Home Maintenance 101: 6 Appliances You Need to Clean Regularly

published in PR Newswire revealed that one in five Americans deep clean their houses less frequently (every six months, to be exact).

Regular household cleaning is important, as this minimizes allergens in the air, helps you stay organized and keeps you and your family healthy at home. When you're cleaning your house, you don't simply focus on the rooms and the furniture. You have to make sure that your household appliances are spotless, as well.

Here are six home appliances that you should clean regularly:

1. Air Conditioners

A clean air conditioning system allows you to breathe clean air inside your house. What's more, cleaning this appliance will help save money on energy bills. Clogged and dirty AC filters put a strain on the machine and force the unit to consume more electricity.

Cleaning this home appliance involves the following processes:

• Combing out the mats to get rid of debris
• Wiping the dirt off the fan motor
• Cleaning the drain pan and evaporator coils
• Clearing the AC drain if it's blocked
• Vacuuming the air conditioning filter

Take note, though, that this process will take quite a bit of time. You may need to set aside half of your day to clean your air conditioning system. Also, you'll need specialized tools to properly clean the components of your appliance. If you are unable to DIY this task, consider hiring an experienced HVAC contractor.

2. Washing Machines

You can't exempt these appliances from periodic cleaning even though they have water and soap running through them. Over time, the gunk, detergent residue and fibers from the clothes accumulate inside the machine walls and form a breeding ground for bacteria and mold.

If you notice a funky or musty odor when you're doing your laundry, you should give this appliance a good scrub. Each month, use washing machine cleaners to effectively dissolve the nasty gunk inside the drum. If you find mold in or around the washing machine, use a mixture of baking soda and bleach to eradicate these organisms.

3. Dishwashers

Another seemingly maintenance-free appliance that households take for granted is the dishwasher. Although this machine does an excellent job of cleaning dishes, utensils and glassware, it can't clean itself thoroughly. Leftover bits of food can produce nasty odors and harbor illness-causing bacteria. These make dishwashers less effective over time.

After every use, inspect the drain and wipe away any leftover food in there. Then, spray with white vinegar to make sure that this component stays fresh in between wash cycles.

Also, clean your dishwasher every month. Do this by placing a dishwasher-friendly mug filled with white vinegar on the top rack. Then, run the machine on normal cycle to sterilize the inside of the appliance.

4. Ovens

When you use this kitchen appliance to whip up delicious dinner meals, you want to make sure that the inside doesn't contain traces of burned-on food or emit stinky fumes. Prevent these scenarios by cleaning your oven regularly.

After each use, check the inside of your appliance for food remnants on the oven grates, sides and floor. When deep cleaning this kitchen appliance, use heat to loosen up the stuck debris. Then, eliminate the remnants with vinegar, baking soda and soapy water. You should clean your oven every three months.

5. Refrigerators

This home appliance is vulnerable to germ buildup. The storage of fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meat may result in listeria harboring and flourish in refrigerator temperatures. So make sure to clean this appliance regularly.

Every week, use antibacterial wipes to clean food or beverage spills inside your refrigerator. Also, do a deep cleaning each month by taking out all the food contents and wiping down all the drawers and shelves with soap and warm water. Make sure to throw out expired or spoiled packaged items and food products before placing the contents back inside your refrigerator.

6. Blenders

These versatile mixing tools are perfect for making delicious smoothies, salad dressings and dessert fillings. If you're using the blender regularly, you'll need to clean it as thoroughly as possible.

Deep clean this appliance by following these steps:

• Add a drop of dish soap and a cup of water into the blender jar
• Press the pulse button a few times (or run the appliance on medium for 30 seconds)
• Dump the sudsy water into the sink
• Use tap water to rinse the blender jar
• Turn the jar upside down on a kitchen towel to air dry

These are the six household appliances that you need to clean regularly. The extra effort you pour into cleaning these appliances can go a long way in keeping your home as hygienic as possible.