Consumer Watch: How to extend the life of your appliances

Set of home kitchen appliances in the room on the wall background. - stock photo appliance tile home tile / Getty Images
Set of home kitchen appliances in the room on the wall background. - stock photo appliance tile home tile / Getty Images

We're getting ready to renovate our kitchen and a couple of other parts of our home and want to save as much money as possible. We'll need all new appliances and want to know what we can do to ensure they'll last longer than the average lifetime. – Sally Savings

Dear Ms. Savings: You're a smart cookie! It's easier than you might think to add years to these pricy appliances and the Appliance Handbook for Women: Simple Enough Even Men Can Understand by Vernon Schmidt tells us how.

A dishwasher's average lifespan is 10 years, but you can tack on an extra four to eight years by following Schmidt's advice. Just run hot water through the running garbage disposal for thirty seconds before you turn on the dishwasher. (The dispersed water sucks out any remains that could be drawn into the machine's drain line, which leads to clogs. But what if you don't have a disposal or simply don't wish to use it? Still run the tap water to heat it up before turning on the dishwasher to help dissolve the soap faster. (P.S. By the end of 2015, 70% of all dishwasher detergent sales were in tab or pack form, according to Nielsen/IRI. Gel detergents accounted for 20% of sales, while powdered detergent had fallen to a mere 10%. In fact, detergent pacs and tablets remain the most widely sold type, making up three-quarters of the market. While liquid and powder dishwasher detergents cost less per load, they can't match the cleaning power of CR's top-rated detergent pacs and have fallen out of favor among consumers. In fact, the availability of powder detergents declined so much that Consumer Reports dropped the category from its tests in 2019.)

Add up to four years to a refrigerator's lifespan of 14 years. We all hear about condenser coils and the ease of cleaning them. Well, Schmidt insists that dirt, pet dander, and the like are responsible for the earliest a 'fridge will die on us. Several times a year we should turn off the appliance, remove the grate that protects the coils (at the back or at the bottom front) and use a vacuum brush attachment to get them clean. It's also a wise idea to re-lubricate the rubber door seal. Wash it with warm soapy water, let dry, and then put on a smidge of Vaseline. The latter softens the rubber and ensures that food does not splatter – and remain – on the seal.

Washing machines have an average span of 11 years but can be boosted up three extra years. First, be certain the machine is level. (A huge issue if the drum grates against the frame during the spin cycle, which causes damage). Additionally, if you use less detergent, it prevents build-up which causes clogs or problems with the rubber seals and pumps. Schmidt suggests we use only two tablespoons for front-loaders and a quarter cupful for top-loaders.

Clothes dryers' average lifespan of 12 years can be jumped another three if, according to Schmidt, certain practices are followed. For instance, if clothes begin to take longer to dry, the culprit is probably hitches in the venting system that blocks air flow. He recommends we unplug (always!), move it away from the wall to detach the hose. Use a vacuum to clear it out and be very sure to not kink the hose when reattaching it. It also helps to clean the lint filter with hot water and a clean toothbrush every six months. (It's perfect when water flows through with no hindrance.)

And let's not forget most folks' source of gratification: the television. Normally, a TV lasts 10 years and up; to add three to six years to its duration, go to the menu and lower the brightness, contrast, and backlight settings as much as possible. Be sure to maintain a clear picture. It also helps to regularly dust the TV's backside as well as the screen - not with anything damp, however.

Contact Ellen Phillips at consumerwatch@timesfreepress.com.

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