When you buy an older home you may  inherit a kitchen with appliances already in place, whether integrated or free-standing. If these appliances have seen better days or you are worried that they might not be operating as efficiently as they could then this post offers a few pointers to help enhance your new kitchen while ensuring you are not needlessly adding to your utility bills.

Appliance Exteriors

The exterior of your appliances plays a big part in the aesthetics of your kitchen. Dated and tired looking appliances can create the wrong ambience, but very few people can afford to replace appliances like the fridge, cooker and washing machine straight after moving in. However, purchasing appliance spare parts and a little bit of hard work is a much cheaper and easier solution:

Quick Cooker Fixes

There are several parts on a cooker and hob that can show signs of wear and tear, which results in the whole appliance looking tired. One of the easiest cooker fixes is to replace any faded or damaged cooker knobs. These are usually as simple to fit as just pushing the knob in place. Items such as grill pans and oven shelves can become tainted by baked on grease and grime. If it is not possible to restore these with a quality oven cleaner and some elbow grease, then buying a shiny new replacement will give your cooker or oven a new lease of life.

We have a range of universal fit shelves that can be adjusted to almost any width of oven and there is even a freestanding oven base shelf that enables you to make more productive use of the oven cavity. A universal grill pan will also help revamp the oven alongside giving the internal surfaces a comprehensive clean.

Restoring The Fridge

There are parts of the fridge that can be easily damaged over time including handles, shelves and bottle racks. If a part on your fridge is broken you should be  able to easily purchase a genuine replacement or a great-value universal fit alternative. The majority of these fridge parts mentioned above will simply push or clip in place. It is also possible to acquire small pots of fridge touch-up paint to tidy up the exterior of the fridge in a variety of shades.

Appliance Interiors

Appliance spare parts can also aid you in looking after the interior of your appliances. If the appliances you’ve inherited from the previous owners are a few years old then they are probably showing some signs of wear and tear. Consumable items, these are the parts that need to be replaced regularly to maintain performance, are often the first to go and should be replaced.

Once moved in it is a good idea to check the health of any cooker hood filters as these can easily become saturated if they are not replaced every 5 or 6 months. There are cooker hood filters specifically designed for particular models as well as universal filters that can be cut-to-size, which often provide a cheaper alternative.

Similarly, it is worth checking the tumble dryer filters as these may need to be cleaned or replaced due to clogging. While you are inspecting the tumble dryer it is worth considering the best venting option to suit your needs. At BuySpares we sell tumble dryer vent kits to help you easily release steam and condensation from your home. Our venting solutions include condenser boxes which remove the need to vent your tumble dryer to the outside, wall outlets for a permanent solution and simple hoses. For more information on the differences between the types of venting kit, read our earlier post on tumble dryer venting.

For more information on looking after your other kitchen and home appliances browse the articles in our appliance care category.

Tackling The Problems You Can’t See…

You should also aim to prolong the lifespan of the appliances from the outset. There are several quick, easy and inexpensive ways of doing this. Firstly, it is recommended that you use a good quality descaler with the dishwasher or washing machine. This will be to the greatest benefit of those living in a hard water area, but solutions such as BuySpares Limescale and Detergent Remover are equally effective at combating the unpleasant smells that can form inside the appliances caused by bacteria from leftover detergent. You can also tackle smells in other appliances by using odour eliminator products, such as fridge deodoriser, to ensure freshness after every use.

Descaling products such as the one mentioned above are designed to clean and sanitise your appliances while protecting the internal parts such as the element from limescale build-up which causes appliances to operate inefficiently and in some cases can even lead to parts failing. The good news is that they are really simple to use and by adding one sachet to a monthly maintenance wash you can ensure your appliance is protected.

Limescale isn’t the only nasty that you can’t see. A quality degreaser will help to remove the dirt and grease you can’t reach by hand from inside appliances like the dishwasher.

Top Tip: Note down appliance model numbers. In case you have any problems with your appliances in the future you will quickly be able to find the replacement parts you need. Model numbers will usually be on rating plates located on the appliance.

More Kitchen Revamp Tips…

There are other areas of your kitchen that can be easily revamped to improve the feel and ambience as well as saving you money in your new home. A few other points to consider are detailed below:

Lighting

Moving into a new home is already expensive and you don’t want the actions of previous tenants costing you money. Lighting accounts for around 8% of the average household’s utility bills according to the EnergySavingTrust so switching to energy saving light bulbs can make a big difference. Read our post entitled a bright idea for saving for more information on the type of light bulbs to choose.

Finishing Touches

If you have stainless steel appliances then you can make your kitchen feel more expensive by upgrading your plug sockets and light switches to match.  We sell a complete range of socket covers and switches in styles from polished chrome to brass effect. This simple change can make a big difference. Shop our range of covers and sockets.

If you have any kitchen revamp tips of your own then feel free to share them in the comments below.

Tags: Cooker Hood Filters, Cooker Spare Parts, Kitchen Appliances, Tumble Dryer Accessories