Your kitchen and home appliances should last around ten to fifteen years with proper care and maintenance. You need regular maintenance and repair for washers, dryers, stoves and ovens to keep them for a long time. Here are some ways you can extend the lifespan of your stoves and ovens.
There will always come a time that your stove and oven will stop working because of old age. But sometimes, these appliances will break down way before their life expectancy due to poor maintenance. Hence, if you want to avoid an expensive and premature replacement for as long as possible, here are the best ways to extend your stove and oven’s lifespans:
1. Don’t let the knobs get wet
If you clean your stove’s knobs using a wet rag or by spraying cleaner directly onto them, stop doing that immediately. Knobs have electrical components behind them, and when they get in contact with water, they can start to corrode or suddenly short-circuit. Instead of cleaning stove or oven knobs with a wet rag or spray, use a cloth dabbed lightly in cleaner.
2. Clean your range and oven
One of the best ways to extend the life of any appliance is by doing regular and thorough cleaning. Make it a habit to clean your range and the inside of your oven at least once a week to keep it clean and fresh. More importantly, clean up any spills or food residue immediately. Otherwise, they may burn and harden the next time you use your oven or stove, making it harder to clean them up.
3. Use aluminum foil correctly
You can use aluminum foil to line baking pans and cover food while they are cooking in the oven. However, you cannot use foil to catch drips on the bottom pan. Doing so can throw off the heat distribution inside the oven, overcook or undercook the food, and melt onto the bottom pan directly.
4. Check your oven’s gasket
Don’t forget to check your oven’s gasket or door seals from time to time. When this part is damaged or too worn out, the heat can escape from your oven, making the appliance work harder to make up for the heat loss and further wearing itself out. If your kitchen is feeling a little too hot while you’re using the oven or the food is not cooking right, check the oven’s gasket as soon as possible.
5. Don’t use the “self-cleaning” feature
The self-cleaning feature is meant to burn the food residue inside the oven to reduce it to ash. However, the excessive heat can wear out your oven prematurely, especially if you use the feature all the time. Clean your oven the traditional way instead–with a brush and some elbow grease.
6. Use proper tools when cleaning
Don’t use harsh chemicals when cleaning your stovetop and oven–you don’t want those anywhere near your food. Instead, use natural ingredients (e.g. baking soda and vinegar) or a mild commercial cleaner that is meant for stoves and ovens specifically. Additionally, use rubber spatulas and sponges to clean your appliances; don’t use any tool that can cause abrasion to the metal.
Any type of appliance can last longer with proper maintenance. And since ovens and stoves are the two most frequently used appliances in the kitchen, they need your utmost care if you want to avoid an expensive replacement.
