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If the self-cleaning feature on your oven has ever made you uneasy, you aren’t alone. Many homeowners can’t bring themselves to use the feature due to the high heat or possible fumes. However, knowing how it works and how to properly use the self-cleaning feature can put your mind at ease.

Tips for the Self-Cleaning Oven Cycle

• The amount of time your oven spends cleaning should depend on how dirty your oven is. Two hours are sufficient for light cleaning, whereas a dirtier oven might require up to four hours to be sufficiently clean.
• Make sure that you remove all metal racks, pans, and foil. Metal racks must be washed separately, but enamel racks are fine to leave in.
• Clean as much as you can before you set the cycle. Make sure you scrub away baked-on food, grease, and spills before the cycle begins.
• If your oven doesn’t automatically lock, make sure that you lock it during the cycle and keep it locked until the oven is finished cooling down. It may take a while after the cycle for your oven to regain normal oven temperatures.
• After the cycle is complete and your oven has cooled down, clean up any dust or ash residue with either a vacuum cleaner or a damp cloth. 

Don’t Leave the House!

It might be tempting to set the oven to self-clean while you’re going to be out of the house, but this can actually be a lot more dangerous. Instead, use the self-cleaning feature while you’re home, but aren’t going to be in the kitchen for a few hours. Because of the extreme heat that your oven uses during the cleaning process, it can emit Teflon fumes that you don’t want to breathe in. Being in the next room over, however, shouldn’t be an issue.

The self-cleaning feature on your oven can make you a bit anxious, but it’s simple once you know what to expect. For advice or repairs, contact All Brands Appliance Repair any time! We are more than happy to help.

We’ve all been there. You run your dishwasher regularly, clean it when necessary, and you’re still getting a terrible odor inside. What can you do? 

There are a few things that can be causing this odor, so identifying the problem is going to be your first step. You can run multiple vinegar rinses through your machine, but if you don’t find the cause of the odor, it will keep coming back. 

Here are a few causes and solutions. 

• Your filter is clogged. Sometimes, food particles get into your filter or trap. If it’s not cleaned out regularly, it can lead to rotting food odors that may smell like fish, eggs, or the sewer. It’s simple enough to clean, so find out where the filter is on your particular model and clean it out.
• Your drain hose is bent. If your drain hose is bent or kinked at all, waste water may be flowing back into your dishwasher. Try to straighten your drain hose to stop the problem.
• Your drain hose is too low. If your drain hose is positioned too low, waste water could be flowing back into your dishwasher. You can try to reposition the hose by elevating and looping it so that water can drain as it should.
• Your dishwasher door is closed and not run for long periods. When you aren’t using your dishwasher, crack the door open slightly when it isn’t in use. This way, air can flow into the dishwasher and moisture can flow out, preventing mold growth.

You can also prevent these odors from happening in the first place by making sure that your dishwasher screen is cleaned regularly. Also occasionally run a dishwasher cleaning cycle with only dishwasher cleaner and no dishes to get the last of the odor-causing bacteria out of your dishwasher.

If you just can’t kick the smell, we’re always willing to help at All Brands Appliance Repair. Call us today if you’re having issues in the Wilmington area. We’re more than happy to offer advice! 

Does food go bad quickly in your refrigerator? Ever thought it seemed a bit warmer than it should be, or colder than normal? It turns out that there is an optimal temperature for your refrigerator. 

Studies conducted on fridge temperatures have shown that food breeds bacteria quickly in temperatures upwards of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. They’ve determined that the safest temperature for your food to be kept in is 37 degrees for the fridge and 0 degrees for the freezer.

But what can you do if your refrigerator doesn’t quite get there? There are actually a few things that might be wrong with your unit. 

• Dirty compressor coils. This is by far the most common problem and the easiest fix. Once you locate the compressor coils in your unit, you can vacuum them clean with a soft brush. This can fix a cooling issue.
• Faulty thermostat. A faulty thermostat and sensor will incorrectly read your refrigerator’s internal temperature. If your fridge is too warm or too cool, this could be the problem. It’s more common than you’d expect.
• Larger cooling issues. If simple fixes don’t work, your unit may be on its way out. The best way to determine if your fridge is nearing the end of its life is to get a repair company to examine it. 

At All Brands Appliance Repair, we will happily come out and check your refrigerator if you’re having a temperature issue. We service many different appliance brands in the Wilmington area, so give us a call today! We even offer emergency appliance repair.

Even washing machines get dirty. If you haven’t cleaned your top-loading washing machine in a while, you might start to notice an unpleasant smell or even build-up around the top gaskets. This is a common problem that has a simple solution: a good, thorough cleaning.

But how do you clean a top-loading washer? 

Use Bleach. Bleach can be a great way to get all of the build-up and residue out of your washing machine. You simply need to add a 1/2 cup of your preferred liquid bleach to the detergent compartment. You should also fill the bleach dispenser to the highest level.

Run a normal cycle with warm water afterward. This will keep the drum, hoses, and inner workings of your machine clean. Make sure to clean the gaskets around the top of the machine.

Use Vinegar and Baking Soda. For a chemical-free alternative, add vinegar to a hot wash cycle. Pause in the middle of the cycle to let the vinegar and water soak the machine for about an hour. You can use this time to wipe all of the gaskets and glass with a cloth, using the same vinegar and water mixture that’s already inside the machine. Restart the cycle after an hour and allow it to finish. 

When that cycle is done, run another cycle with a cup of baking soda to really scrub it out. You may need to remove baking soda residue from the glass on top of your machine. 

 

Keeping your washing machine clean is important! If you have any questions, contact All Brands Appliance Repair today!

Front-loading, high-efficiency washing machines can save you a lot of money and space. They use less water, and you can stack them together with dryers in smaller laundry rooms. However, one potential downside is that they do need to be cleaned more regularly than top-loading washing machines. Here’s why.

Front-Loading Washers & Mold Problems

Top-loaders can rely on gravity to keep water inside the drum while washing. Front-loading machines, on the other hand, have to use sealing gaskets around the door, instead. These gaskets are meant to keep the water in, of course, but that also means that they don’t dry out as well between cycles.

The build-up of soap and moisture in these gaskets can easily lead to a mold problem, so here are a few tips on how to keep your washing machine in squeaky-clean shape:

• Use the “wash cycle” often. Use the this cleaning cycle on your machine to keep the tub from getting too dirty.
• Use the right amount of detergent. Too much detergent can leave a film on the gasket, and mold loves it. Use the right amount (less than you think) to keep mold down.
• Clean your gaskets with bleach or vinegar. Get into the crevices of your gaskets with a bleach or vinegar-baking soda blend to clean out existing mold, mildew, and soap film. 
• Keep the door open between washes. Leaving the door open between loads can help dry out the gaskets that are usually sealed up tight inside. This can keep moisture and mold down.

Mold doesn’t have to be a problem for your front-loading machine. For questions and advice, give All Brands Appliance Repair a call today!

Garbage disposals are meant to last the average family about 8-15 years in total. If you keep up with regular maintenance you can reasonably expect your disposal to last at least this long. By always running water when you use it, keeping food particles small, and disposing of only soft foods, you can lengthen the lifespan of your disposal.

However, sometimes you’ll need to replace it before this much time has passed. Here at All Brands Appliance Repair, we want to help you make the best choice. Does your until need to be completely replaced, or is a simple repair a better option?

Each case is different. However, if your garbage disposal exhibits any of these signs, consider getting an estimate for a replacement:

• Frequent resets. If you notice having to press the ‘reset’ button on your disposal more and more frequently, it’s probably time to get it replaced.
• Unexplained clogs. Garbage disposals clog with larger loads sometimes, of course. But if it’s happening more often with smaller particles, it might mean the blades are getting dull.
• Perpetual smells. Garbage disposals should not smell all the time. If your disposal smells even after attempts to clean it, consider replacement.
• Internal leaks. If it’s not the water lines on the outside of the unit, there might be an internal crack.

If you’re unsure which option is right for you, don’t hesitate to contact All Brands Appliance Repair with questions. We’re here to help!