Tick tock. Summer is almost here and you still need to do spring cleaning. Don’t think that you or your housekeeper should press a “self-clean” button on Sub-Zero and Wolf or other high-end appliances before you read the manufacturers’ cleaning recommendations. C&W Appliance Service gets a lot of appliance repair calls for preventable problems. And unfortunately, warranties won’t cover mistakes that started as good intentions.
Common Catastrophes
- Fiascos with foil: Never put aluminum foil on the floor of a Wolf oven to catch drips and crumbs. The foil can melt into the oven cavity. In such a case you’ll have to call us to replace the entire oven cavity and heating element.
- Crack-up: If you wipe up spills with a wet rag immediately after cooking, you could crack the porcelain liner.
- Finish fixes: Food high in sugar or acid that drips onto the oven floor or spills onto glass-top ranges can fuse to the porcelain oven liners or cooktops. The finish will look dull or pitted, no matter how much you clean it.
- Brush the burners: If the cooktop ignitors don’t work, try brushing the burners with a toothbrush or use a straightened paper clip to remove debris.
- Coming unhinged: Don’t leave an oven door open and unattended. If it gets bumped or pulled, the hinges could be ruined.
- Dust in the right direction: Vacuum Sub-Zero condensers in the same direction as the aluminum vents. If the metal bends, air flow is reduced and the unit will eventually overheat.
- Go with the grain: Wipe the surface in the same direction as the grain on stainless steel appliances. Do not wipe in circles.
- Blowing a gasket: Avoid damaging rubber gaskets on refrigerators and freezers. Wipe them with warm soapy water so they don’t get sticky and break off when the door is opened.
- Complaints about grates: Oven racks can be cleaned in the sink or even the dishwasher (if you can get them in). You never want to leave racks in the oven through a self-clean because they will turn blue. You can clean the charbroiler grates in the sink as well. French tops are cleaned on the unit like a griddle and re-oiled and seasoned occasionally.
- Fried electronics: High-end appliance microprocessor switches on Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances are ruined when too much cleaner or saturated rags are used directly on electronic panels. Spray a cleaning cloth first; then wipe.
Simple Solutions
Pat yourself on the back if you are tackling spring cleaning tasks. But know you are not alone if you make a mistake! We’ve been helping customers with Dallas appliance repair for more than 60 years. Contact C&W Appliance Service, the only Sub-Zero and Wolf factory-certified premier partner in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio, call us at (855) 358-1496. We’ll help you return your Sub Zero and Wolf and other high-end appliances to pristine condition.
