This Overlooked Step Could Make Your Kitchen Appliances Last Longer

Kitchen appliances are so important that choosing them is actually the first step you should take when remodeling your kitchen. They are what powers your kitchen, allowing you to cook, bake, and clean. They're often prominently displayed, so their aesthetics matter in the overall look of your kitchen, and because they're so essential and often on the larger side, they need to be designed around. They're also no small expense. Because they're both vital and pricey, we want to let you in on a secret for saving money on kitchen appliances: Make them last longer. You don't want to have to replace them for a long time. While a lot of that hinges on the appliance and its brand, and therefore shopping requires research, there is one key thing you can do to make sure you're not shelling out more money on replacements in a few years: Fully read the instruction manual.

It's actually the first thing you should do when welcoming new kitchen appliances into your home. It sounds so simple and so obvious, and yet it's a step so many of us breeze through or skip entirely. Not taking a moment to truly process the proper care methods for each individual item — because they do vary — is one of the biggest mistakes we make when buying appliances. We miss information like exactly how to clean our oven, or precisely how much the dishwasher can fit before it's overloaded. Knowing and following these steps extends the life of any appliance.

If you dig around in your junk drawer today and find the manual for the refrigerator you bought four years ago, you might be surprised to learn that the brand recommends certain temperature settings, regular defrostings, guidance on capacity limits, and cleaning it at a certain frequency. Did you even know you should clean the condenser coils twice a year? A refrigerator can last 10 to 15 years or longer with the proper care. Just think of how much money a little extra care will save you.

You'll also learn things in manuals like just how much damage overloading your dishwasher does — it might not seem like a big deal, but the spray arms inside get blocked by the clutter and clean less effectively, and ultimately lead to wear and tear. The brands that produce our appliances test them and know what they can handle, when they must be cleaned, and which products are compatible with them. Ignoring these tips means appliances aren't getting the maintenance they need to perform at optimal levels for very long.

If you've tossed the manuals for any of your appliances, simply search the brand and model online and you'll find care instructions. If it's easier, print them out — keep all your manuals organized in a folder in a kitchen drawer, and schedule different cleanings on your calendar so you don't have to refer to them every time.