5 Not-So-Obvious Home Appliances You Should Clean — And What Happens If You Don't
While it’s easy to remember to clean areas of our home that are visibly dirty (like floors and kitchen counters), there’s one part that is often forgotten: appliances. And if they’re not properly cleaned, this can negatively impact their performance — and even pose risks for your safety and health.
“Dirty appliances become breeding grounds for harmful things like mold and bacteria,” said Michael Rubino, a mold and air quality expert and founder of HomeCleanse. “Once these start growing, not only will they contaminate the machine, but they will also wreak havoc on the air you breathe. … Not to mention, keeping up with cleaning the machine extends its lifetime and helps avoid malfunctions.”
We talked to experts about the not-so-obvious appliances that should be cleaned in your home, how often, and why it’s key to keep these on your radar.
Washing Machine
“We [often] don’t think about the fact that [the appliances we use to clean] need to be cleaned [themselves],” explained Patric Richardson, known as The Laundry Evangelist.
One that’s frequently overlooked: the washing machine. If you’ve ever noticed that your clothes smell after washing them, this could mean that bacteria is lurking in your machine, explained Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and author of “The Germ Code.”
“It’s been known for 20 years that the laundry washer can be a source of a number of different types of bacteria including potential pathogens — think fecal and skin bacteria,” he said.
In addition, not washing out detergent or fabric softener that gets stuck in the machine can affect its performance.
So how often should you clean it? Well, it depends on how much laundry you’re doing and the amount and type of detergent you’re using.
“If you use a small amount of plant-based detergent, you’re not going to clean it as often as if you use a lot of detergent and fabric softener,” Richardson explained.
In general, Rubino recommends cleaning your washing machine about once a month.
How to clean: “Run a cup of bleach through the wash cycle using hot water or use your washer’s cleaning function,” explained Kristin DiNicolantonio, a senior director at the American Cleaning Institute. “Wipe down and dry the inside of the washer with a clean sponge.” (Don’t forget to clean the gasket, the rubber seal around the ring of the drum, by pulling it down and wiping the inside.) Clean the dispenser dish by running it under warm water. Leave the door open and let the machine dry after cleaning and after each use.
Dishwasher
If your dishwasher isn’t cleaned, its “filter will clog over time,” explained Kadi Dulude, owner of Wizard of Homes NYC. “It won’t drain properly and will start building up very smelly gunk.”
Mold and bacteria may quickly start growing in the machine.
“This will lead to particles contaminating every plate, pot, pan, cup and utensil placed in the machine to ‘get clean,’” Rubino explained. “It also lowers the indoor air quality, [and] this exposure is harmful to your health.”
He recommends doing a deep clean of your dishwasher about once a month. But as with any appliance, it also depends on the brand and how often you use it.
“If you … use the dishwasher just for dishes and some dishwasher detergent, that’s different than if you fry every day and you put the oily pots and pans in the dishwasher,” Richardson said.
How to clean: Take out all of the removable pieces and spray each with white vinegar or a botanical cleaner, Rubino recommends. Scrub, rinse and wipe them with a microfiber towel. Let them air dry. Clean the dishwasher filter, according to the manual’s instructions. Spray inside the dishwasher, and scrub with a brush. (Don’t forget to clean the filter, drain opening and crevices inside the dishwasher.) Spray both sides of the door. Wipe down everything with a microfiber cloth. Put the parts back in the dishwasher. Now fill a dishwasher-safe bowl with 1-2 cups of vinegar, put on the top rack and run on the hottest setting. Leave the door open after it’s complete so it can dry.
Coffee Maker
“Hard water minerals … [can] build up and impact the [coffee maker’s] performance and change the taste of your coffee,” explained Ian Palmer-Smith, an appliance repair expert at Domestic & General.
One study found that of all the coffee maker reservoirs they sampled, 50% contained mold or yeast.
“Cleaning the machine helps eliminate … mineral buildup, as well as any bacteria or mold spores,” Rubino said. “Otherwise, every cup of coffee you brew will be contaminated.”
He suggests a deep clean once a month as well as washing the removable parts after each use.
How to clean: For a deep clean, you can use a brand-specific descaling kit or a white vinegar and water solution, Palmer-Smith advised. To clean with the solution, “fill the water storage unit with equal parts water and distilled white vinegar.” Set the coffee maker to brew, and then pause it halfway through. Let the solution sit for 30 minutes and then finish brewing. Brew a couple cycles of tap water to get rid of any leftover vinegar.
For cleaning after each use, wash the removable parts, such as the water reservoir, carafe, filter and landing tray, Rubino explained. Clean the surface of the coffee machine with a botanical cleaner and microfiber towel. Replace the parts once they are dry.
Dryer
Lint, the fibers that come off your clothes during the drying process, build up after every cycle.
“If there’s lint collecting and slowly clogging the vents, it will take longer to dry the clothes,” Dulude said. “And over time, the lint will become a fire hazard.”
The failure to clean was the leading cause for clothes dryer fires from 2018-2020, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
Dulude recommends cleaning the lint filters before each use. Also pay attention to lint that may be accumulating in the compartment where you put the filter. Lastly, your dryer vent (the tube that goes from your dryer to outside) should be cleaned about once a year, though it can vary depending on how much laundry you do.
How to clean: Peel off the lint from the filter after using the dryer. To clean the filter compartment, use a dryer lint vacuum attachment or hire a professional company, Dulude said. A professional can also help clean the dryer vent. (There are vacuum attachment kits you can try for this too, but the vent may be too long to do it yourself.)
For the interior drum and outside of the dryer, Rubino recommends using a damp microfiber cloth and botanical cleaning product. Use a clean cloth to dry it. (Also make sure to clean and dry under the door seal.) Don’t forget to disconnect the dryer from the power source before cleaning.
Microwave
“[The microwave is] often overlooked and … [gets] very dirty with food particles and splashing from cooking,” Palmer-Smith said.
Dried food that builds up in the microwave can cause bad odors, harbor mold and bacteria, and damage internal components of the microwave, Rubino explained. “Burning food particles [in the microwave] … can [also] spark smoke and a fire.”
Additionally, the handle of the microwave is potentially one of the germiest places in the kitchen, Tetro said.
How to clean: “Combine a lemon’s worth of juice or a cup of white vinegar with a cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl and heat the solution on high for five minutes,” DiNicolantonio said. Keep the microwave shut for a few more minutes. When you open, wipe down the inside with a damp cloth. For a deep clean, put the microwave plate and revolving ring in the dishwasher, Palmer-Smith suggested. Tetro also uses hydrogen peroxide or citric acid to disinfect the handle.
While adding these appliances to your cleaning routine will take more time, it will be well worth it in the long run. Not only will it help you avoid costly repairs and extend the life of your appliance, but it is key to avoid house fires and exposure to mold, bacteria or other pathogens that can be harmful to your health.
