From foggy stove glass to smelly laundry machines, there are a few things you usually don’t have to call the handyman near you for. As an appliance repair service, we don’t want to turn away our own business, but we also never want our customers to feel conned.
Therefore, we wanted to give you a guide to things you can fix at home. If these tips and tricks don’t work, feel free to give us a call and we’ll be sure to give you the best appliance repair services in Grand Rapids, MI.
What Can I Fix In My Kitchen and Laundry Room?
From your microwave to your stove top, here’s a list of common problems and fixes for your kitchen and laundry room appliances. These solutions don’t always solve the problem, but they’re worth giving a try. But, when it comes to the tough problems or the head-scratchers, remember we’re your family-owned appliance repair service in Grand Rapids.
How to Clean the Glass on Your Stove (Fog)
To clean a foggy, glass stove-door, and those pesky food particles from years of baking lasagna, you’ll want to use a nylon scrub pad and a degreasing solution.
After scrubbing away all the build-up, your glass should look much cleaner. You can even polish the glass with a window cleaning solution for some extra shine. Make sure to have your oven do a self-clean afterward to burn away any unwanted chemicals.
Another method for cleaning your oven glass is to take apart your oven door, which isn’t as complicated as it may seem. Usually, it requires you to unscrew a few sections, and remove it layer by layer until the glass is completely exposed.
Be careful doing this method though, as the glass can break easily. We also recommend wearing gloves when removing or reinserting the glass so that you don’t get fingerprints all over the surface you just cleaned!
How to Fix a Stove Burner That Won’t Light
You may hear the ticking sound when you try to ignite your burner, but rather than see a flame you just smell gas.
DO NOT KEEP TRYING TO LIGHT THE BURNER, as this can cause an explosion when it finally ignites.
Instead, remove the burner rack and inspect the cleanliness of your burner. If gunk from food, spilled liquids, and general grime has built up around the burner, that may be what’s interrupting the igniter.
Take an old toothbrush and try to give the burner a good cleaning. When the gunk and food particles have properly been removed, your igniter should have a better spark to light the flame.
How to Fix a Refrigerator
Fixing your fridge at home can be a game of trial and error. Your fridge can go out for a variety of reasons, some of which require new parts or a new fridge altogether.
Check out our guide on fixing your fridge at home to see if one of those solutions works for you!
How to Get Scratches Out of Stainless Steel Appliances
Get scratches out of your stainless steel appliances by using a rubbing compound with fine sandpaper.
We recommend using 400 or 600 grit sandpaper, and that you go with the grain of your stainless steel appliances. Apply a light amount of rubbing compound and work it into the scratched areas. Use the sandpaper afterward to buff the area.
Note that this method will not work on imitation steel.
How to Reset an Outlet
If you tripped an outlet, you may have lost power to it or heard a small popping sound.
Most common outlets have a small GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) that people trip. Simply push the GFCI button to reset it.
Yep, getting your outlets and appliances to work again could be that easy.
Before doing this, we recommend checking your circuit breaker, though. Plugging in five crock pots for a giant family meal may sound yummy in theory, but people often trip the circuit breaker because of this.
How to Fix a Smelly Dishwasher
To get that fishy smell or nasty waste smell out of your dishwasher, try using a disinfectant cleaner. Run a full cycle with the guided amount of the cleaner and then we recommend running an empty cycle after that.
Note that you should clean your dishwasher of any food refuse or scrap particles first though. This means cleaning out the sprayer ports, washer screens, and sides for where food may be hiding.
Food scraps are typically the #1 cause of a smelly dishwasher!
How to Fix a Washing Machine That Smells
If your washing machine has a built-in cleaning feature, give that a try. If you haven’t done one in over a month, you may want to do it twice. Otherwise, try running your washing machine with a mold killer or bleach, then letting it air dry.
When you don’t let your washing machine dry out, water residue can turn into mold, making your washing machine smell terrible.
Keep the lid open after a cleaning cycle for at least 24 hours, 48 if you can, to make sure all the water in it evaporates.
If problems persist, check out our washing machine maintenance and repair guide >>
Need An Appliance Repair Service Near You?
If you need appliance repair services in the Grand Rapids, MI area, we’re here to help. Some problems require the professionals, and Apex Appliance has the tools and expertise to get the job done right. Feel free to reach out and contact us as your appliance repair specialists online or by phone at (616) 363-9894 to get an appointment scheduled within 24 hours.