Seven Cleaning and Maintenance Tips for Your Washer and Dryer

Appliances help make day-to-day life easier. Long gone are the days of washing clothes by hand and hanging them up to dry on a clothes’ line outside. Now, you have handy machines to do that for you. Your washer and dryer do a lot of heavy lifting to ensure you look, and smell, nice every day. But, since these machines do so much each day or week, it’s important for you to do your part to ensure they keep running smoothly. Below, you’ll find a list of cleaning and maintenance tips to ensure your washer and dryer keep functioning properly.

Hosed Down

Your washing machine’s hoses are prone to damage. Leaks and cracks can appear over time, which can lead to a costly water burst. To prevent a huge mess and monumental damage, it’s vital that you check your hoses regularly. Make a habit of checking for any small leaks, bubbles, cuts, or bulges that suggest a major problem is looming ahead. According to the Whirlpool Owner’s Manual, you should replace inlet hoses after five years of use to reduce the risk of hose failure. It’s also important to check your dryer hoses to make sure there are no kinks restricting airflow. This can cause your dryer to function improperly, and increase the risk of fire.

If it’s Rocking, You Need to Fix it

If your washing machine is rocking or moving across the floor during a spin cycle, that’s not normal. It means the balance of your machine is off. To fix it, simply raise or lower the machine’s legs or consider a pedestal for extra stability. Letting it continue to rock to its rhythm can cause damage to the machine and your floors. So, stop the dance party and keep it stable. 

Say Goodbye to Germs

If you continually run your washing machine without disinfecting it from time to time, you can’t guarantee that your clothes are coming out germ-free. Gross right? You might think that laundry detergent is enough to keep things squeaky clean, but it’s not. While laundry detergent does its job on your clothing, it’s not equipped to keep your actual machine free of germs. And if you toss your clothes into a germ-infested machine, well, you do the math. So, how do you prevent germ build-up in your washing machine? It’s actually quite easy. Just make a habit of running a clothes-free wash cycle with hot water and a cup of bleach from time to time. This will disinfect your washing machine and help remove any soap build-up too.

Too Much of a Good Thing

It’s really important to make sure you aren’t overloading your washing machine. Yes, washing machines are built big and strong, but they still have their limits. Stuffing too many clothes into a cycle can cause the drum to become unbalanced, which, over time will cause issues that could be quite costly. It also prevents your clothing items from moving around as freely as they should be cleaned effectively. It doesn’t just affect your washing machine. A load that’s too big for your washing machine is too big for your dryer. Stuffing your dryer full will cause it to use more energy to fully dry your clothes. That’s neither cost-effective or good for the planet. And, if you continually add extra work for your dyer, you could cause it to burn out and stop working altogether. A good rule is to never fill the washer above three-quarters full and to wash heavy items in smaller loads. 

Don’t Over Pour

It might be tempting to play a guessing game when it comes to pouring laundry detergent, but it’s important that you measure out the proper amount. Adding too much soap can cause excess wear and tear on your washing machine. And, if you have a HE machine, it’s very important to make sure you’re using the proper HE detergent.  

No More Lint

It’s extremely important to prevent lint buildup in your dryer by cleaning out the lint filter before drying each load of laundry. If you’re drying an item you know produces a lot of lint, like bath towels or fuzzy throws, consider pausing the load half-way through the cycle to clean the filter before continuing. It’s also important to clean your dryer’s vent. This is where rouge lint that you weren’t able to clean away gets sent. You should clean the exhaust vent or duct at least two times a year to prevent dangerous build-up. You can use a cleaning brush made especially for this purpose. If you neglect this important maintenance step you could cause a significant reduction to the flow of air to the dryer. This causes several problems. Not only will it make your cycles longer and use unnecessary energy, but it forces your dryer to work extra hard, which can lead to a malfunction. Of course, the greatest and most dangerous problem caused by not cleaning your vents is that it greatly increases the chances of your dryer starting a fire in your home. Dryers are responsible for over 20,000 house fires a year and millions of dollars in damage. So, please, make sure you clean your vents.

Avoid Build-Up and Odor

We all know that warm, damp environments can be a breeding ground for germs and mold. So, it’s vital that you let your washing machine ‘breath’ after each load. Ensure that all moisture escapes by leaving your machine’s lid or door slightly ajar after each load. This will help prevent mold, germs, and foul smells. And, it’s extremely important to remove your freshly washed clothes promptly. Leaving wet clothes in your washing machine will lead to foul smells and make keeping your washing machine clean that much harder.  Creating a routine using these maintenance and cleaning tips will help ensure that your appliances last longer and continue working efficiently over the years. Which is what we all want, right?

If you’re facing issues that you can’t fix yourself, please, don’t hesitate to contact us today. We look forward to serving you and ensuring that your appliances return to tip-top shape.