You never realize how much you appreciate an appliance in your home until it breaks down. At the same time, you don’t realize how much you appreciate Mr. Handyman until he figures out how to fix it.
A couple of weeks ago, it appeared that my washing machine was done. It was making a loud clunking sound and when it was finished with the final cycle, the clothes were sopping wet.
It was bad timing (isn’t it always?) with a trip we have coming up. Buying a new washing machine was not in our budget.
Thankfully my husband was able to diagnose the problem, a worn belt. He was even smart enough to flip the belt around, using the less worn side. Eventually we will have to get a new belt. But still…he saved us a lot of money.
This got me thinking about the need to take care of our appliances. Those things that clean for us, we can help in extending their lives.
One of the biggest ways we can keep the washing machine in tip-top shape is to not overload it. When it becomes unbalanced, it can lead to parts breaking.
Now this might be an issue of not having a laundry schedule. If you can try and get in at least one load each day, you will avoid having to stuff it full.
Vinegar can be used for cleaning lots of things, such as your dishwasher. But you can also use it to clean out the washing machine. Using the hot water cycle, add two cups of vinegar.
You should also clean out any gunk you see forming, especially around the rim of your washing machine or the bleach dispenser. Make sure you don’t use too much soap when washing your items because it builds up.
Extending the life of your washing machine takes just a little bit of care. But it could save a whole lot of money.
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Photo by jim212jim in Flickr