First I have to comment I never post two frugal living tips in a week so consider this a nice bonus for the end of 2011. I don't have any pictures to show for this daily tip so I apologize for cleaning it so quickly.
Today's thrifty living tip is to clean or fix appliances before replacing. I know this seems pretty logical, but many people get discouraged by older appliances and distracted by new shiny ones. My Kenmore gas dryer is 14 years old. I already replaced the washing machine a couple of years ago with a front loader. That was a great decision which has saved me money in water and electricity. I just want to say it wasn't worth fixing so it was time to replace. The dryer works great, and works less as my clothes are drier when they come out the washing machine. I do like to line dry which also helps extend the life of the dryer.
Lately it's too cold and rainy to put it on the line. I've been a little too busy to keep up with laundry because of the holidays. We noticed all these scuff marks inside the dryer while doing laundry this past weekend. It wasn't getting on the clothes so I wasn't too concerned. Hubby mentioned maybe it was time to replace it with our income tax refund next year. He tried to clean it but said the marks weren't coming out.
I looked at it again today as I needed to do laundry. I pulled out my Mr. Clean magic eraser, and viola! The marks were coming out quite easily. I did take a wet dish towel to wipe it out a couple of times to make sure no residue is left. I wiped it with a dry towel afterwards, and over 90% of the marks are gone. I'm not sure what caused them, but now they are all gone. I have dried a load of towels and all looks good. No marks on the towels or the dryer. I will keep an eye on the dryer, but I'm hopeful I can get a few more years of service. I will also start a new appliance fund just to be on the safe side.
6 comments:
Great tips! I do try to keep our washer, dryer, and dishwasher clean. I also clean our vacuum filters regularly. It can make a big difference!
Great tip! Our dryer has been taking 2 1/2 hours to dry, so my husband looked on Youtube and saw a video about how to open it up and vacuum out the lint. I'll find out Monday when I do the laundry if this helps. If it did, then we saved money on calling a repairman!
My washer & dryer will be 30 years old this year! lol
I have heard that the magic eraser really works magic! The black marks were probably from something (clothes or if you had shoes in there at any point) that got hotter then it should have. I am not positive but that is what I would guess. I have had much experience with laundromat machines and used to see these black smears often. Glad it worked for you!
Happy New Year :)
No I never put shoes in my dryer. We have so much sun that I just let them air dry outside. The sun helps to deodorize. Who knows but I was glad it was an easy fix. YES! I love those magic erasers. They are also great on stubborn soap scum and hard water stains in your tub.
Happy New Year Dawn! I will be posting my resolutions later today.
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