Kitchen Appliances
The kitchen is often the heart of the home. Maintaining your kitchen appliances, cabinets and countertops can help your home keep its value.
Cooking appliances: Ranges, Cooktops and Ovens
- Turn off the range and oven before cleaning the range hood.
- You can clean the broiler pan, control panel, and stove top with a nonabrasive cleaner.
- Clean the knobs with dish soap and a damp cloth.
- If your oven is self-cleaning or continuous cleaning, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to clean it.
- If your oven isn’t self-cleaning, you can simply clean it with soap and water (make sure the oven is off and cool).
- To clean the range hood grease filter, remove and wash with a detergent solution. If your range hood has a charcoal filter, don’t clean it but replace it once a year.
- Clean the range hood with soap and warm water, a degreaser or a nonabrasive cleaner.
Note:
Don’t spray cleaners directly onto the range, cooktop, or oven surface. Always spray into a soft rag and use that to clean the surface.
Kitchen Cabinets and Countertop
- Clean spills immediately. Use a clean cloth and soapy water.
- Prevent damage from leaks by monitoring the condition of all caulking on countertops. Reapply the caulking if it separates or shrinks.
- Don’t cut items directly on the countertop because you might scratch the surface.
- Don’t hang wet dish towels on the edges of the countertops or on the tops of cabinet doors and drawers.
- Clean the cabinets with a damp cloth and a mild cleanser. Wipe them dry after cleaning.
- Dry all dishes before putting them in the cabinets. Standing water might damage the inside of the drawers and shelves.
- If a cabinet door doesn’t close flush with the cabinet face frame, either the hinge has twisted or the door has warped. See your owner’s manual.
For more information about cabinets, visit the manufacturer’s website.
Kitchen Disposal
- Insert foods loosely into the disposal.
- Run cold water while the disposal is running.
- Keep the disposal running for at least 15 seconds after the noise of grinding has stopped.
- Don’t grind large bones or fibrous materials, such as corn husks, artichokes, etc.
- Don’t pour grease or fat down the disposal.
Dishwasher
With a little regular cleaning and maintenance, your dishwasher will continue working hard for your family year after year.
- Inspect the dishwasher for leaks every six months. This is done by looking around the front and underneath the dishwasher for leaks after a cycle is complete. Call a licensed professional to have any leaks or clogs repaired immediately.
- If the dishwasher is leaking, inspect the drain before calling for repair. A partially blocked drain can cause overflow.
- Only use dishwasher detergent, and only in the recommended amounts.
- If the dishwasher isn’t directly wired, plug it into a grounded outlet only. Don’t use an extension cord.
- To clean the dishwasher’s control panel, use a damp cloth and dry thoroughly.
- You should clean the strainer, pump, and spray arms every three months per the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Clean the dishwasher float periodically following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Note:
Before cleaning the interior of the dishwasher, wait at least 20 minutes after a cycle for the heating element to cool down. Failure to do so could result in burn injuries.
* These tips are just a guide. For the best information about ranges, cooktops, ovens, and dishwashers, visit the manufacturer’s website.
