These simple mistakes could be shortening the life of your appliances.

What happens when you do something day after day? It becomes a habit. What happens when that habit isn’t good for you? It leads to problems. The same can be said for your appliances. The same way that habits can be bad for you, they can be harmful to your appliances too. But lists are boring, so we’re doing a quiz this week. For each question you have two options, and they’ll pop open with an answer once you click. Let us know in the comments on Facebook how you do!

Should You Overstock Your Refrigerator to Keep More Food Handy?

True

False

Overstocking your fridge might seem like a good idea now when you have lots of food, but it’s not a great idea when that food goes bad. When you overstock your fridge, air can’t move around, which means your fridge works harder to cool off.

Is Routinely Cleaning Your Condenser Coils Important?

True

If your condenser coils are allowed to crust over with dust and grime, your fridge chokes. It can’t breathe and it has to work harder to cool off.

False

Forgetting to Clean the Water Filter is Not a Big Deal

True

False

Just like the condenser coils, letting the filter fill with grime means your fridge is working harder than it needs to. Additionally, it means that you will be drinking that grime in either your water or ice.

You Can Clean Your Fridge on an “As Needed” Basis and Be Fine

True

False

It depends on how often ‘as needed’ is for you. If that’s about every two - four weeks, sure! If it’s more than that? Not so much. Keeping your fridge clean inside and out allows it to function more efficiently and to ensure that your food stays good.

There is No “Proper” Way to Store Food

True

False

Yeah, that one is definitely false. Food has two different things that you need to account for when it comes to storage. The first is having your fridge and freezer at the right temperatures. The second is following a food safe storage set up, to ensure that you and your family stay healthy.

Door Seals Can Go Bad

True

If you chose this, you’re right! Door seals can crack, crumble and rot if not cared for. This means that you need to look after them and keep them clean.

False

You Only Need to Clean Your Oven Once in a While

True

False

Oh so false. Think about how air has to circulate around your fridge, and it struggles if the fridge isn’t clean. The oven struggles with the same thing. What’s worse though is that this uneven heating causes the oven to cook unevenly. Additionally if not clean, your oven has to burn off whatever is on it.

More Detergent Is Better in the Dishwasher, right?

True

False

Have you seen those photos of soap bubbles filling a kitchen? That’s what happens you overfill the dishwasher.

Emptying Your Pockets Isn’t Actually Needed

True

False

If you don’t empty your pockets before washing clothes, metal items like coins and clips can damage the coating on the inside of your washer.

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Detergent for Your Washer?

True

Yup! Just like your dishwasher, you can use too much detergent. Not only do you have the possibility of having soapsuds everywhere, you also have to worry about build up if the washer cannot rinse all of it.

False

Cleaning Out the Lint Trap Every 6 Months is Often Enough

True

False

Sure, if you only use your dryer every 5 months, that would be ok. The lint trap should be cleaned out at the very least once a week, if not every time you use it. The lint trap not only is a potential for fire, but if it’s not cleaned out regularly, it also worsens how the dryer works.

You Should Wash Rubber Backed Mats on Cold

True

If rubber backed mats are washed on hot, they will very quickly start to break down and break apart in your washer and dryer.

False

Filling Your Dishwasher to the Max is Normal

True

False

This is one of the times when less is more. If you fill your dishwasher to roughly ¾ of the way full every time, your dishwasher will last longer than if you overfilled it.

You Can Skip Regular Maintenance Because ‘It’s working fine!”

True

False

Regular maintenance is called ‘maintenance’ for a reason. When problems are left though, it is far more likely that they grow from small issues to large problems.

It’s Fine to Throw Out Manuals For New Appliances

True

False

We’ll say that this one CAN be true, if you have a backup or a digital version. However, if you don’t, then you shouldn’t throw yours out. If you need to look something up, if you end up getting an error code, you’ll want that manual.

Leaving Your Oven On for Hours Is A Great Way to Stay Warm

True

False

It might be good for warmth, but it’s going to be bad for your oven and your electrical bill. On top of that

Slamming Appliance Doors - it’s fine, right?

True

False

Your refrigerator is not like your car. Nor are any of your other appliances. They are all carefully tuned and weighted to shut carefully. Slamming them can actually damage not only the door, but the seals as well, and possibly knock some of the interior pieces out of alignment.

Even the most careful appliance owners can miss a step now and then — but the good news is, it’s never too late to get back on track. If your fridge, oven, washer, or any other appliance isn’t running quite right, the team at Appliance Rescue Service is here to help. We offer expert maintenance and repairs for homeowners in the Frisco, Allen, and greater Dallas area. Call us today to schedule a tune-up or to get that small issue checked out before it turns into a bigger problem.

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