Kitchen appliance maintenance tips

This helpful guide on kitchen maintenance focuses on tips to ensure the longevity and best performance of your essential household appliances. From fridges and cookers to washing machines, they can all enhance our daily lives by making tasks more convenient, efficient, and even safer.
 
While these modern machines come with many advantages, they can also be quite expensive to purchase and if damaged, repairs are often costly. Finding the time to deep clean or deal with repairs can be tricky, so, to extend the lifespan of your kitchen appliances, it’s a good idea to incorporate smaller maintenance tasks into your routine.

Whether you rent or own your home, we have plenty of tips for cleaning and helping you to maintain your kitchen appliances!*

Jump to:
Maintenance tips for your fridge and freezer
Maintenance tips for your washing machine
Maintenance tips for your hob and oven
Maintenance tips for your microwave
Maintenance tips for your smaller kitchen appliances

Maintenance tips for your fridge and freezer

Proper kitchen maintenance includes looking after your refrigerator and freezer. It’s essential to ensure they run efficiently and keep your food fresh.

• Tackling food mess as it happens is key to keeping up with cleanliness and avoiding stickiness and stains. Most spills can be cleaned using a sponge and a solution of baking soda, or warm soapy water. Regardless of spills, wiping your fridge down internally will reduce odours. For most models, the shelves and drawers of a fridge are easily removed and should be taken out and cleaned using a sponge soaked in baking soda. Don’t forget the seals around the doors and remember to rinse and dry the innards thoroughly before putting any items back.
• Ensure you’re clearing your fridge of expired or spoiled food items regularly, this will prevent the spread of unpleasant odours while reducing overcrowding. Allowing space between items will circulate the air and facilitate proper cooling. We’ve got plenty more food storage tips to save you money.
• Keep the temperature inside your refrigerator between 1.7-3.3°C and your freezer at -17.8°C. This range helps prevent bacterial growth and keeps your food fresher for longer.

Maintenance tips for your washing machine

By looking after your washing machine, you'll not only maintain the average life of your kitchen appliance but also ensure consistently fresh and clean washing.

• Consider running an empty hot water cycle every other month to get rid of lingering odours, banish mould, and keep your machine operating at its peak efficiency. For best results, set your washing machine to one of the highest and hottest water settings. Add half a litre of white vinegar to the detergent dispenser and start a cycle. Once the washing machine is filled up, pause it for an hour to allow the water and white vinegar to soak the drum.

For more on eliminating washing machine odours, see our guide on how to sort a smelly washing machine.

• It can be tempting to go overboard with detergent, but most machines need less than you think. Save money, preserve the quality of your clothing, and maintain your machine's efficiency by checking the manufacturer's guidelines and using the recommended amount for your model and laundry load.
• Regularly check your washing machine hoses for any signs of wear, leaks, or cracks. These issues can lead to water damage and disrupt your laundry routine. It’s important to know how to prevent water damage in your home. Washing machine hoses should ideally be replaced every five years - or sooner if any issues arise to safeguard your machine and home from potential mishaps. We recommend seeking help from a professional if you’re unable to replace the hoses yourself, our furniture support page has a variety of resources for this type of help. 

We have many more tips on plumbing, including 10 steps to plumbing in a washing machine. 

Maintenance tips for your hob and oven

Keeping your kitchen clean and free from mess not only enhances efficiency but also improves the aesthetics of your kitchen, which in turn can have a positive impact on your mood. Try these tips to make the most of your hob and oven.

• Prioritise regular cleaning. Invest time in wiping down surfaces after each use to prevent grease build-up. Using baking soda to tackle stubborn stains and spills, is non-toxic, inexpensive and easy to use. Mix the baking soda and water to form a paste, using a gloved hand, smear the paste over the dirty parts, whether metal or glass and avoid the heating elements. Leave the paste to sit for 20 minutes. Wipe up the paste and loosen the dirt and grease with wet paper towels. We recommend wiping the inside of the oven with a wet kitchen towel, using water or a mixture of water and distilled vinegar. You may need to repeat the process for tougher stains.
• When cleaning your oven, don’t forget to check and clean the rubber seals around the oven door regularly. These seals ensure heat retention and the energy efficiency needed to cook your meals. Replace any worn-out seals straight away to prevent heat loss, ensuring your dishes are cooked properly and avoiding sickness.
• Periodically check the accuracy of your oven's temperature settings using a reliable thermometer. If you notice discrepancies, follow the manufacturer’s manual to reset your oven and guarantee precise cooking temperatures.

Maintenance tips for your microwave

The king of convenience appliances, microwaves don’t need much maintenance, but to increase the longevity and performance of your microwave, cleanliness is needed.

• Regularly wipe down the microwave’s interior with a mild detergent solution to get rid of food residue, spills, and lingering odours. A sanitised microwave not only ensures a healthy kitchen environment but also prevents cross-contamination.
• Safeguard the delicate components from potential damage and reduce food splatters by using microwave-safe covers or lids when heating dishes.
• Leave the microwave door ajar for a few minutes after using to let the steam out and help prevent rust or erosion inside the appliance.