Learning About Repairing Washers and Dryers

The amount of dirty laundry generated by the average family can be astonishing. If the home includes children or pets, or when one or both more people in the home have careers or hobbies that create extra laundry, such as construction work or taking care of a home garden, running one or more loads of laundry per day is often needed. With that level of usage, it is important for homeowners to learn how to properly maintain their automatic washers and dryers to prevent having to purchase expensive replacements sooner than necessary. 

Refrain from overloading

Appliance repair personnel get frequent service calls that could be prevented by taking care not to overload the washer or dryer. When families notice that their washer or their just-washed clothing does not look or smell as clean and fresh as it should, they often think their appliances are at fault. While this can be true in some cases, it is most often caused by cramming too many clothes in either the washer or the dryer. 

Clean the machines regularly

Washers that are not performing efficiently may be suffering from a buildup of minerals from hard water or residue from laundry product usage. Homeowners can help to avoid this problem by periodically cleaning their washer. A good way to perform this maintenance task is to add a quart of household vinegar to the empty machine and then set it to run through its longest wash cycle on the hot setting. The vinegar will help to clean away mineral buildup, as well as excess residue from detergents and softeners. 

Dryers should be cleaned periodically, as well. This is especially important after finding ballpoint pens, crayons, or other objects in them that could cause stains on clothing in later loads. Saturating a clean, soft cloth with household vinegar and wiping the inside of the drum and the interior of the door will help to remove dirt, grime, ink, and other materials that could damage your clothes. 

Invest in routine maintenance

The best way to avoid emergency service calls for your home laundry appliances is to invest in routine maintenance performed by a reputable appliance repair service professional. During an affordable annual or semi-annual routine maintenance call, the technician can level the appliances, check for leaking or damaged hoses and connections, examine electrical connections for safety, and make sure that pumps, gearboxes, pulleys, heating elements, and other components are in good repair.