YOUR WASHER OR DRYER NEEDS CLEANING! SO, KNOW HOW TO DO IT PROPERLY!
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Both your washing machine and dryer need cleaning! If you never have cleaned it before or are pushing it off, this blog will help explain why it’s so important you clean them regularly. Especially your dryer, as built-up lint from clothing can easily cause a fire quickly. So, how exactly do you clean your washer or dryer? Find out everything you need to know in this blog!
Why Should You Clean Your Washer or Dryer?
Cleaning Your Washer Or Dryer Regularly Helps Increase Longevity
This is no secret, in fact, the manufacturers and many critics have stated that regular upkeep and maintenance of your washer or dryer will go a long way in keeping them from breaking too soon. Most manufacturers expect a washer and dryer to last at least 10 years, however, it was found that around 30 percent of those will either break or have issues in around 5 years.
Cleaning Your Washer Or Dryer Regularly Will Ensure No Damage Will Occur
For your washer, using detergents and other cleaning products will eventually eat away at the metal in your washer, and it will allow mold to grow. However, if you clean it out regularly and apply certain maintenance tricks, mold will not be able to grow and spread outside of the washer.
We talked previously about this in our 7 Tips To Prepare Your Home For Spring blog, which you can find here. For your dryer, cleaning out the lint drawer often is the best way to ensure it cannot cause a fire. Every load you should be cleaning out the lint trap, however, obviously not all of it can be caught. After a while, lint will build up in your duct, becoming stuck and eventually causing a fire as the exhaust from the dryer comes out. Cleaning this out once a month will help you stay safe from a dryer fire.
How To Clean Your Washer And Dryer
Tips For Your Washer
Use Baking Soda!
As a homeowner, you might have heard of this trick by now. If not, here you go! Using about 2 cups of baking soda in your washer at the hottest wash setting will clean your entire washer drum. This will surely prevent mold from growing and your clothing from obtaining that musty smell. Not to mention the fact that any leftover detergent will be removed by using baking soda.
Continue To Clean The Interior
Using a cloth with baking soda on it again or white vinegar, any leftover stains you can clean yourself! Sometimes, the inside of the door to your washer will also start to grow mold if it’s left to continue expanding. Using your cloth, clean this area of your washer as well.
Tips For Your Dryer
Clean The Lint Trap
As we mentioned previously, cleaning this area of your dryer after every load is very important, however, the duct is the most important. For this job, you are going to want to use a vacuum. You can take out the lint filter, vacuum any excess lint that may have gotten trapped here, effectively cleaning out the dryer filter.
Clean Out The Duct, Leading To The Back Panel
Before doing this, it is important that you first unplug the dryer itself, that way you will not get shocked when trying to take off the back panel. Once that is done, push your dryer out, remove the back paneling and use your vacuum again to suck up the excess lint that is trapped. This is the area of your dryer that will remain clogged if you do not physically remove it yourself. Most fires from dryers originate here, as the heat can light the lint on fire, causing either a small fire or your house to go up in flames. The bottom line – cleaning the duct is a must!
Do You Need Restoration Services After A Washer or Dryer Malfunction?
Hire a Professional Restoration Service – Rhode Island Restoration
Unfortunately, cleaning out your washer or dryer at least once a month is not a priority for some homeowners. This also means that because of this, their washer or dryer caused significant damage to your home. If this is the case, contact Rhode Island Restoration! We can help any homeowner repair their home, whether it was mold damage from their washer or fire damage from their dryer. At the end of the day, we are here to help you, just as we have helped many homeowners with similar incidents for over 18+ years. If you know anyone or have been affected by these damages, do not hesitate to contact us. For any other type of service, you may need help with be sure to check out our services page. Call us today at 401-414-1111 for a free quote and any questions you may have.
