasher if the maker’s instructions say dishwasher safe.  The internal plumbing of the coffee maker can be clogged via calcification.  As with your dishwasher, the home remedy of running straight white vinegar through the system for a few cycles should do the trick.  There are also many commercial products, sometimes from your manufacturer or third parties that can also do a great job.  Don’t forget to run 2-4 cycles with clean water afterwards to eliminate the odors and tastes.

You clothes washer often is only thought of during the weekly loads you perform.  The washer systems have the same problems as the above water-based systems and calcification.  Many commercial products exist in the market that are a simple thrown the item in, run a hot cycle, and there you have it, a cleaner better running washer.

The in-sink garbage disposal can definitely built up dirt and worse, like mold, over time.  A tried and true home remedy is baking soda and a lemon.  Cut a lemon in half, coat ½ in backing soda.  Insert into the bottom of the disposal, and let it sit for a few hours, even overnight is better.  Then after the wait time, simply run the disposal.  You get the dual effect of the cleaning power of the baking soda and citrus degreasing power, and the benefit of a lemony smell.  Using this method, you may need to manually wipe down the insides of the rubber tops as underneath is where a lot of dirt resides. Be careful and do not turn on the disposal with your hands inside.  Another and fun alternative are many commercial cleaning products that are a foaming cleaning tab.  You simply drop in the tab, put I n a little water, and the product foams up cleaning the entire disposal getting into all the nooks and crannies, even the underside of the rubber tops.  The kids love watching this one.

Finally, that indoor spa tub is up for cleaning.  Usually your weekly cleanings take care of the tub surfaces including the faucets and drains.  But what about the plumbing?  They can be impacted with calcification and dirt/grease buildup. These should be cleaned on a regular basis depending on how often you use.  You can try the home remedy of some hot water with white vinegar mixed in, but that could take a lot of product.  You may want to try many of the commercial products created just for spa and tub cleaning. Again, usually the instructions are simply to fill up the tub with hot water, drop in the product and run for specified time.

Cleaning these appliances on a regular basis can keep them all running efficiently and effectively for their intended purposes.  If done regularly, there will be less buildup and the clean cycle will be more effective.  If interested in having Ada’s Cleaning perform some of these during a deep clean process, please let us know.  As always, we are pleased to help.