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This Is Part 2 In The Series – 
Preventing & Repairing Appliance Problems
During Your Seattle WA & King County WA
Thanksgiving & Christmas Holidays

Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and whether you plan to prepare a meal for a smaller get-together, are throwing a festive Friendsgiving bash, or hosting the masses this year, make sure your fridge, oven, washing machine, and dishwasher are at peak performance level before guests arrive. Your appliances are going to get a workout and we’ve put together a list of tips you can use to prep and clean your appliances before the big day.

1. Clean the Older Items Out of Your Fridge

Your refrigerator is going to be packed to the gills before, during, and after the big meal.  Before you stock up on all your Thanksgiving groceries, toss out your older and expired food items. Anything that you can’t remember purchasing (such as older condiments etc.) can be tossed to make room for all of the extra food you’ll need to store prior to the meal, and for leftovers after it.

2. Clean the Old Ice Out of Your Ice-Machine

In addition to cleaning all the old stinky ice out of your icemaker, turn up the icemaker’s settings to make fresh, new ice more frequently. This will produce more ice than usual. This way, you’ll avoid sending a friend or family member out for a bag of ice and there will be plenty leftover to keep your guest’s drinks refreshed.

3. Check Your Fridge’s Water Filter

Do you remember the last time you changed the water filter in your fridge? If not, it’s probably time to replace it. Manufacturers recommend changing it every six months. Replacing the filter will avoid funny tasting water and ice on the big day as well as a decrease in your fridge’s water flow. 

4. Clean Your Fridge’s Coils

Manufacturers recommend cleaning the coils (located in the back of the fridge) every six months. Unplug your fridge and take ten minutes to dust or lightly vacuum the coils. This will make sure your refrigerator is working at an optimal efficiency level.

5. Clean Out Your Dishwasher Filter

It may sound silly to clean a machine that cleans, but your dishwasher needs proper care and maintenance, especially when handling larger loads. A dishwasher cleaner will remove stains on the tub, help with odors, and clean mineral buildup in the wash system and the tub. In addition, your dishwasher has a removable filter which also needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. To learn how to do this, Google the make and model of your dishwasher and you should find an owner’s manual online with basic routine maintenance instructions.

6. Clean & Disinfect Your Kitchen Sink

Cooking meat products, especially turkey can lead to salmonella and/or e.coli poisoning. This is the last thing you want your guests to remember you by! In fact, many studies have shown that the typical kithcen sink has more harmful bacteria than the standard toilet bowl. Yuck! Now that you’ve been made aware of this, disinfect your sink! Throw away any old sponges and bleach any older rags and cloths in hot water. Also take one part rubbing alcohol to one part water, or bleach and water, and let the solution run down the drain.

7. Test the Overall Temperature of Your Oven

You don’t need any special tools or equipment to do this. Simply buy a prepackaged cake from the store, and bake it according to the directions. After the allotted time, if the cake is undercooked or burned, your oven’s temperature settings are off.

8. DO NOT Self-clean Your Oven!

This is the reason we get so many calls over the Thanksgiving holiday. Most of our clients have never used the self-cleaning cycle on their oven and it can break as a result! By all means, use the self-cleaning cycle on a cool day where you aren’t expecting company, but do not run it just before the big dinner.

If you haven’t had the chance to use the self-clean setting on your oven in October, we suggest that you use a less caustic, steam cleaning measure: Put an oven safe bowl of white vinegar in and set your oven at 270F. When the preheat sensor goes off, turn off your oven and keep it closed overnight. The next day, open your oven door and wipe off any grease and food residue with a sponge. No elbow grease is needed, and you don’t run the risk of your oven breaking.

9. Do Self-Clean the Washing Machine

If your washer has a self-clean cycle, run it before your guests arrive. If not, run the empty load on HOT with either 2 cups of bleach or vinegar, add ½ cup of detergent halfway through the cycle, remove stains with a sponge, and voila – your washer has been deep cleaned!

10. Check the Hoses on Your Washer

The most common source of a leak in your washer is the hoses, as they can split, crack, or tear over time. Gently pull your washer away from the wall and check the hoses in the back for any tears, cracks, or loose fittings. This will avoid a disastrous flood over the big weekend.

We hope these tips were helpful, and if you have any issues or concerns regarding your appliances, send us an email or give us a call! We’re here to help! Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving, from Puget Sound Appliance Tech!

To make sure that you receive the highest level
of service and expertise any time you need appliance repair be sure to call:

Puget Sound Appliance Tech
253-455-2080 or (425) 243-9482

KING COUNTY ZIP CODES SERVED:

98126 98133 98136 98134 98138 98144 98146 98148 98155 98154 98158 98164 98166 98168 98177 98178 98190 98188 98198 98195 98199 98224 98251 98288 98354 98001 98003 98002 98005 98004 98007 98006 98009 98008 98011 98010 98014 98019 98022 98024 98023 98025 98028 98027 98030 98029 98032 98031 98034 98033 98038 98040 98039 98042 98045 98047 98051 98050 98053 98052 98055 98057 98056 98059 98058 98068 98065 98070 98072 98075 98074 98077 98083 98092 98101 98103 98102 98105 98104 98107 98106 98109 98108 98112 98115 98114 98117 98116 98119 98118 98122 98121 98125

PIERCE COUNTY ZIP CODES SERVED:

98558 98580 98490 98304 98303 98321 98323 98327 98329 98328 98330 98333 98332 8335 98338 98344 98348 98349 98352 98351 98360 98371 98373 98372 98375 98374 98385 98388 98387 98391 98390 8395 98394 98397 98396 98401 98403 98402 98405 98404 98407 98406 98409 98408 98411 98418 98416 98422 98421 98430 98424 98433 98439 98438 98443 98445 98444 98447 98446 98466 98465 98467 98498 98499 98513