The springtime sunshine often sheds light on the dust and dirt that have been accumulating in your home all winter. While online spring cleaning checklists may direct you to wax your hardwood floors and shampoo your carpets, it is also a great time of year to give your appliances a little TLC, so they can perform better throughout the year. Here are a few easy appliance cleaning tips recommended from our experts at Westside to extend the life of your appliances:

Your dishwasher and clothes washer need to be cleaned, too!

Your dishwasher and clothes washer make life so much easier! While they help you save time and water (and money on your water bill), it’s easy to forget that they too need to be cleaned in order to perform their best and last longer.

To clean your dishwasher, pull out the racks and wipe down the inside of your dishwasher with warm, soapy water. Scrub the rack’s wheels with a toothbrush to get out any hidden bacteria. Then, fill the detergent cup with Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner (which you can purchase over the phone and for contactless pick-up at our Urbandale office: 2877 99^th St. ). The dishwasher cleaner will get rid of lime deposits, stains and icky odors in your dishwasher. Plus, it’s safe to use with dishes and detergent, so you can use the cleaning tablet while running a cycle. The tablets are designed to descale your dishes and glassware, leaving them sparkling clean.

Disinfecting your washing machine is also simple to do! Just run an empty cycle with hot water, put some distilled white vinegar and baking soda in, and let it sit for 30-60 minutes. Restart your machine, let the water drain, and wipe it dry when you’re done. We also recommend Affresh Washer Cleaner, which is specifically formulated to break up dirt and residue in your washer (also available for contactless pick-up at our office in Urbandale).

Wipe up soup splatters and tough spills from your microwave.

Soup may have helped to warm your soul over the winter months, but heating it up in the microwave often leads to spills, splatters and even explosions – leaving you with tough residue that is difficult to scrub off. One easy solution to clean your microwave is to place a coffee mug or bowl filled with water and some lemon slices in your microwave and heat on high power for 3 minutes. Then, let the water sit for 3 minutes. The steam will soften the dried food spills and will leave a lemon-y aroma to eliminate any odors. Wipe the entire interior and exterior of the microwave with a cloth and warm, soapy water. Dry it with a clean cloth.

Don’t forget about cleaning out your dryer vents and gas fireplace!

Your dryer has been working hard winter to regulate its warm temperature despite the cold weather. Make sure it doesn’t have to work harder than it needs to by cleaning out the dryer vent. Cleaning out your dryer vent will not only improve it efficiency and extend the life of your appliance, but it will also increase your safety. Clogged dryer vents are one of the top causes of house fires in the U.S., and are estimated to cause 2,900 home fires per year. Cleaning out your dryer vent helps reduce your risk!

Now is also a great time to clean your gas fireplace! After the long winter season, turn off the pilot light and wipe the exterior of your fireplace with a damp cloth to remove the dust from around it. You may want to consider calling a professional to deep clean your gas fireplace. Chemical cleaners, including normal gas cleaner, can fog up and damage the finish on your gas fireplace (and they are also very flammable).

Sign up for Westside’s Annual Fireplace/Dryer Vent Maintenance Program (AMP).

Join our Annual Fireplace/Dryer Vent Maintenance Program to save on important services that keep your appliances performing their best and help increase safety in your home. This new program consists of service twice a year.

In the spring, a Westside technician will:

• Turn off your fireplace pilot light
• Clean your dryer vent from the dryer to the exterior vent
• Clean the area behind the dryer
• Clean the area below and around the lint trap

In the fall, a Westside technician will:

• Completely clean the fireplace/add fresh embers (if needed for a small additional charge)
• Re-light the pilot light
• Check for gas leaks

The current price of these services if purchased separately is $319.98. Through the Annual Fireplace/Dryer Vent Maintenance Program, our special price is $279.99.

Book your maintenance today and sign up for the program by calling us at 515-276-8899.