Save Money by Cleaning Your Appliances

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Have your winter energy bills left you feeling a little strapped for cash? Aside from the heating, the more frequent use of appliances, such as the oven and tumble dryer, can leave your wallet feeling lighter.

When it comes to saving money, every little helps and believe it or not, the cleanliness of your appliances can impact on their efficiency, and consequently, how much they cost to run.

A dirty appliance will guzzle more energy, adding to your bill. So, cleaning them up can save you money – plus your home will look better!

Here are our tips!

The Oven

How will dirt hinder performance?

To work at their best, ovens need hot air to circulate freely. So dirt or old sheets of foil will hinder your oven’s performance. A dirty oven seal will also be less efficient at preventing heat from escaping.

Cleaning tips to save you money

Arguably the easiest way to clean your oven – particularly if dirt is built-up and stubborn – is to purchase oven cleaner. Most of these require you to apply the cleaner and then leave for a couple of hours (or in some cases overnight) before removing.

However, oven cleaners do contain harsh chemicals, so it’s very important to ensure that your eyes and skin are properly protected and to carefully read the instructions. You also need to make sure that the cleaner is suitable for your oven – for example, you shouldn’t use abrasive cleaners, oven cleaners or scouring pads inside textured ovens.

You can also try to prevent dirt from becoming burnt on by wiping the bottom of the oven after spillages – it’s obviously essential that you wait for the oven to completely cool down first.

The Hob

How will dirt hinder performance?

Dirty hob burners and reflectors will result in your hob being less efficient. A dirty reflector with a blackened surface will absorb heat, rather than reflecting it back to the pan as it should.

Cleaning tips to save you money

Blackened hobs can be tricky to clean, so try to keep on top of the problem by regularly wiping them down when they’ve cooled, after cooking. If the damage is already done, the cleaning process will depend on the type of hob you own. You can find a useful guide for cleaning induction hobs, ceramic hobs, glass hobs and electric hobs here.

There are also a number of different ways to clean gas hobs. Read a guide to cleaning the different types of gas hobs here.

The Fridge

How will dirt hinder performance?

Dusty and dirty condenser coils could be the culprit behind an inefficient fridge, as it will mean that they can’t easily release heat.

Cleaning tips to save you money

Cleaning your fridge’s condenser coils is easy – turn off your fridge (make sure to turn it back on when you’ve finished!), remove the grate in front of the coils, gently brush or wipe away as much dust as possible and then use a hoover to clean up the mess.

The Tumble Dryer

How will dirt hinder performance?

Lint build-up in the lint filter will reduce the tumble dryer’s efficiency, causing it to use more energy and take longer to dry clothes.

Cleaning tips to save you money

Make sure you clean the lint filter every time you use the dryer by peeling off the layer of lint. If there has already been build-up, you should give the filter a deep clean. To do this:

• Remove the filter from the dryer and remove any loose lint with a vacuum
• Place the filter in hot, soapy water and allow it to soak
• Gently use a scrubbing brush to remove the loosened residue
• Finally, rinse the filter completely with clean water and then dry it using a soft towel

When it comes to saving money, every penny counts and allowing your appliances to get dirty can dramatically reduce their efficiency. Make sure your energy bill isn’t more than it should be by following these simple cleaning tips.

Have you got any more money-saving cleaning tips? Let us know in the comments.

By Lee Gilbert