While National No Housework Day was created as a break from household chores, housework can be a never-ending endeavor, especially as we spend more time at home. While we’ve still got a ways to go before appliances start folding laundry or cleaning out the fridge, these appliance features can help make the job a little easier so you can have more time to enjoy National No Housework Day.
Put Your Oven to Work
The oven interior is a tricky place to clean. Since it’s mostly hidden behind a closed door, it’s easy to forget that it might need a cleaning. What’s more, scrubbing can be a workout in and of itself, and using store-bought oven cleaners often means having to evacuate the kitchen for a few hours at a time.
Instead of going through that hassle, try running the self-clean oven cycle the day before No Housework day. While many users are aware the feature exists, some are unaware how to use this oven cycle. Luckily, it’s pretty simple.
How to properly run the self-clean oven cycle:
- Remove all items from inside.
- Select the Self-Clean cycle on the oven; depending on the oven brand and model, this may require manually locking the oven door.
- If the oven’s self-cleaning cycle is automatic, simply let the setting run and fully cool down (this may take several hours).
- If the oven’s self-cleaning cycle runs on a manual timer, select the amount of time desired to run the setting; on average, the process should take a minimum of three hours and no longer than five hours.
- Once the cycle is finished, all that’s left to do is to wipe away the ashes with a damp cloth before using again.
Note: The Self-Cleaning cycle on an oven is designed to run at high temperatures. Exercise caution and keep children and pets away from the area. Additionally, refrain from using chemical oven cleaners, since they can eat away at the enamel.
Save the Crumbs for the Dishwasher
Did you know that most dishwasher manufacturers recommend skipping the pre-scrubbing before placing dishes in the dishwasher? That’s because dish detergent uses special enzymes designed to eat away at food particles, and without foods protecting the surfaces of your dishes, they become susceptible to corrosion.
But won’t loading dirty dishes into the dishwasher mean having to run a load twice? Not at all, especially when using a dishwasher with a built-in food disposal.
Once dishes are loaded into a dishwasher, the built-in food disposal pulverizes food remnants that wash off. Then, those particles get filtered through a strainer and passed through the same plumbing that’s connected to the sink disposal. This system not only allows users to save a little elbow grease, but it keeps the wash water clean and free of debris, meaning users can swap post-wash spot-cleaning for a little R&R.
Enjoy Less Cleaning with Stainless Steel
Stainless-steel appliances are more than just a stylish statement in the kitchen. Since the first generation, stainless-steel finishes have been redesigned to withstand the messes of everyday use. With smudge-resistant appliances in the kitchen, users spend less time having to wipe down appliance surfaces.
To maximize downtime on National No Housework day, keep stainless-steel surfaces resistant to spots with these tips:
- After a regular wipe down with soap and water, seal the finish with a thin layer of oil; we recommend mineral oil or olive oil.
- Finish a wipe-down with a thin coating of degreaser.
With regular applications, users will benefit from having to constantly buff out fingerprints and smudging, which means another pocket of “me-time” to cash in on during the holiday.
Induction Cooktops Keep Messes Minimal
It might be a long time before cooktops come with a self-cleaner feature, but in the meantime, the innovative design of an induction cooktop can help cut cleaning time and effort down dramatically. That’s because induction surfaces react with ferrous cookware (attractive to magnets), allowing the vessel to heat up while the cooking surface remains relatively cool.
Since foods and messes that might run over have a substantially smaller chance of burning, users can simply wipe away messes in the moment so that they don’t become another cleaning task on days off.
Relax Even More with Expert Help
Great home appliances help make the everyday routine a little bit easier, so you can enjoy more important things in the day. With cooking appliances, refrigeration, dishwashers, and more, we carry a large catalog of major appliances in select styles and options for every household. Shop online or in-store today!