How and Why You Should Clean Your Washing Machine

No, Really, Your Washing Machine Needs This.

No, Really, Your Washing Machine Needs This.

Table of Contents:

Why You Should Clean Your Washing Machine

How To Clean Your Washing Machine

It's a common myth that your washing machine cleans itself as it cleans your clothes. Unfortunately, it is just that. A myth. As your washing machine gets everything else clean, it can build up dirt, detergent, and hard water residue. So, how do you fix that, and what happens if you don't? 

Why You Should Clean Your Washing Machine (Ie what happens if you don't.) 

Sure it makes sense. If you're constantly washing things in it, the washing machine should be kept clean. Buuut that's sadly not how it works, at least not any more than your towels always being clean because you use them to dry yourself off when you're clean. With every wash cycle, your washing machine rinses away dirt, grime, and detergent.  That dirt has to go somewhere, right? If you don't clean your washing machine regularly all of that grime can build up inside the machine, as well as mildew. Yup, mildew. 

Have you ever opened your washer after several days only to have it smell wet and rank? A smell that's somewhere between long rotted leaves and a wet dog. That's caused by leaving your front-loading machine closed in between washes. The tight seal on the door means that the drum can't dry out completely, so mildew and mold can begin to grow inside the drum.  (And no, just running a new wash won't wash away the mold, sadly. A front-loading machine doesn't fill up all the way in comparison to a top-loading machine.) 

The ick on the agitator is mildew, the top of the drum is dirt, and at the chlorine tray is just floating debris.
Photo Courtesy of Practically Functional

How To Clean Your Washing Machine 

Fortunately, there are easy ways to solve the problems in both of these cases. 

If you're looking to remove the moldy smell, all you need to do is do an empty cycle of your machine, with an extra rinse, using a half cup of bleach and no detergent. This will kill any mildew inside of the drum and sterilize the entire thing. 

If you're trying to get rid of dirt, detergent residue, and hard water, on the other hand, you're going to need to go a bit more in-depth.  

- Start by grabbing anything you can that's easily removable. Take that to your sink, grab an old toothbrush, some white vinegar, and some dishsoap. Mix up a quick solution and allow the parts to soak in it while you go back to your washer. 

- Use a cloth, the toothbrush, and the vinegar to scrub all of the crevices inside the machine. Throw on a podcast or an audiobook while you're doing this, it'll make life easier. 

- If your front-loading machine has a rubber gasket, make sure you get that cleaned too, but use a clean cloth instead of the toothbrush. You don't want to accidentally damage it, or pull it away from its seal. 

-Many machines will have a trap that's meant to catch debris, hair, pet fur and other things. Consult your manual, or the manufacturer's website to find out where it is for your model.  Once you've found it, empty it, soak it in white vinegar and then gently scrub with a toothbrush to get it clean again. 

-Once you've done all of that, rinse the small parts with clean, cool water, dry them off and replace them into the machine. Next, pour four cups of white vinegar into your washer's tub while it's empty.  Run that on the longest and hottest wash cycle, without adding anything to it. No detergent, no clothing, nada. Once the cycle is finished running, take a soft sponge (so one without a rough side to it) and clean the inside of the washer. Then run another cycle with just water to remove any of the leftover vinegar. 

Once you've gotten your washing machine clean for the first time, make sure to get yourself into the habit of doing it once a month. After the first time it's much easier, and you won't have to do as much work. Like many of the other home tips we offer, these types of preventative maintenance are best done on a regular schedule so that you don't end up having to rush to fix a major problem. 

Thank you for coming to hang out with us this week! What is the strangest thing you've ever had happen with your washing machine? Tel us in the comments below, or over on our Facebook page. As always, we'd love to hear from you. 

If your washing machine has gone past the point of "it just needs a good scrubbing" it might be time to call in a professional. Fortunately, we can help. Whether you live in Allen, Copeland, or Dallas, Appliance Rescue Service has you covered. Just head over to our contact page or give us a call at ((214) 599-0055) to set up an appointment time that works for you. 

What Can't Your Favorite Kitchen Tools Do?

 Air Fryers, Multi-Cookers and Slow Cookers, They can't actually do everything? 

Table of Contents: 

Slow Cookers

Airfryer

Multi-Cooker 

So many of us get new kitchen toys for Christmas or just after Thanksgiving. They go on sale and we go "Ooh shiny!" And honestly? That's great! Anything that gets people cooking more and spending time experimenting with food is good in our books (and not just because we're an appliance repair company.) The thing is though, what /can't/ those tools do? What do you never want to put into a slow cooker? Or your airfryer? What about the shiny new Instant Pot? They all have things that you don't want to try and make with them, but no one really says what they are. They just talk about all the wonderful things they have made. That's where this post comes in. We're taking a look at some of the things you really shouldn't ask of your kitchen tools. 

Slow Cookers

Ahh, our beloved slow cookers. They're great for summer, and busy days, and any time you need to keep a lot of food warm over a long period, without destroying it. We love them! Unfortunately, there are some food types that they just don't handle well due to the way they're designed. 

-Slow Cookers Don't Do Well With Lean Meats

While you /can/ cook them in a slow cooker, it's extraordinarily difficult to get them to come out right. You want your meat to be tender and flavorful, not dry and tough. Unfortunately, the leaner a piece of meat is, and the longer it's exposed to heat, the tougher and dryer it becomes. For a cut like a tenderloin, sirloin or round roast, the longer you keep them cooking, the more likely they are to toughen up.  Rather than having to baby them, which defeats the purpose of the slow cooker, it's better to a) choose a different cut of meat with more fat to it, or b) cook the meat a different way to ensure it remains the most flavorful. 

-Slow Cookers Can't Cook Fish

Much like lean meats, fish are finicky. They don't need to be heated for long periods. They'll either break down and become indistinguishable from the rest of the food, or become horribly overcooked.  

-Slow Cookers Are No Good for Recipes That Need to Be Seared

Slow cookers do low, moist heat over a long period of time. Searing uses a high heat and very short period of time. Your slow cooker just can't do that. 

Air Fryer

Your air fryer is designed to dry cook food quickly and at high temperatures, circulating air and oil around the food. This leads to an even cooking that is going to dry foods out, which doesn't work out well for some types of food.  

-Air Fryers Are No Good For Fibrous Vegetables

An air fryer is meant to heat foods up quickly and fry them similar to a deep fryer, but without all of the fat. Unfortunately, when it comes to fibrous vegetables, they don't do good with this method of cooking. They need longer cooking times in order for them to break down and become soft enough to eat. 

Some examples of fibrous veggies are asparagus, green beans, beetroot, bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts and cabbage. 

-Air Fryers Aren't Good for Feeding Large Groups of People 

No, we're serious on this one. Unless you want to be in the kitchen making round after round of food and not actually getting to enjoy spending time with anyone, we don't advise trying to feed a large group of people this way. An air fryer just doesn't have the capacity for that much food, unless you bought an industrial one, in which case, be our guest! 

-Air Fryers Don't deal well with Battered Foods

Well, to be more specific, they don't deal well with wet battered foods. Think of things like fried chicken, corn dogs or fried oreos. All of those are a wet batter that you dip the food into and then fry. That doesn't work in an air fryer because the batter falls off through the tray or just slides off the food entirely, leaving things less than ideal. 

-Air Fryers Aren't Good with Soft or Sticky Ingredients 

If it's likely to stick to other things, or the basket, your air fryer won't like this. Air fryers are meant to have air circulating around all of the pieces, and things that are sticky are going to  make that difficult. 

Multi-Cooker

It can pressure cook, it can fry, it can act like a crock pot, it can even saute or make yogurt! What can't a multi-cooker do? Well, there are a few things. 

Multi Cookers - There's No Point If You Can Make it On The Stove

So if you've had your multi-cooker since Christmas, as many received them for gifts this year, you've probably learned this. Your multi-cooker will almost always require time to come up to pressure. That, plus the amount of time it takes to actually cook whatever you're wanting is typically going to be more than 12 minutes. So, if it's faster to cook it on the stove? Do it that way. 

Multi Cookers Don't Like "Add As You Go" Cooking

Bouncing right off the last idea of 'pressure' means that your multi-cooker doesn't really like recipes that require things to be added in stages. It's great for foods that can be done all in one go or are just a portion of the final meal. Say you're making seasoned beans as part of your burrito night. That, your multi-cooker is great for! But if you want to make a soup? Where you're constantly adding things at different times? Not so much. For each step that you have to pause the cooking mode, let the seal release and then come back up to pressure once you've added it, it's just not going to end well. 

Multi-Cookers Ruin Delicate Vegetables

Delicate vegetables like leafy greens, fine curls of carrots or your multicolored green beans shouldn't go into a multi-cooker. The vegetables don't stand up to the high heat and pressure of the multi-cooker and you end up with a gross mush of what used to be perfectly delicious vegetables. 

A few more examples of delicate vegetables: 

Zucchini 

Lettuce

Snap Peas

Snow Peas

Asparagus 

Tomatoes

Fennel

Multi-Cookers and Dairy Don't Mix 

But Blogger!, we hear you cry, you said that we could make yogurt! That's a dairy! 

And you are right dear reader.  

The thing is for the pressure cooker aspect of a multi-cooker, that's when you can't use milk or milk products. They'll boil over and scorch. They can also foam or froth depending on how you treat them, which will clog up your steam release valve, which is a guaranteed route to danger. (Check out our post on dangers in the kitchen to see more on that one. ) Last but not least, whenn putting milk into a pressure cooker you run the risk of the milk separating and giving you a seriously gross outcome. 

We know that many people have done in-depth experiments with their different kitchen tools finding ways to work around these issues. Some of them work, some of them don't.  We will say that we're talking in general about what these tools can do, and not hunting down the arcane secrets that people have discovered. If we can't test them ourselves, we don't want to recommend them to you. And trying to test all of the possibilities out there would end up being a VERY large grocery bill haha. 

Have you found a way around any of these issues?  Or do you have lists of foods that we missed?  Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page, as always we'd love to hear from you! 

What happens though if you ended up here because your larger appliances are giving you fits (sadly we don't work on any of these smaller appliances just yet.) Not to worry, you're in the right place. We work on all of your major appliances, including dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, ovens, stoves, and ice machines. Whatever it is that's making you want to tear your hair out, we've got you covered. At Appliance Rescue Service, we're not satisfied until you are. You can get hold of us by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055 ) or by going to our contact page and setting up an appointment that fits your schedule.  

True or False : 18 Things You Thought Could Go in The Dishwasher

How Good Are You At Knowing The Difference For What Can Go Into Your Dishwasher?

We've all had to check the internet for whether something could go into the dishwasher or not. It's late (or really early) and you just want to get the dishes done with so that you can go on with your day. Dishwashers are supposed to make things easy right? Just load it up and let it run. Unfortunately there are many things that just don't belong for a variety of reasons.  Test your prowess with our quiz below to see just how many you know. 

Let’s Get Started

+One - Insulated glasses, tumblers, and thermoses

False!

+Two - Bathroom accessories

True! Scrubbing your toothbrush clean can be gross. You've got toothpaste which feels so gross when it's wet, and just icky when you try to scratch it off. You've got soap residue which is slimy when wet and gross and sticky when dry. Then you have mold that can build up due to how warm and wet it gets in your bathroom. (Unless you're taking cold showers every day? Some people do.) Fortunately, your dishwasher is here to save the day. You can toss in all sorts of things from your bathroom, and they'll come out clean all without having to get things built up under your nails.

+Three - Acrylic dishes

False!

+Four - Plastic Hairbrushes

True! Have you ever looked at one of your hairbrushes after taking off the hair and noticed that it still had buildup on it? That's a mix of styling proucts and the natural oils from your scalp. Thankfully, you can get rid of that by putting it through the dishwasher. Ideally, you'd do this once a month. Just make sure not to do this with wooden hair brushes or ones with natural boar bristles. Both can be damaged by the soap and the hot water from the dishwasher.

+Five - Ashtrays

False! Ash trays are covered in, well, ash. Because of how fine that is, it can become clogged in your dishwasher's filter and lead to a dishwasher that just won't drain. We suggest using soap and an old toothbrush if you want to get your ashtrays looking good as new.

+ Six - Baseball caps

True! Oh no! Some jerk at your kid's football game got mustard on your baseball cap. It's cool, your dishwasher can clean it right up. Don't put soap on it, just rinse with cold water and put it on the top rack. We will say that you need to double check what the brim is made of first though. If it's a newer cap, you should be fine. But many older caps had cardboard brims and that can't go into the dishwasher.

+Seven - Wineglasses

False! While there are many glass makers that claim their wares can go through the dishwasher, this is only true on a technicality. While the glass can stand up to hundreds of cycles with harsh detergents without being damaged, they can't stand up to the dishwasher itself, or human error. Yup. Whether it's the glass being taller than the dishwasher itself or glasses being rattled around and shoved against the tiens and each other, it's very likley that your wine glasses will end up broken by putting them through the dishwasher.

+Eight - Ceramic knives

False! Not only will your ceramic knives likely catch on the coating of your rack, but they can also chip from being jostled around druing the wash cycle.

+Nine - Vacuum Cleaner Attachments

True! Since they're made of a heavy duty plastic, most are dishwasher safe. Make sure to double check your owners manual first, but if they give the all clear, you can run a load of just the different attachments and brushes and get them nice and clean.

+Ten - Lead Crystal

False! Crystal is heat sensitive, so it's very prone to cracking, and detergent can cause them to chip. Most importantly, lead can be leached out of your crystal, leaving them cloudy, and if it's not all washed away, potentially hazardous to your health.

+Eleven - Kitchen Tools - Metal and plastic only

True! Many of the things you use around your kitchen can be put through the dishwasher to be cleaned and sterilized themselves. Sponges, scrub brushes, drain plugs, sturdy plastic cutting boards or drainage trays, even plastic or metal shelving you have around the kitchen can go through the dishwasher provided you make room for it.

+Twelve - Flip-flops

True! Just getting back from the beach and you want to get your flops clean again? No worries. Your dishwasher has you covered. Rinse off any remaining dirt, mud, or sand either in your kitchen sink or and then loop the tongs around one of the tines on the top rack. Turn the dishwasher on like you normally would and you're good to go! Your flops will be looking lovely in a short run cycle.

+Thirteen - Wood -

Includes wooden spoons, bowls, chopping boards and wooden-handled knives. False! Wooden tools will absorb water and crack over time. It won't show at first, but the water will seep in and force the fibers of the wood apart slowly, until eventually the pieces split apart. So unless you're keen on splinters, we advse washing these lovely tools by hand.

+Fourteen - Refrigerator Components

True! Do you have any removeable bits in your refrigerator? The fruit and veggie drawers, that removeable butter tray, the shelves that you can move around for maximum storage capability? all of those can go into the dishwasher. Every three months or so is a great way to keep your dishwasher clean and sparkly. Now, if there are any metal shelves, you'll want to make sure that they're coated in rubber so that they don't chip the inside of your dishwasher. Make sure to dry them completely before with a microfiber cloth to keep them from growing mold.

+Fifteen - Gardening Tools

True! While you might usually give them a quick rinse outside in between uses, a more thorough cleaning is good before you put them away for winter. To that end, rinse off any leftover dirt, and make sure they're not aluminum before popping them in. Make sure to dry them by hand with a clean towel once they're out, and thoroughly to prevent rust.

+Sixteen - Pewter

False! Pewter is a very soft metal, with a melting point of just 400* Farenheit. It's all too easy for it to be warped by the heat of the dishwasher. On top of that the soaps you use or the foods you eat can cause pewter to become discolored.

+Seventeen - Graters and Sieves

False! The blades on the bottom of your grates have sharp edges that can either corrode or break off in the dishwasher. Seives on the other hand are more likely to rust.

+Eighteen - Metal Vent Covers

True! If your top rack is removeable you can send these through the dishwasher every six months, not only will they look nicer, but they'll also do better at keeping your house free from dust. Be sure to dry them completely before reinstalling them.

Points Total

1-6 - Dishwasher Beginner

7-12 - Kitchen Adept

13-18 - Ruler of the Dishes

So? How did you do? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page!
If on the other hand you ended up here because you ran one of these things through your dishwasher and now your dishwasher is spitting suds at you, we can help. Just give us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or go to our contact page to set up an appointment. At Appliance Rescue Service, we’re here to help. 

Additional Reading: 

Help I melted Plastic in my Dishwasher 

What You Want to Know About Heat Pump Dryers

Answering The Questions You Didn't Know You Had

Table of Contents

What Is A  Heat Pump Dryer? 

How Is  A Heat Pump Dryer Different? 

What Do I Need To Know Before Installing A Heat Pump Dryer? 

Back when we were doing our Deep Dive on Dryers, we mentioned a type of dryer that many of our readers weren't familiar with, the Heat Pump Dryer. People had no idea what we were talking about, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it means we get to introduce you to something new.  This week we're taking a closer look at this interesting dryer type and seeing if they can fit into your home. 

What Is A Heat Pump Dryer?

A heat pump dryer is a dryer that works on a closed loop. It draws air in, heats it for drying the clothes, and pushes that into the drum. 

Once the air has become full of moisture from the clothes, it's filtered for lint and pushed into an evaporator to cool and have the water drawn off. That evaporator system heats up on the outside though and that heat is reused to heat the now cool, dry air.  That air then goes back into the drum to start the process all over. 

The water that was drawn out of the air is pumped out through the same drain that your washer uses, which means that you don't have to worry about emptying a collection reservoir or anything. 

How is A Heat Pump Dryer Different?

The two biggest differences to your usual dryer are tied together, the vent or ducting and how the air is used. On a standard electric or gas dryer the air comes in, it gets heated by a coil or a flame and then is pumped into the drum. When the air becomes saturated with moisture that's pumped back out, into the vents and pushed outside of your home. This has led to all sorts of problems that we've talked about before for vents becoming clogged and full of lint. Because the heat pump dryer reuses the air over and over, that external vent isn't needed. There is some loss of air, but not enough that it needs a separate duct to go outside of your home.  

A heat pump dryer is also considerably more energy efficient than your standard dryer since the air is used over and over and the different steps serve multiple purposes at the same time. 

A heat pump dryer also works at a lower temperature, which means that it's easier on your clothes as it runs. 

What do I Need to Know Before Installing A Heat Pump Dryer? 

- They Do Cost More

As of right now a heat pump dryer does cost more. Because this design of dryer is relatively new by comparison to electric and gas dryers, they're still more expensive to purchase. However, since you end up saving on your electricity bill, that does weigh against the initial cost. 

-They Do Have A Smaller Capacity

Because of all the different pieces that go into making the dryer run, there's less space for the drum. So for the time being, most heat pump dryers are more 'compact' in terms of how much they can handle. So no, if you've got a large or active family, we wouldn't suggest getting this. 

- You Can Stack Them

Yup! If you're short on space, or you want to make it easier to get things in and out of your dryer, you can get a stacking kit for your heat pump dryer. 

-What About Wall Mounting A Heat Pump Dryer? 

Sadly, no. Because of how much a heat pump dryer weighs, you can't attach them to a wall. Even with brackets, they're too heavy to stay safely suspended. 

-What Are Some Brands That Make Heat Pump Dryers? 

Some of the brands that you can find a Heat Pump Dryer with are: LG, Miele, Whirlpool, Beko, Samsung and Bosch.

-Is There Anywhere I Can't Install A Heat Pump Dryer? 

Yes. As of right now, you cannot install one on the moon or in sitting pools of water. Jokes aside though, we would avoid areas that you know are cracked, uneven or prone to flooding. You'll also want to make sure that the electrical outlet is a high enough voltage that it can handle the power draw. Although as we've said the Heat Pump Dryers are very efficient, they are still going to draw more energy than what a standard outlet can provide. 

With all of that in mind, what's next? Do you think you'll end up getting a heat pump dryer for your home? Why or why not? We'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. 

If you ended up here because you already have a heat pump dryer and it's on the fritz, no worries! We can still help. Just give us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or reach out to us over on our contact page to set up an appointment. No matter which of your appliances is acting up, we'll be happy to work with you to get your home running smoothly again. 

Additional Reading: 

Dryer Deep Dive

6 Things Your Should Never Put In Your Dryer

Why You Need To Clean Your Dryer Vent 

9 Things Your Dryer Hates

9 Electric Dryers At 3 Different Price Points

Answering Your Major Questions About Induction Stoves (2022)

How It Works And Why Your Pans Won’t

Induction Stoves

The Basics

In-Depth Look

So my current pans won’t work? 

Do I actually want one? 

If you’ve gone shopping for new stoves recently, you’ve probably seen something about induction stoves. If you’re like the rest of us, you’ve probably questioned “what’s an induction stove and why the heck would I buy one?” This week we’re answering your major questions about induction stoves: How do they work, and why don’t my pans work with them?

If you’re not really interested in the technical aspects of an induction stove, this is for you. Start off by thinking about a typical gas or electric stove. You turn on the burner, and it heats that specific spot. But there are uneven areas, due to the way the heat has to spread through it. Induction stoves are an entirely different beast. A copper coil within the ‘burner’ has electricity sent through it. That electricity is transmitted through the glass top to the pan that you put on top of the burner. That pan heats up, only where it comes into contact with the electricity. So, in theory, yes, you could heat only one-half of your pan. If however, you have all of your pan on the coil, you are going to get a very even heat, since the heat is actually coming from the pan itself instead of from the stove.  

If that didn’t answer all of your questions, that’s ok. We can take a slightly more in-depth look at things now. If it did answer everything you wanted to know, feel free to skip this paragraph. Picture a coil of copper wire. Now apply an alternating current to the coil, making it oscillate, or move back and forth at high regular speeds. This oscillating creates a magnetic ‘flux’ or a field around that singular burner. Now put your pan on top of that burner, and the two interact, so long as the pan is made of either iron or steel, both magnetic materials. The magnetic flux from the stove creates a current in the pan, the pan has a natural resistance to that current, and so it begins to heat up. Since all of this is based on magnets and electricity, you don’t have to have the pan and the coil directly touching, which means that the stove can have a heat-resistant ceramic layer between the two. Although the surface will still become hot, it’s considerably less hot than either a gas or electric stove will get. 

 So why then don’t copper and aluminum pans work? Or ceramic ones? The reason is the magnetic current. None of these things are magnetic, so they can’t interact with the current. While it is less than ideal, it is one cost of using this type of stove. On the upside though, if you have to purchase all new pots and pans, at least you can choose specifically which ones you’ll need instead of just getting a set? 

And now we get to the real crux of the matter. Do you really want one? Well, to be honest, we can’t tell you if you do or don’t. Since we fix all sorts of stoves, we see, perhaps better than most, that all stoves have their pros and cons. On one hand, you’ve got a stove that is noticeably cooler to the touch. It also creates perfectly even heating, no need to worry about hot spots. Since there isn’t a flame or a hot surface element, you can worry less about accidentally starting a fire.  In terms of how quickly they work, gas stoves are faster than electric stoves. However, an induction stove is even faster than a gas stove, heating water twice as fast as most gas stoves.  They’re also supremely easy to clean, a fact we love. 

However, just like with any purchase, there are cons to an induction stove as well. An induction stove is a very complicated system. They’re typically more expensive to purchase and to install. They’re also more expensive to repair, if and when they do suffer a malfunction. As mentioned above, you will have to purchase a new set of pots and pans, as anything without an iron or steel bottom won’t work.  Since they heat up faster than other types of stoves, your cooking style will have to adjust to match it. That can take time, and mean a lot of burnt food at first, if you’re not prepared for it. A final, if odd, con, is that they do make more noise than other options. 

Important warning: THEY CAN BE RISKY IF YOU HAVE A PACEMAKER, DO TAKE NOTE. The electromagnetic system does pose a certain risk to disrupting pacemakers, however, most pacemakers are safe around these. Still, check with your doctor before purchasing to make sure it won’t compromise your health if you have a pacemaker. 

So, do you think you’ll be getting an induction stove any time soon? Why or why not? Let us know over on our Facebook page, we’d love to hear from you! 

If you’re here because you have an induction stove and it’s broken or otherwise acting ‘odd’ we can help. Give us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or set up an appointment via our page and we’d be more than happy help get your stove back in perfect condition.