The kitchen is easily the busiest room in the house. But what happens when things go awry?
With all the time you spend there, cooking, cleaning, entertaining, helping kids with homework, packing lunches, doing dishes, and all the rest, you don’t have time to worry about clogged sinks and inefficient appliances.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the most common kitchen issues and how to resolve them. Read on to find out where you can DIY and when it’s time to call in the cavalry.
Kitchen Fixes to Solve Your Most Common Problems
Funky Faucets
Your faucets can experience both leaks and plugs. If your faucet is spurting when turned on, it could be blocked by limescale buildup inside the pipes. If this is the case, you can loosen the gunk by soaking the faucet head in vinegar.
On the other hand, if you’ve got a leak, you can usually resolve the issue by tightening a component or replacing a part, depending on where the leak is coming from. Check out this nifty guide for how to repair faucet drips of all kinds.
Clogged Sinks
Clogged sinks are a common, irritating kitchen problem. Your drain can easily get stopped up with food particles, soap scum, and all manner of things. To clear the clog, you can try chemical solvents like Drano, or natural alternatives like vinegar and baking soda to flush out the pipes. A drain snake helps you clear the clog manually, and sometimes a plunger will do the trick!
Warm Fridge or Freezer
Abnormal temperatures inside your fridge or freezer? Not cool. This may be caused by an insufficiently tight seal around the edge of your appliance, which can let the cold air leak out. Maybe your door isn’t closing properly at all. In this situation, you can replace the gasket on the door relatively simply. If the issue is not with the gasket, there may be something up with the electrical components. Have a look to see if you can determine what the issue may be, but if you’re out of your depth, be sure to call a repair person before you start taking things apart.
Strange Smells
If you’re experiencing an unpleasant odor from your fridge or freezer, it’s an indicator that something inside has gone off. It’s important to remove the offending item, or it will start to affect your other food. Things go rancid if left too long, or if there is an issue with your appliance’s temperature control. If it’s a temp control issue, see the item above for tips to resolve the problem.
To get rid of the stench, remove all bins and compartments from your appliance, rinse them out, and wipe all the shelving with dish soap and water. Before you restock, give your appliance some time to air out the smell, then clean the unit’s evaporator. Make sure to adjust the temperature settings for optimal cooling before you load it back up.
Cooktop Problems
Electric or gas cooktop not starting up? It could be an issue with the spark plug ignitor, a broken element, or a power surge burnout. It might be best to let a professional electrician or repairman handle this one. Safety first!
Underperforming Dishwasher
There are many reasons why your dishwasher might not be getting the job done. Luckily, most of them are relatively simple to resolve, with a few tips from the web. Notably, food particles left on dishes clog up the mechanisms. Try cleaning out your appliance’s spray arm, filter, and float; you should be able to see a difference in the quality of the clean. If you’re still left with streaky dishes, try switching your dishwasher detergent or using a rinse agent.
Microwave Woes
Maybe your microwave isn’t doing what it ought to. If the plate isn’t spinning, check the inside of your appliance for anything blocking the rotation. Crumbs or stuck-on bits of food are common culprits. It could also be that the motor that powers the turntable is crapping out, in which case the part might need replacing. If the issue is a bit more challenging to diagnose, for example, if your microwave isn’t heating food thoroughly, there could be a problem with the magnetrons. In this case, you could, again, replace the part, or it might be time to buy a whole new unit.
Mercifully, most of your everyday kitchen issues can be resolved with a little bit of elbow grease and some how-to’s from YouTube. Don’t be afraid to use the resources available to you; seek professional help, and get things done right the first time!
