Special Series: Appliances: Part Seven: Maintenance and Repair of New Appliances

Cook Top: TLC Required Glass cook tops look fantastic when they’re shiny, new and clean. But dried-on spills can be tough to remove, especially if they’re sugar or worse—like a plastic bag that accidentally got too close to the heat source. “The big complaint with cook tops is the maintenance factor,” Gagnon says. “If you are going to get a Thermador Cook Top smooth top, you had better be an immaculate housekeeper. You can scrape off spills that you can’t get off with normal elbow grease, but then you have to use a special glazing compound to seal it off. We have a brand-new kitchen here and the cook top really shines, but my wife works so hard at maintaining it. That’s her biggest complaint.” Purchase a cleaner specifically made for cook tops. Weiman Products of Gurnee, Ill., Cook Top Cleaner is guaranteed to clean without scratching and will help prevent future spills from sticking to the surface. If you do have a sugary spill (tomato sauce falls into this category), or if plastic or aluminum foil accidentally melt on the surface, remove it with the metal razor scraper that comes with the cook top. Permanent damage can occur if these kinds of stains are not cleaned immediately. Use oven mitts as the cook top will be hot. Removing grease and other residue from your vent hood will keep your unit both working and looking great. For stainless-steel hoods, use a liquid non-abrasive degreasing detergent and a soft terry cloth to clean without dulling the shine, says Arcadio Lainez, director of marketing for vent hood manufacturer Zephyr Corp. of San Francisco, Calif. Glass hoods require a simple glass cleaner such as Windex, but use caution not to get that product on the stainless steel as it can leave spots. And don’t forget about your vent’s filters. Metal mesh and baffle filters should be soaked in warm, soapy water once every two to three months, Lainez says. Charcoal filters should be replaced every three to six months, depending on the manufacturer recommendation. Microwave filters also need TLC. Soak the grease filters in soapy water and then scrub them clean. Wait until the filter is dry to reinstall it, and remember not to use the microwave without the filter in place. Clothes Dryer: Beware of Lint Clear out the lint from the vent line twice a year. This will keep your dryer Whirlpool’s Duet Washer and Dryer uses a metallic green colored called Aspen as a detour from standard white appliances. running hot, thus saving you money on your utility bills. It will also help make your home safer. Each year there is an average of 15,000 dryer fires in the United States, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. “I have pulled out blankets of lint, which is compressed and built up inside the bottom of the dryer,” Gagnon says. “All you got to do is touch that with a little spark and you have got a fire.” You can call a service technician to clean out the lint. Or, you can try Gagnon’s fix: Take a leaf blower and insert it into the vent line. This will push all that lint right out of the system. And make sure that you are not using a plastic or tin foil vent line. Lint easily gets trapped in crevices, creating a fire hazard.

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