Too any Burn Brownies? Your Oven May Need Re-calibrating.

Are your brownies always turning out burnt? Your oven may need to be re-calibrated. Luckily, the re-calibration process is easy.

You first need to make sure your oven really needs to be re-calibrated. The tried and true method is to put a cooking thermometer in the oven and see if it says what you put the oven at.

If you don't have an oven, there's another way. Make 2 small cups out of aluminum foil and put a spoonful of sugar in each of them. Set the oven for 355 and put one of the packets in. After 15 minutes, increase the temperature to 375 and leave both for another 15 minutes. If the first cup's sugar is still white and the second melts and turns brown, your oven is calibrated. If both cups' sugar stay white, your oven is too cool. If both are brown, your oven is too hot.

If your oven needs re-calibrating, give us a call at 208-371-8676

Refrigerator Tips (part 2)

6. Clean your Coils
The condenser coils at the back of the fridge are important to keeping your food cold. Make sure that there isn't any built up dust around them! Check your coils at least a couple times a year.

7. Frosty - no man!

If the frost in your freezer is 1/4 inch thick, its time to do something about it because your freezer is working waaay harder than it needs to. Thaw out your freezer and get that frost out for a nice reset button!

8. Put a lid on it!

Don't put containers of liquid in the fridge without a lid. The moisture will get in the air of the fridge and will make the compressor work harder than it has to, and not to mention frost and/or condensation.

9. A clean fridge is a happy fridge!

The last tip is another no brainer, clean your fridge! Build up in the fridge can cause your fridge to work harder than it has to, and it can cause problems for other food products as well.

Refrigerator Tips (part 1)

1. We have the meats!
Store seafood, chicken, and all other meats on a bottom shelf. This prevents their juices from dripping down onto your other food.

2. Overload!
Don't overload your fridge. The air in fridges must circulate, and if it can't do that, food wont be properly cooled.

3. Chill
Try letting food naturally cool before you put it in the fridge. Putting in hot food just means your fridge has to do double duty to get it cooled!

4. We are closed.
An obvious tip is to keep the doors shut as often as possible. Keeping the doors open for a half hour while you're trying to figure out what to eat lets all of the cool air out and your fridge will have to start over with cooling it.

5. Smell ya later!
To combat odors, fill a clean old sock with activated charcoal. Activated charcoal absorbs smells and prevents them from spreading. Its used in fish tanks to filter the water and keep the smell down. It can do the same for your fridge!

Dryer Tips (Part 2)

5. I'm Going In!!
Once a month unplug the dryer and inspect the inside of it. Wipe down the inside of it to remove any lint or build up. If you don't clean it, this residue will transfer over to your clean clothes!

6. Clean the Vents!
A no-brainer is to clean the vents. Doing this will improve your dryer's performance and will save on energy bills.

7. Watch Carefully
If your dryer isn't drying properly or is making loud noises, you may want it inspected. Leaving an issue untreated will just make it worse.

8. A Balancing Act
If your dryer is off balance, it can cause performance issues and eventually ruin your dryer. Make sure all 4 feet of the dryer are level and on the ground.

9. Inspect the Belt
There is a belt that turns the drum of the dryer. The belt needs to be checked for wear-and-tear at least once a year. If there are any worrying problems with the belt, replace it! This will prevent any future disastrous problems with the dryer.

Dryer Tips (Part 1)

 

1. Less is More
You may be tempted to fit a couple of more shirts into the dryer to save on time, but if you overload the dryer you may lose more than just time. Consistently overloading the dryer can lead to your dryer giving out. To prevent this, just load it with a more reasonable load size.

2. Go Liquid
Using liquid detergent in the washer can help your dryer. It creates less lint than its non-liquid counterparts, which means less wear-and-tear on your dryer.

3. Clean, Clean, Clean!
Remember to clean the lint filter after every load! Double check before a load! Just make sure it gets clean! Not only will it make your clothes dry faster, but lint build up in the ventilation system could spell disaster for your house.

4. Right Place, Right Time.
Make sure there is plenty of space around your dryer. It needs space between it, the wall, and the washing machine for proper lamentation and proper clothes drying power!

Wahing Machine Tips (Part 2)

5. Use the right amount of detergent

Don't listen to the detergent packaging, follow the washing machine's manufacturer's manual. If you have soft water, you may also want to reduce the amount of soap you use.

6. Keep it clean!

Residue can build up in the machine. Clean the inside once a month to prevent residue buildup.

7. Clean the dispensers

If you have a dispenser for your soap or softeners, clean that out once a month as well. Build up here can cause a loss of function, so make sure it stays clean as a whistle!

8. Squeaky clean!

Detergent can spill on the outsides and get in cracks that can cause problems with internal functions. If there is a spill, clean it up!

9. Rust?

If paint has chipped off, repair the paint job immediately. Otherwise your machine can start to rust!

Wahing Machine Tips (Part 1)

1. Inspect your Hoses
The connections from the hoses to the machine can show signs of weakness, and should be checked a couple times a year. Any cracks or bulges indicate that you should replace the hoses. Most manufacturers recommend you replace the hoses every 5 years.

2. Prevent Flooding
If your machine floods, you want to minimize or prevent water damage. A water shutoff system, which prevents water flow when a malfunction is detected, is a great addition to your machine. Another great one is an overflow pan, which catches any dripping or flooding water.

3. Don't Overload
Loading your machine at the proper limit is essential to preventing any malfunctions.

4. Keep it level
If your machine is on a slant or all 4 legs are not on the floor, it could cause problems and wear out your machine quickly. Take steps to make sure your machine is properly positioned.