When I left the corporate world for a home/office setting, initially I did not notice an exponential rise in the number of appliances in disrepair.

I did notice the cost to stock paper products, i.e., paper towels, tissue paper, etc. went up. My dry cleaning bill went down. I used to spend anywhere from $20 to $40 a month on dry cleaning.

When did I notice issues with major appliances? In March 2020 with the onset of the pandemic. My theories on why these new home maintenance costs seemed to coincide with that period.

How have I avoided some repair costs that could have been expensive (note: not the new microwave purchase)?

Once, after washing a load of clothes, I noticed a small puddle of water on the basement washroom floor. I also noticed the back of the washroom door was wet. Initially, I did not understand how this could have happened.

I washed another, smaller load and noticed the washer outtake hose with the lint filter was spewing water all over the place and not in the utility sink. The lint filter was full. So I spent less than $10 for two new lint filters. It worked.

 

I think the lint traps I purchased were rather small. I thought of using a screw clamp and a small garment laundry bag, if I have to replace the lint bags more often than I want.

On Sunday, January 16, 2022 I decided to clean the oven. It takes about 4½ hours for this high temperature process to complete. The scent from the heat cleaning process is notable.

Later in the evening, I used the dishwasher. When I went down later, around 11:00 pm I noticed a smell. Initially, I thought it was the stove from the earlier cleaning. The next morning when I unloaded the dishwasher I noticed the scent. It was the dishwasher.

Underneath the sink was a bottle of Jet-Dry dishwasher cleaner. The bottle so old, that when I researched how to purchase more-- it was no longer the same brand label.

 

The Jet-Dry dishwasher cleaner worked so well, I was amazed.

I moved away from home after college. I was a young professional who really did not worry about cooking or washing clothes. My dishwasher and stove were rarely used and the washer and dryer maybe once a month. Dry cleaning, hosiery shops, and eating out were my budgeted expenditures.

Before moving to my first place, I did not know how to cook. My clothes were washed with the family loads. I lived at home during the fours years I was an undergrad student. That said, I was rarely home because I worked part time and was a full time student. This to explain why this new domestication on my part is late in coming.

Maybe you simply have a repair service come in. That is very expensive these days. I admit, some of this stuff seems elementary, however if your background is similar to mine-- you may find these tips helpful especially in today's world where everyone seems to be spending more time at home- using appliances more than ever.