Handy Tips for Cleaning Your Appliances

Remember the day you first laid eyes on your new glass cooktop? Have you struggled to keep it looking like that? Your new oven shined inside and maybe you wondered how long it would look like that?

We love to keep our stuff looking its best, and you can ask 10 people how, and you’ll get 10 different answers. I know some are great ideas, and some are downright dangerous.

That said, I’ve put together the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years for cleaning cooktops, stainless steel appliances, oven door glass, front load washers (the boot and the smell), and dishwashers.

Forget Polish to Remove Baked On Food

I don’t know who started this, but if your cooktop is dirty, polish won’t help clean it. Polish works great after the cooktop is clean to shine it up. It removes smudges and fingerprints, but not baked on food. You can struggle with a rag and try to scrub the stain off, but you won’t get far.

I think the best way to remove baked on food (food that forms a raised ring on the surface around the element) is a brand new straight-edge razor blade. This idea is catching on everywhere, but many people are hesitant. Their fear is scratching the glass. I can say from experience if you use a brand new blade, you won’t scratch the glass. Keep the blade flat on the glass with pressure.

After the cooktop is clean, it’s a good time to use polish, but it’s unnecessary. Glass cleaner works well, too. It removes smudges and stains that take away from the cooktop’s good looks. If you use polish, please don’t use too much. A little goes a long way and be careful around any knobs or edges where excess polish might build up.

Always remember to dampen your rag with polish or cleaner — never spray directly onto the cooktop. Getting your cooktop back to its old self takes practice, but it pays off. In no time it will snap back to life and look just like it did when it was new!

Don’t Use Liquid on Your Cooktop!

I’ve witnessed irreparable damage to electric cooktops after a person used too much liquid cleaner that ran down onto electrical connections and shorted out the electronic controls and two of four switches.

What’s worse, the breaker tripped and my customer tried to reset it before drying things up. More damage to the unit ruined it for good. This time, the cooktop cracked.

If ever you’re faced with a situation like this, it’s best to contact a professional before doing anything else. Make sure all power to the cooktop is off and if possible, locked out so no one can turn it on without permission.

For professional help, go online to Tin Lizzee and let us help you diagnose your situation. We have a feature called Virtually There™, a camera sharing app allowing our tech to see your appliance in real time through your Android or iPhone and make any suggestions and give advice based on years of experience.

I understand most people are extra cautious while they’re cleaning, but seriously, using liquid on an electric appliance should never happen. A better way to clean your cooktop isn’t difficult and takes only a few minutes. Like I mentioned earlier, spray the cleaner onto your rag to dampen it, then clean to your heart’s content!

How to Clean Stainless Steel Appliances

This is one of my favorites because the results are amazing. I think anyone with stainless appliances has nagging doubts about cleaning them. Nothing they try works. The so-called stainless steel cleaners don’t help. The best you could expect is removing grease from fingerprints or food. The shine is elusive.

You might already know this one, but it works so good it’s worth repeating. Good Ole’ WD-40 is the best product for cleaning stainless steel appliances I’ve seen. Polish and cleaners leave streaks and dull spots. I know because I’ve used several brands with similar results.

Are you ready for a “like-new” appearance for your stainless steel appliances? Follow these steps:

• Clean the stainless with glass cleaner
• Spray a copious amount of WD-40 onto a soft cotton rag
• Starting at the top, wipe down the surface, covering every inch
• Wipe up any runs you see
• Continue to wipe the surface until an even coat is present and not runny
• Notice how it shines with no fingerprints or smudges!
• Allow it to dry until a light film remains
• You’re done!

Note: You can follow this up with a light wipe-down to remove any excess. Also, the odor from WD-40 should dissipate soon after it dries.

Clean stainless steel appliances look awesome in a kitchen when they’re shimmering and shiny, don’t you agree? Stainless needs TLC, but it’s worth the effort.

Clean Your Oven Glass Door Inside

Aside from removing and disassembling your oven door to clean it, you can easily clean your oven glass door inside with a nifty product called Scrubbing Bubbles. I’ve used it countless times on oven glass, oven doors, and inside entire ovens.

It’s a bathroom cleaner, but it does a fantastic job on built up grease on cooking surfaces and the door glass. Just follow the instructions about letting it sit for a few minutes, and you’ll be amazed how well it cleans!

The glass inside the door requires removal of the door from the oven and taking it apart on a flat surface. Separate the door and remove the glass panels. Be careful here because you can cut yourself. It’s best to wear gloves for this.

Clean the glass with Scrubbing Bubbles first, then follow up with glass cleaner for best results. Be extra careful reassembling the door with the glass panels. Align them carefully and don’t rest the door on either end before it’s back together. The glass panels with slip and you must start over.

Don’t forget we’re here to help you with this if you would like. We can use our camera sharing app, Virtually There™ to walk you through this to ensure perfect results!

Get Rid of Front Load Washer Smells

Front load washers are great machines and do their job very well. The trade-off is the dreaded smell emanating from it after a year or two of use. Lots of ideas and solutions to remove the smell are swirling around, but few are as effective as Washer Magic. I talk about why your front load washer smells and how to get rid of all the smell in my article, “How to End the Smell from Your Washer” here.

Dirty Dishwasher? We Have the Answer

What’s worse than having a smelly washer? Maybe a smelly, dirty dishwasher? Just like your front load washer starts to smell after a year or two of regular use, so does your dishwasher. I’ve discussed using Washer Magic to clean your washer and how well it performs.

Dishwasher Magic, made by the same company also does an amazing job on all dishwashers. It comes in a small bottle with a wax seal at the top. Take the top off and place it upside down inside the silverware basket and run an empty sanitize or hot cycle. The results will surprise you. Your dishwasher looks new inside and doesn’t smell. A once-a-month treatment for a few dollars keeps it looking and smelling great.

I hope you enjoyed reading my list of handy tips for cleaning your appliances. I’ve used all of them and I know they work! Hopefully, you can save time and effort using them. You can also learn more about maintaining your appliances here. As always, if you like what you read here today, feel free to leave a comment below. We always appreciate your thoughts and ideas! Contact us anytime for help with your appliances!

Originally published at tinlizzee.com on January 6, 2019.