Cleaning in spring is a tradition for many Americans. It’s a time to get out the broom, mop, soap, and clean away winter’s mess. And amid the COVID-19 pandemic, spring cleaning is that much more important. To prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading, here are several ways to prepare and clean your home during the outbreak.
Get Your Home and Appliances Ready
Washing Machine and Dryer
The CDC claims that the virus may live for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials, including clothing. So what can you do to reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus when it comes to your clothes and other fabrics around your house? Easy! Wash your clothes and linens regularly. This could help you and your family stay healthy, so it’s vital to keep your washer and dryer working efficiently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although you can hand-wash clothes at home if your washer fails, keep in mind that you’ll get a much higher temperature if you use a machine, which the CDC recommends: “If possible, launder items using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely.”
Although you may want to add extra detergent to ensure the cleanest clothes possible, it’s important to note that more soap doesn’t equal cleaner clothes. Too much soap can leave residue on clothes and damage the pump, motor, and seals, which will dramatically reduce the lifespan of the appliance.
The combination of detergent, warm water, and agitation in the rinse and spin cycles removes and washes away germs. Rather than hanging your clothes to dry, consider using your dryer. The heat may help inactivate any leftover bacteria. In addition, dry fabrics are less likely to carry bacteria than wet ones.
If your dryer isn’t getting hot, here are some appliance repair tips to consider:
- Check the lint filter
- Check the exhaust vent
- Check if the dryer drum is spinning
- Did the motor fail?
- Do you have a broken thermal fuse or thermostat?
- Is the heating element broken?
If you want to clean out the dryer vent properly, fix a belt, or troubleshoot your dryer not getting hot, call iFiX Appliance Repair.
Dishwasher
To keep your dishes clean enough for your family to eat off of, make sure to clean the dishwasher’s filter regularly. Use separate plates, glasses, cups, and eating utensils for each household member. After each use, run them through the dishwasher with hot soap water. In addition to dirty dishes, you may notice dirty water sitting at the base of the dishwasher after it runs. Not only is this problem a nuisance, but it can also lead to mold and bacteria, which can cause additional problems. A strong odor may also be a telltale sign of a clogged dishwasher filter.
Refrigerator
With restaurants closed, you and your family are likely eating at home, so it’s important that your food and food storage stay fresh and safe to eat. Ensuring an ideal refrigerator temperature will help prevent potential food-borne illnesses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends keeping your refrigerator temperature below 40°F. For optimal performance, your refrigerator should stay between 35° and 38°F. This temperature range is as close as you can get to freezing without being so cold your food will freeze. It’s also cold enough to prevent bacteria from multiplying at a rapid rate. If your refrigerator isn’t keeping your food cold and safe for your family to eat, we recommend troubleshooting your refrigerator’s power. Make sure the fridge is plugged into a live receptacle. If the appliance is plugged in but still not staying cold, move on to the following steps.
Additional Recommendations for Cleaning Your Home
According to an infectious-disease specialist and assistant professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn, the virus can survive on metal and plastic for up to 72 hours. So make sure to clean and disinfect surfaces daily in common household areas, such as tables, chairs, doorknobs, light switches, remotes, handles, desks, toilets, sinks, etc. Before disinfecting surfaces, clean them with detergent or soap and water. To make your own all-purpose cleaning spray, we recommend mixing 1 1/4 cups water amd 1/2 cup white vinegar in a spray bottle:
For disinfection, consider using diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, or any common EPA-registered household disinfectants.
Call in the Appliance Repair Pros at iFiX!
We are closely following the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) guidelines and recommendations on the steps we can take to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. We have shared specific instructions with our employees on the importance of washing their hands and staying home if they feel sick or are returning from an area of the world identified as posing a coronavirus-related risk. We continue working tirelessly to service appliances in Utah homes. We know people are relying on us.
Now more than ever is the time to tune up your appliances so they can keep your home and family healthy during this time. We believe in taking on each job like it is our own home. We know the same headaches and frustrations of waiting for a service company to arrive. Our technicians are honest, reliable, and dependable. We work hard to provide our customers with the best appliance repair possible. If you’ve given your home appliances TLC and they’re still malfunctioning, give iFiX a call today for all your appliance repair needs.
