How to Clean and Maintain Your High End Appliances

We may have the best intentions when it comes to looking after our appliances, but with busy lifestyles they often only receive a superficial cleaning. Over time, built-up dirt and grime reduce their efficiency, as well as providing a breeding ground for germs, bacteria, and mold. That’s why it’s important to include appliances as part of your regular cleaning. 

C&W Appliance Service provides regular maintenance for many brands, and specializes in: Sub-Zero, Wolf, Cove, Asko, Best, Broan, Scotsman, Hoshizaki, and Uline. Caring for your high-end appliance can make it last longer, that is why it is important to schedule for routine maintenance and clean it regularly.

Be sure to consult your Sub Zero appliance manuals for specific instructions on how to maintain and clean your high-end appliances.

Fridge/Freezer Cleaning Advice

1. Unplug the fridge/freezer, and remove all the food, racks, shelves, bins, and any ice trays.
2. Throw out any food from the fridge that’s past its “best by” date, looks moldy, or smells rancid. Also look for signs of thawing, such as food surrounded by icy puddles. If this is the case, it would be safer to discard everything from the freezer. Food with freezer burn (e.g. discoloration and ice crystals), can be safely eaten, but it will have lost its flavor.
3. Store the frozen food you’re keeping in another freezer, a box covered with blankets, or a cooler with ice or ice packs.
4. Make sure the fridge/freezer parts you removed have warmed up to room temperature, then soak them in a sink with hot water and an unscented dish detergent. After they’ve soaked for a while, scrub them with a sponge, rinse, and dry with a soft cloth.
5. Wipe down the interior of the fridge and freezer using a soft cloth and hot water mixed with unscented dish detergent or baking soda. Rinse well and dry. For tough stains or residue, gently scrub with a paste made of water and baking soda. Wipe the door seals at the same time. Use an old toothbrush to remove crumbs and debris.
6. To sanitize the fridge/freezer after cleaning with hot water and soap, use a solution of one tablespoon liquid bleach in one gallon of water. Rinse thoroughly, and dry the interior with a soft cloth.
7. Make sure the drainage hole isn’t clogged. Use a basting syringe to run a mixture of water and bleach or baking soda through the tube.
8. Clean the dirt and dust from the condenser coils with a vacuum cleaner and a soft brush. Move the fridge away from the wall to access the coils on the back, or behind a grill on the bottom. Some models locate their coils instead behind a toe-grill on the front, on top of the fridge behind a grill, or underneath the fridge.
9. Empty and clean the drip pan, located either at the back or front of the fridge.
10. Plug the fridge/freezer back in. Replace the racks, shelves, bins, and ice trays, and check the temperature is correct for the freezer and fridge. Put the food back, making sure the jars and food containers are also clean.
11. Clean the front using a soft cloth and a solution of warm water and mild liquid dish soap. Rinse to remove any soap residue. This might be a good time to replace the filter in the ice cube maker which should be done every six months.

Fridge/Freezer Tips

• Minimize the time the door or lid is open. Letting in warm air means the condenser has to work harder to get back to the desired temperature.
• Keep the freezer full. A full freezer runs better than one only partially full. If you don’t have enough food, fill empty milk cartons or juice jugs with water, and put them in the freezer. A large quantity of cold food items will keep the other food items cold, and help maintain a low temperature.
• Don’t block the air vent. Leave a few inches of space around it on all sides so the temperature doesn’t fluctuate.
• Vacuum the condenser coils every three months, or more often if you have pets. The coils are on the backside or underside of the freezer. Unplug the unit, vacuum, and replace the plug. When the condenser coils get dusty, the condenser has to work a lot harder to keep the proper temperature. This increases your electric bills, and shortens the life of your freezer.

Advice For Cleaning a Stovetop and Oven

How often you need to deep clean your oven depends on how often you use it. Generally, you’ll need to do a thorough cleaning every 3 months if your oven is in use every day. If you only bake or cook a couple of times a month, then deep-cleaning it once or twice a year should be enough. However, some of the signs indicating your oven is overdue for a scrub down include:

• Crust or residue on the bottom.
• Splattered grease and grime on the oven door.
• Smoke or an unpleasant smell when the oven heats up.
• Breads, cakes, and other baked goods taste smoky and scorched.
• Food takes longer to cook or isn’t cooking evenly.

1. Take removable oven parts, such as knobs, stove grates, drip pans, and burner heads, and soak them in warm water with a mild dish detergent. Then use a non-abrasive scrub pad and toothbrush to remove stains and residue. Use a sewing needle or paper clip to carefully dig out debris from the holes in burner heads.
2. For tough stains, make a paste of 1/4 cup baking soda, 2 tablespoons of mild liquid dish soap, and 2 tablespoons of warm water. Apply it with a soft sponge or microfiber cloth, then use a clean damp cloth to remove the paste.
3. Food can be burned off electric burners by setting them on high for several minutes. If they’re still not clean, let them cool down, and wipe them with mild dish soap and warm water, or the baking soda paste. The electric burners can also be completely removed from the stovetop for cleaning, but be careful not to submerge them in water or get the electrical connections wet.
4. Wipe down the stovetop with hot soapy water and a non-abrasive sponge or microfiber cloth. Rinse and dry with soft cloths. Apply the baking soda paste for hard-to-remove stains, and let it sit for about 15 minutes before gently scrubbing it off, rinsing, and drying.
5. Wash glass stovetops with hot soapy water and a sponge. However, for stubborn areas, cover with a thin layer of baking soda. Then place a paper towel on top that’s been dipped in white vinegar. After 5 minutes the foaming action should have loosened any burnt residue. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
6. For electric stoves, if you can lift the stovetop, wipe the underside with a clean cloth dipped in warm soapy water. Rinse and dry with clean cloths.
7. To clean the inside of the oven, make a paste containing 3/4 cup baking soda, and 1/4 cup warm water. Remove the racks, and coat the inside of the oven and door using a sponge. Let the mixture sit overnight. With glass doors the baking soda and water mixture only has to sit for about 1/2 hour. In the morning, wipe the inside down with a clean wet cloth or sponge.
8. As an alternative, let the baking soda sit for a few hours, then spray with vinegar (it will fizz when mixed with the baking soda) and wipe down the inside.
9. The racks can also be coated with the baking soda paste. Put them in the sink or on top of towels in the bathtub overnight, and wipe them down in the morning. If using the vinegar method, spray after a few hours, and wipe clean with a wet cloth or sponge.
10. Wash the outside of the stove with a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar using a soft cloth or sponge. A baking soda and water paste will help remove any grease spots. Use a wet cloth to rinse and prevent streaking.

Advice on Cleaning a Dishwasher

According to experts, you should at least clean your dishwasher once a month to keep it working properly and in top condition. Here are some general steps for maintaining a dishwasher free of odors, debris, soap scum, greasy deposits, and mold and mildew (always check your owner’s manual first for model-specific instructions). 

1. Take out the racks and any removable dishwasher parts. With some models only the lower sprayer arm comes out.
2. Soak the racks and removed parts in a sink half-filled with warm water and 2 cups of vinegar. For parts that don’t fit in the sink, wipe them with a soft cloth soaked with the vinegar-water solution.
3. Clean the holes in the lower spray arm with a paper clip or picture hanging wire. If more than one spray arm, clean the holes in it as well.
4. Pour 1 cup of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of baking soda into the dishwasher drain to clean out any clogs. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then follow with a pot of boiling water.
5. Wash any filters that aren’t self-cleaning with warm soapy water. Remove any food debris gently with a soft toothbrush, then rinse the filter under running warm water.
6. Wipe the bottom of the door and door seal with a vinegar-soaked cloth. Use a toothbrush or Q-tip dipped in vinegar for tighter areas.
7. Clean the interior and any non-removable parts with a soft cloth or sponge soaked in a vinegar-water solution. For stubborn food residue use a toothbrush.
8. Replace all the parts, and put a dishwasher-safe container with 2 cups of vinegar in the top rack. Run an empty cycle using the heavy setting with the hottest water.
9. Run a second cycle on a low setting with the hottest water, and add 2 cups of vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher. Stop the machine half-way through for 20 minutes before continuing.
10. Wipe the control panel with a damp cloth. Clean the rest of the exterior with warm soapy water and a soft cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly, and dry with a soft cloth.

The advice for cleaning your high end appliances was gathered from various sources: Certified Technicians, Sub-Zero & Wolf Cleaning Instructions, Martha Stewart, The Home Depot, and Readers Digest. 

Call us at (855) 358-1496 or contact us online for the prompt, professional service that’s kept customers coming back for more than 60 years.