HOW TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF APPLIANCES

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HOW TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF APPLIANCES
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When it comes time to replace those worn out
appliances, we all know how taxing it can be on
our pocket. Making sure you get the most out of
your home appliances will help reduce the
frequency of replacements and save you money.
Check out these handy tips to extend the life of
some commonly used appliances around your
home.  
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Unplug Unused Appliances 

• Not only do appliances continue to use small
  amounts of electricity when plugged in but not in
  use (called residual current draw), youre
  unknowingly reducing the life of that appliance
  as well. This is especially true for smaller
  appliances such as toasters, kettles, mixers,
  hair dryers, pedestal fans, etc. These appliances
  are used infrequently, and so have no need to be
  connected to an electricity source 24/7. When
  youve finished using them, disconnect them from
  the wall and store them away. Your appliances
  will be safe from electrical current spikes and
  will be protected in storage until theyre needed
  for your next MasterChef attempt. 

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Use Distilled Water in Steam Irons  Depending on
your location, your local water supply will
contain various levels of trace minerals that can
upset the function of electrical appliances
steam irons in particular. Calcium and magnesium
minerals present in water form a hard scale when
exposed to heat. This scale can damage your steam
iron and may block the steam holes, reducing
functionality. Make sure you use distilled,
purified water that has been through a filter or
sourced from a hardware store. Boiling water and
cooling it to use in your iron also helps reduce
the trace minerals that end up in your iron. 
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• Only Run Appliances When Necessary 
• If you have a habit of leaving the TV on for
  background noise, then you may want to
  reconsider using a radio instead. The unnecessary
  use of appliances will clock up hours, and reduce
  their usable lifespan. Prime candidates for
  unintentional use include your TV, fan, alarm
  clock, and lights of any type. Making sure you
  turn these items off when youre not using them
  will reduce the number of visits to your local
  electrical store substantially.  

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Clean Your Oven, Cooktop, and Range  We know
that leaving bird droppings sitting on your car
will damage the paint. Similarly, grease and food
debris will damage the coating of your oven,
cooktop and range. Some newer ovens are
self-cleaning, so be sure to perform a self-clean
cycle as regularly as the manufacturer
recommends. In all other cases, clean inside your
oven often even a quick wipe after every use
to ensure that nothing gets baked to the inside.
When using your cooktop, never let food debris
stick near or on burners, as the longer it stays
near heat, the harder it will be to remove. Clean
up after each use using soapy dishwater.  Apply
it with a damp cloth to ensure you dont damage
any electrical components with excess water.
Clean the filters in your range at least twice a
year washing them in hot, soapy water to bring
new life back to them, and to assist in removing
nasty grease smoke from your kitchen.  
http//www.allgreenrecycling.com
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Dont Leave Spills to Mellow in Your Fridge   If
left to sit for long periods, spills in your
refrigerator can turn nasty. Depending on the
fluid, a spill may damage the internals of your
fridge, leave stains and worst of all leave
wicked smells that you may not be able to remove.
It sounds simple, and it is clean up spills as
they occur. Use paper towel or a soapy sponge.
Its a good idea to perform a full clean of your
refrigerator once a year using a specialized
cleaning product to make sure bacterial growth is
removed and your food stays fresher, longer. 
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Wait for a Full Load Before Doing Laundry  Using
your washing machine more often than necessary
will lead to increased wear of components like
the drive motor, bearings and water pump. Cut
down on the number of times you use your machine
each week by batching your laundry loads. Be sure
you collect enough clothing to fill the machine
to a safe capacity before use. Dont overload it
though. Follow the manufacturers recommendation
as to maximum load capacity, and be sure not to
exceed it and cause the reverse effect!  
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Fill the Dishwasher Before Using  Similar to the
washing machine, your dishwasher (and the
environment) will benefit from more limited and
well-planned use. Wait until your dishwasher is
completely full before you do a load of dishes,
and be sure to follow the recommendations as to
the amount of soap required.  
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Scrape Off Dirty Dishes First  Dirty water
inside a dishwasher clogs filters and causes
excess wear on the water pump. Although the job
of a dishwasher is to do your dirty dishes for
you, extend its life by rinsing your dishes
before they get stacked. Minor stains and sauces
are fine its the uneaten scraps, fish bones
and soggy potatoes that are of most concern.  
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Clean Out Your Lint Filter and Dryer
Exhaust  Its important to clean the inputs and
outputs of your dryer with every use to ensure
efficiency and safety. A build-up of lint inside
the dryer, or in the dryer exhaust, has the
potential to start a fire if conditions are
favorable. To ensure this doesnt happen to you,
be sure to clean the lint filter after every load
of washing, and check the dryer exhaust vent
monthly for lit build up.
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Replace Filters in Air Conditioning and Heaters
Regularly  Your home air conditioner and heating
system are well used and little noticed
appliances that have the potential to leave a
nasty dent in your budget should they fail
unexpectedly. Have them inspected and cleaned
annually by a qualified technician, and be sure
to know the location of the filters so you can
check them monthly for yourself. Take the filters
outside and give them a gentle tap to dislodge
surface dust, and leave them in direct sunshine
to kill any bacteria. 
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Extending the life of your home appliances is
indeed possible, and the simple tips above can
help you save time on replacement, and most
importantly, keep more money in your pocket. Take
the little steps necessary each and every day so
you can sit back and relax, knowing that an
appliance disaster isnt lurking around the
kitchen counter 
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Questions? Comments?

•  
• Website http//www.allgreenrecycling.com
• All Green Recycling
• info_at_allgreenrecycling.com
• [phone] 
•  
• Resources
• http//www.homewarranty.com/pdfs/AppliancesFnl.pdf
   
• http//www.angieslist.com/articles/10-tips-extend-
  life-home-appliances.htm