Get ready for Thanksgiving - check your appliances

Home Girl Linda (Reinke) Williford provided this check list to make sure your kitchen appliances continue to function through the extra demands of the holidays.

Pre-Holiday Appliance Check:

How to check your oven temperature:

If you are worried about your oven not properly heating, you can quickly check it yourself. 

Buy an oven thermometer and place it in the oven. Set the oven thermostat to 350 degrees F.  The oven should heat to between 325 degrees and 375 degrees. (Side Note: interesting - especially in dealing with baking temp and accuracy! ) In most cases it is considered acceptable if the actual temperature is within 25 degrees of the set temperature. It is often possible to adjust the thermostat knob or to recalibrate the electronic range control if the oven is not reaching the right temperature.

Clean filters make for a more efficient dishwasher: 

Filters protect the pump and motor seals.

Many dishwashers have a filter located under the spray arm, near the bottom of the appliance. The filter can get clogged with sediment from hard water, food residue, or even detergent build-up. It is important to check the condition of the filter to make sure it is intact, has no holes in the screen and is free of debris. If the filter has been damaged you can purchase an inexpensive replacement.

Say goodbye to a smelly garbage disposal: 

If your kitchen doesn’t smell its best, check your garbage disposal. Food particles easily collect inside the disposal blades. The fact that you frequently run water through your disposal isn’t enough to prevent this collection of food debris. Freshen up a disposal by grinding leftover lemon, lime or orange.

Avoid the plumber this Holiday Season!

The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day for plumbers. You can avoid an emergency call to the plumber by following these DON’TS:

1. DON’T overload the garbage disposal with large amounts of starchy foods.
2. DON’T place heavy foods like pasta, potatoes, rice or coffee grounds in the disposal.
3. DON’T place stringy foods such as celery or rhubarb in the disposal; the strings are hard on the disposal blades. Use the Yard Waste can instead!
4. DON’T dump grease directly down drain— it solidifies in the drain! That includes poultry skins.  (You'd think people would know .. tho .. I'm getting info from Reliable Sources... PLUMBERS!) 

"...and having just having to unclog a kitchen drain myself ... I want others to be aware and Enjoy Your Holiday!"

Linda can be reached at 206-399-3349, Keller Williams Realty Greater Seattle.