Dishwasher Tips: Help Your Dishwasher Clean Better – Just in Time for the Holidays!

The holiday season is right around the corner, and chances are, your dishwasher will see a lot of action in the next month and a half!

Whether you feel like your dishes aren’t getting clean enough or you’re happy with the dishwasher’s cleaning performance, there are ways that you can help your dishwasher clean even better! Give your dishwasher a tune-up with these dishwasher cleaning tips from Appliance Rescue Service in Dallas, Texas:

Run Hot Water First

We’ve shared this tip before with the washing machine, but it applies to your dishwasher too. Hot water is key in breaking down food particles and gunk, and if you start with cold water, it can affect the performance. Run your hot water at the sink until it gets hot, then turn it off and start the dishwasher.

Sanitize with Vinegar

Before the holiday season throws your dishwasher into overdrive, sanitize it with vinegar! Just pour a cup in the bottom of your dishwasher after unloading it and run a quick cycle. The vinegar will sanitize and help to break down any built-up food particles in your dishwasher.

Clean the Gaskets & Dishwasher Trap

After running the vinegar cycle, grab a sponge and wipe down the interior with warm, soapy water. Be sure to pay extra close attention to the rubber gaskets on the outer part of your dishwasher and the dishwasher trap at the bottom.

Overcrowded Dishes = Dirty Dishes

During the holidays, you may want to pack in as many dishes as possible – but don’t! Overcrowding leads to “hot spots” where the water can’t spray, leaving you with gunk and debris stuck to your dishes.

Hopefully these tips help get you ready for the holiday season! And if you suspect your dishwasher needs service or a dishwasher repair, don’t get stuck in a pinch before the holidays! Appliance Rescue Service is the best appliance repair company in Dallas, Texas with expertly trained technicians you can trust. We’ll have your dishwasher repaired before you can say “pumpkin pie!”

5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Garbage Disposal

As the holiday season approaches, the last thing you want is for your garbage disposal to go out! You’ve got company to host and meals to cook, and no time for garbage disposal repair!

Before we enter into the crazy holiday season, remember these 5 tips for extending the life of your garbage disposal from Appliance Rescue Service:

1.  Cold Water Only

You may think you’re helping to kill germs and clean the disposal when you use hot water, but think again! Hot water makes food in your disposal mushy and more likely to stick to the edges. On the other hand, cold water will harden the food, preventing sticking as it grinds.

2.  Follow with Water + Dish Soap

After the disposal is done grinding the food, put a little dish soap in the stream of water and allow the disposal to keep running for another 30 seconds to a minute. The dish soap and water will help clean the disposal and drain pipe, all while preventing a clogged drain by adding a little extra run time.

3.  Run it Once a Day

Make an effort to run the garbage disposal once a day. Running it regularly will prevent any buildup or residue in the disposal and keeps everything is good working order.

4.  Citrus Freshens

Any time you are cooking with lemon, lime, or oranges, throw the peel in the disposal instead of the trash! The citrus peel is great at providing friction on the blades that breaks down any residue, and it also freshens and disinfects naturally.

5.  Remember what NOT to Throw In the Disposal

While garbage disposals can handle a lot, there are certain items you should never put in the disposal:

·     Non food items: glass, rocks, etc. have no place in a disposal – unless you want to break it.

·     Starchy foods: pasta, potato peels, rice, etc. will cling to the blades and cause clogged pipes.

·     Fats: oil and cooking fat should never go down the drain.

Hopefully these tips keep your garbage disposal running smoothly through the holiday season and beyond! As always, if you ever need an appliance repair company in Plano or the surrounding Dallas area, you know that Appliance Rescue Service is here for you! 

3 Tips to Get Your Oven Ready to Bake and Roast This Season

It’s fall, which means the season for baking and roasting is right around the corner.

 

Not only do you need to stock up on vegetables to roast and butter for baking, you also need to make sure your oven is in its best working condition so that your meals turn out perfect every time.

Need some tips to get started? Try these from our team at Appliance Rescue Service, the top appliance repair company in Dallas!

Clean Your Oven

When was the last time you cleaned your oven? If you can’t remember, then it’s time! Typically, you’ll want to clean it at least every 6 months. While you can use the ovens self clean option, we do not recommend it. Because the self clean option makes the oven extremely hot to melt away debris, there is just too much risk that something will get damaged in the process. Instead, make a baking soda and vinegar paste and apply it all over the inside. Then, take a scouring pad and hot water and wipe it clean. Easy and all natural!

Check the Oven Temperature

Did you know that your oven temperature can be off by 20-30 degrees? It’s true. We often get calls about ovens not being properly calibrated. Before you call for an oven repair in Dallas, try testing it yourself by setting the oven to 350 degrees and putting a probe thermometer on the middle rack. Check it periodically over an hour’s time to see how accurate the temperature reading is. If you are concerned about an issue, call us for an oven calibration service.

Put a Pizza Stone in Your Oven

Adding a pizza stone to your oven adds mass to the oven. It’s smart to store a pizza stone on the bottom rack of your oven, because as the oven heats up, the stone with absorb the heat as well and keep oven temperatures more steady as the oven opens and closes, perfect for keeping roasts cooking evenly and cookies too.

Hopefully these tips get you prepared for the fall baking season, and if at any point you notice your oven needs be serviced, call us at Appliance Rescue Service – the best appliance repair company in Dallas, Texas.

Icemaker Not Making Ice? This Could be Why

In our experience, icemakers often last around 3-10 years, so with that being said, they tend to be less reliable than the refrigerator itself. Often, the refrigerator is working great, but the icemaker is not making any ice. It’s a problem.

If you are experiencing issues with your McKinney icemaker not making any ice, here are some possible reasons:

1.  Faulty Water Inlet Valve

The water inlet valve is the part of the icemaker that controls how much water gets to the icemaker. If you know that your water pressure is good and your icemaker has power, then a faulty water inlet valve could be the culprit. These can just break on their own, or they may get stuck due to mineral build-up over time from the water running through.

2.  Temperature is Too High

This is a simple one you can troubleshoot on your own! Icemakers produce ice best when they are running at a temperature below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. If your freezer is running around 10 degrees or higher, try bumping the temperature down a few notches and see if it begins to produce ice more efficiently. Sometimes it’s an easy fix that saves you the cost of any icemaker repairs!

3.  Faulty Ice Maker Assembly

Unfortunately, if one of the above does not fix the issue, you may need a new icemaker assembly. Most manufacturers do not sell the icemaker parts separately, so a new assembly may be in order. At Appliance Rescue Service, we always do everything we can to ensure a specific part cannot be ordered to fix the issue before recommending an entirely new icemaker assembly.

If you need appliance service in McKinney or anywhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, give Appliance Rescue Service a call today! Our team is expertly trained in all icemaker repairs – along with refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, cooktop, and washer/dryer repairs.

How to Remove Scratches from Stainless Steel Appliances

Stainless steel appliances remain the most popular appliance finish out there, and this doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon. After you’ve had your beautiful stainless steel appliances awhile, you may notice an unsightly scratch here or there and wonder – is there a way to get that out?

While removing a scratch may be impossible without professional help, there are some home stainless steel scratch removal techniques you can try to remove the scratch yourself:

Mild Abrasive & Water

Start by purchasing a dry powder cleaner with mild abrasive properties. Examples include Comet, Ajax, and Barkeepers Friend. When combined with water, each of the products forms a paste that can buff out mild scratches and water spots from your stainless steel appliances without major stainless steel appliance repair. Simply apply this solution to a soft cloth and rub WITH the grain of the stainless to watch those scratches disappear.

Stainless Steel Scratch Removal Kit

There are several products on the market that are specifically designed to restore the stainless steel and remove scratches and abrasions.  We recommend trying the Scratch B Gone Stainless Steel Scratch Removal Kit or the Siege 63001 Stainless Steel Scratch Remover. Both products give you step-by-step instructions with specially designed products included to give you the best results possible.

Before attempting any scratch removal technique, always make sure to check the owner’s manual to determine any tips and tricks from the manufacturer specifically and make sure you aren’t doing anything that would negate an appliance warranty!

If you are nervous about attempting a stainless steel appliance repair on your own – even if is just a scratch removal, call Appliance Rescue Service in Dallas, Texas! We’re happy to help with your Dallas appliance repair needs – big and small! Proudly serving Plano, McKinney, Allen, Frisco, and the entire Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.