Rekindle your appliance spark this Valentine’s Day by giving your appliances some extra TLC. The following appliance cleaning and maintenance tips will ready your appliances to cook a romantic dinner and handle the cleanup too.

Refrigerator, thank you for keeping things fresh.

To show your appreciation, we recommend checking the seal and cleaning the coils. If you have an ice maker and water dispenser, consider the last time you changed the filter. Follow your manufacturer guidelines for frequency, but generally it’s twice a year. Learn how to change a refrigerator water filter here.

Dishwasher, thank you for cleaning up my messes.

It might be time to clean your dishwasher in return. To do so, clean out your filters and scrub the spray arm nozzles (a toothbrush comes in handy here) to loosen any food residue or buildup. Then, it’s time for the magic cleaner of all things – vinegar! Fill a cup of vinegar, place it on the top rack and run the dishwasher as normal.

Washer and dryer, thank you for not judging my pizza stains.

The trusted washer, a machine that keeps your world spinning. But in order to clean your clothes, you need a clean machine. We sell cleaning wipes for the washing machine exterior and Affresh tablets for cleaning the drum.

Use Affresh wipes for the exterior of the dryer while you’re at it. And don’t forget to check your dryer vent.

Range, thanks for keeping the flame alive.

Whether it be porcelain, ceramic or glass, learn how to clean your stovetop here.  And don’t forget those cast iron grates! Next, move on to cleaning the oven. Remove your racks first if you’re using a self-clean function.

Microwave, thanks for the lazy night(s) in.

For funky smells in the microwave, mix 1 tablespoon white vinegar with 1/2 cup water and heat in a microwave-safe bowl for five minutes on high. Wait 15 minutes before opening the microwave. The steam will loosen dried on foods, so you can easily wipe them away.

Showing your appliances some love makes them work more efficiently and last longer. Basically, you and your appliances are a perfect match. Happy Valentine’s Day!

What are your best appliance maintenance/cleaning tips? Share them in the comments section below!

You’ve heard of dust bunnies, which spoiler alert, aren’t actually cute cotton-tailed creatures hopping through your home. But did you know dust mites, which live in nearly all homes, are actual creepy-crawly bugs? It’s true; dust mites are microscopic creatures that feed on dead skin cells and cause watery eyes, stuffy noses, coughing and a whole host of other allergy issues. They are the most common household allergen, and your bedroom is the most hospitable place in the house for them to live.

Creeped out? We are too, which is why we are offering tips for reducing the amount of dust mites in your home.

Tidy Up to Eliminate Dust Mites

Dust with a damp cloth, starting at the highest surface in the room and working your way down. Then, to capture all the dust that made its way to the floor, invest in a quality vacuum that uses a HEPA filter and a sealed vacuum system. Miele vacuums are known for setting the standard worldwide. According to tests, Miele’s proprietary cleaning system captures more than 99.99 percent of harmful pollutants, which is an average of 21 times more than other popular HEPA filtered bag-free machines. You can count on a Miele vacuum to capture dust mites rather than releasing them back into the air.

Throw your bedsheets, pillow cases, curtains and drapes in the washer weekly on a hot setting (between 130 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit) to kill dust mites. Use a similar heat setting in the dryer to eliminate any lingering dust mites after the wash cycle.

Consider keeping Fido and Fluffy out of the bedroom if you have severe dust mite allergies.

Dust Mite Deterrents

Fabric fibers are a dust mite’s best friend. Opt for hard-surface blinds rather than curtains and draperies. If you prefer the soft look of curtains, wash them regularly in hot water.

Consider using dust-proof mattress and pillow covers, which you can find at any mattress or home store. And in news that will make all teenagers (and let’s face it, adults) happy, don’t make your bed in the morning! Instead, leave the blankets and sheets open to air out the bed and reduce the humidity left behind after a good night’s rest.

Freeze Out Dust Mites

The freezer method works well for throw pillows and stuffed animals.

Just place the items in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer overnight. The cold environment kills the dust mites.

Air Control to Get Rid of Dust Mites

Dust mites’ ideal living quarters are 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and fairly humid. Keep your thermostat set no higher than 70 to show the dust mites they aren’t welcome. As a bonus, you will save on heating bills! Use a dehumidifier to keep your home humidity levels at 50 percent or lower, especially in the bedroom.

According to the EPA, Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors, which is why reducing allergens is crucial. Breathe easier with the tips above.  

Dreaming of a warmer spring day with the windows wide open? Yeah, well keep dreaming. Winter is coming, and for Minnesotans that means a few long months until we fling open our windows again to welcome the fresh spring air. In the meantime, our houses remain sealed tight, keeping the cold out and the stale indoor air, dust mites, pet dander, mold spores and other winter allergens sealed in. Sound like something you’ve sneezed about in the past? We’re here to make it easy breezy to improve your indoor air quality at home while we wait for spring.

Change Your Air Filter

The first line of defense for good air quality in your home is a clean air filter! Check your owners’ manual for advice and directions on changing your air filter. Some should be changed every 6 months, others more frequently depending on your home environment. To ensure your HVAC system is firing on all cylinders, schedule a furnace tuneup.

READ MORE: Fall Furnace Maintenance Checklist

Add Some Humidity

Dry winter air, which is exacerbated by your furnace, can cause chapped lips, scaly skin and sore throats. The ideal in-home humidity level is approximately 45 percent. Adjust your humidity levels accordingly with a moisture or humidity gauge. To increase humidity, use a vaporizer or humidifier. Or you can add humidity to the air naturally by placing vessels of water on radiators or near vents.

Invest in Houseplants

Image via Thermador

Clear the air of indoor pollutants using houseplants. Studies show that houseplants can filter VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from the air, helping you breathe easier. If you can keep them alive, this list of plants helps purify the air of common indoor pollutants that come from our carpeting, paints and cleaning products.

Vacuum on a Regular Basis

Invest in a quality vacuum that uses a HEPA filter. Dust/dust mites, pollen and chemicals trapped in your carpet can be sneaky culprits causing you to cough and sneeze. Check out our vacuum cleaner buying guide to see which vacuum at Warners’ Stellian is right for you!

When Americans spend on average 90% of their time indoors, especially in winter, improving indoor air quality conditions proves to be a worthwhile cause. Breathe easier and sneeze less this winter with the tips above.

What advice do you have for improving indoor air quality? Share it in the comments section below.

Featured image via Rheem

From your yoga pants to your bedsheets, your washer carries a heavy load for you, delivering pristine clothes and linens week after week. But did you ever consider you may need to clean the machine that you use to clean your clothes? Vicious cycle, but it’s true, your washing machine should be washed every now and then. Whether you use a top-loader or front-loader, learn how to clean your washing machine.

Washing Machine Cleaning

Has your washing machine lost its shine? Start by cleaning the outside of your washer. Affresh machine cleaning wipes work wonders removing built-in grime from the exterior surface, controls, detergent tray and door.

Once your washing machine is looking so fresh, so clean from the outside, it’s time to think about what’s on the inside. Use a cleaner specifically formulated for your washer interior, such as affresh tablets. With affresh, you simply place one tablet in the washer tub, run the washer on a normal cycle with your hottest water setting and then wipe away any residue left once the cycle ends. The tablet dissolves slowly throughout the entire wash cycle to break up dirt and soap residue.

Bonus Washer Cleaning Tips

Anytime you have water, there’s a chance for mildew. To avoid a mildew smell in your washing machine, keep the door open after you run a load. This allows the machine to air out and dry. With front-load machines in particular, the gasket can be a common culprit contributing to the mildew smell. Wipe your gasket dry when you’re finished with laundry for the day.

Image via Samsung

Some newer washing machines come with a self-clean function. Samsung is well known for their self-cleaning washers, which remove dirt and bacteria through a combination of soaking, pulsating and high-speed spinning.

Now that you know how to clean your washing machine, there’s only one thing left to do. Give it a spin.

Do you have any washing machine cleaning tips? Share them in the comments below.

This is an updated version of an article previously published on Oct. 28, 2009.
Featured image via LG