Practical Advice for Taking Care of some Common Kitchen Appliances
by Guest on Feb 23, 2012
Like any other piece of equipment, kitchen appliances last longer if they are maintained in good condition with regular care. Cleaning is essential to the maximum efficiency of any appliance, from meat grinders to microwave ovens. Always remember to keep the manual on hand so if you have any damaged parts you can refer to the manual to see if it is covered by warranty.
Microwave Ovens
Microwave ovens are vulnerable to power surges because they contain solid-state circuitry. Therefore, make sure to plug the microwave into a surge protector, not a regular outlet to safeguard against any shorts that an outage may cause. Remember to clean the interior of the microwave once a month with a good kitchen degreaser to remove any build-up or food that has accidentally splattered on the sides during cooking or reheating.
Dishwashers
Dishwashers are especially easy to clean as they simply require a monthly scrub down with soapy water to remove detergent buildup. Check racks for signs of rust and replace them if rust is found.
Meat Appliances
Any item that comes in contact with raw meat, poultry or fish needs to be thoroughly cleaned after every use. Meat grinders made of numerous parts, from the grinding plates to the barrel to the pusher and the augur. For a detailed description of meat grinders, you can read reviews like the one here. Each part needs to be disassembled and washed thoroughly in hot soapy water, followed by a soak in hot water with a tablespoon of bleach. After several minutes in the bleach, rinse thoroughly and dry with a clean towel. Do not air dry, as the parts can rust. If you use the grinder only occasionally, you can store the parts individually in plastic bags with a few grains of rice to keep moisture out. Otherwise, store the grinder in a moisture-free place.
Juicers
Juicers come in many sizes and styles, but they all can build up bacteria if not washed after every use. To clean your juicer, you will need a garbage can, a plastic spoon, a clean dry towel, a scouring sponge, liquid dishwashing detergent, a nylon cleaning brush, and a small pipe cleaning brush.
Unplug the juicer and disassemble the parts. Empty the pulp container into the garbage can; lift the juicer cover and use a plastic spoon to scrape out the remaining pulp. Lift the filter bowl that surrounds the stainless steel filter basket from the motor base.
To remove the filter basket from the filter bowl, turn the filter bowl upside down and allow the filter basket to drop out. Be careful to hold the filter basket only along the mesh edge. The blades at the bottom of the filter basket are very sharp. Run warm water over each part of the juicer to remove the excess pulp, then soak the parts in hot, soapy water.
Use the clean scouring sponge to carefully wipe down each part. For small, hard to reach areas, such as the pour spout opening on the juice cover, use a small pipe cleaning brush. This will prevent long-term buildup that can attract bacteria to form inside the opening.
A nylon cleaning brush works best to clean the stainless steel filter basket and blades. Vigorously scrub the blades and filtration edges of the basket until the basket is clean.
If the pulp remains in the mesh holes of the filter basket, soak the basket in a mixture of 1 part lemon juice to 9 parts water before washing. This will help break up the caked-on pulp in mesh holes.
Rinse each part under hot water and place and on a clean dry towel until all of the parts are washed. Allow the juicer parts to dry.
Use a damp scouring sponge to carefully wipe down the motor base. Double-check that all of the parts are dry, reassemble the juicer and store the juicer in a dry, clean area until its next use.
Knives
Keep kitchen knives sharp with a sharpening steel or whetstone. Motorized sharpeners remove too much metal in the sharpening process and shorten the life of the blade. Professional sharpening is a good option; some grocery store meat departments will sharpen knives for a small fee – or even free of charge.
If necessary, a good source for parts is APWagner.com. They carry factory-direct parts for all major household appliances including refrigerators, washing machines, clothes dryers, air conditioners, freezer, dishwashers, mixers and more.
This article was contributed by Liz Krause, an avid Italian food enthusiast. She enjoys cooking at home and operating her website featuring simple Italian recipes. She also writes about various Italian kitchenware like the popular Italian gelato maker like this one here
Popular Articles
When to Use a Brush, Roller or Sponge Brush
Brushes are a good choice for painting trim and woodwork. They are also useful for cutting in the edges around the top and bottom edges and corners...
65650 Views
Three Places to Spend Money on the Exterior of Your Home
When you have the exterior of your home remodeled, you are investing, time, energy and convenience into the project and you want to make sure that...
64444 Views
Homemade Headboards-Make an Upholstered or Wooden Headboard
Homemade headboards can add a lot of personality to any bedroom. They can be coordinated with existing furniture and room decor or they can be the...
59544 Views
Creating a Cottage Kitchen with Bead Board
Kitchen decor can range from modern and bold to elegant and elaborate by using strategic kitchen pieces. One of the most popular decorating trends...
40631 Views
Gas Fireplace Diagnostics and Troubleshooting
Follow these steps for diagnosing and troubleshooting Gas Fireplaces repairs. For the average DIYer, this may seem intimidating, depending on the...
25467 Views
Latest Articles
Pros and Cons of Concreting Your Outdoor Area
If you're in the process of looking for a new driveway, patio, pool surrounding or path you may be waying up the option of concrete. Here are a...
on Jul 3, 2022
What Is Vacate Cleaning?
Vacate cleaning or end of lease cleaning, is a requirement for the person renting a home to clean the house at the end of their renting term. The...
on Jun 30, 2022
How Cleaning Your Gutters Can Save You Money!
There are many reasons why gutter cleaning is important, firsty for preventative maintenance and the overall safety of your building or home. We...
on Jun 30, 2022
How To Renovate Your Bathroom in Your Airbnb
If you are looking to renovate your bathroom in your Airbnb rental, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Renovating a bathroom can be a...
on Jun 30, 2022
How To Create a Spa-Like Atmosphere in Your Bathroom
If you are looking for a way to add a little luxury to your life, why not start in your own bathroom? Creating a spa-like bathroom in your home can...
on Jun 30, 2022
Featured Articles
What Type of Licensed Contractor Should You Hire?
on Feb 28, 2017
Hire Contractors / Estimates

Looking for a specialty project? There are many types of contractors available for your home improvement needs. Finding the right type of...
Sponsored Articles
Pros and Cons of Concreting Your Outdoor Area
on Jul 3, 2022
Garden / Landscaping / Patio

If you're in the process of looking for a new driveway, patio, pool surrounding or path you may be waying up the option of concrete. Here are a...
What Is Vacate Cleaning?
on Jun 30, 2022
Cleaning / Maintenance

Vacate cleaning or end of lease cleaning, is a requirement for the person renting a home to clean the house at the end of their renting term. The...
How Cleaning Your Gutters Can Save You Money!
on Jun 30, 2022
Roofing / Gutters

There are many reasons why gutter cleaning is important, firsty for preventative maintenance and the overall safety of your building or home. We...
Juan Plumbing - Learn about SCAMs
on Sep 17, 2021
Hire Contractors / Estimates

I can firmly say, I'm only trying to be an advocate for a neighbor that is a DISABLED SENIOR who was taken advantage of in this SCAM. I feel the...
Actions
Top Categories
- Garden / Landscaping / Patio — 258
- Kitchen / Bathrooms — 235
- Real Estate / Finance — 190
- Appliance / Repair — 185
- Interior Design / Decor — 181
- HVAC / Air Conditioning — 145
- Cleaning / Maintenance — 138
- Improvements / Remodeling — 131
- Floors / Tile / Hardwood — 114
- Plumbing / Basements — 114
- Doors / Garages — 112
- Safety / Security — 112
Articles Archive
More DIY Articles
Top Signs it is Time to Replace Your Windows
Windows don’t last forever, but they do last for very long, in most cases, as long as twenty years, and sometimes with little or no...
Are You Worried about Funding Your Home Repairs?
When you are looking to make repairs or alterations to your house it can be a daunting prospect where you are going to get the money to fund these...
How to Prepare a Room for Painting
Painting is one of the final finishes you add to your room to beautify it. It’s a project very popular among DIYers and veteran home...
How to Grow Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses have become extremely popular in the past ten years or so, and if you buy them at a garden center they are kind of pricey....
Should You Call a Plumber or Fix It Yourself?
If you’re a homeowner who likes to save some money and time, you can do some minor plumbing repairs around your house. Eventually, though, a...