With the rising cost of living many of us are finding ways to save money. Here are a few ways that you can save energy cost and repairs on the appliances around the home. I have spent many years in the cleaning business. I was surprised that people were not aware of the benefits when you keep things clean that aren't part of the normal routine. I would clean the homes rotating the cleaning routine on a regular basis. This allowed me to keep all areas of the home clean making my customers happy.

In the following pages you will see pictures of my appliances that are dirty. That is why I decided to post this particular instructable. We are in the middle of remolding and everything has been neglected so the dirt actually shows up in the pictures. We live in a dry dusty area and I usually dust and deep clean every week to keep the dust out. This will give you an idea how fast the filters get dirty and need to be changed. I cleaned all of the filters a month ago. I normally clean them every week.

Step 1: Facts to Consider

I did a lot of research in the early years of my cleaning business and spoke with repairmen about how to reduce the repairs on appliances. I figured if anyone knew how to keep them in good working order they would. I always got the same answer. Keep them clean and ( oiled if needed!) Clean the filters on a monthly basis or according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Dust is an enemy to the electrical parts of appliances. Dust will cause the connections to short out and need replacing.

Step 2: Plan a Routine

When I was cleaning homes I had a system that worked. I would rotate the way I went about cleaning. When I got a new client I would start cleaning on the back end of the house where there were less traffic. I would dust and clean everything in sight. Windows, ceiling fans, wood work around the windows, shelves, filters, fans, light fixtures, and so on. Then the following week I would begin where I quit deep cleaning the week before and do a deep clean on a room or two and finish up with light cleaning. I would do this for several weeks until all areas of the home were deeply cleaned. Then after that I would on a weekly basis begin cleaning in the front and work towards the back one week and the following week I would reverse the cleaning order. Sometimes I would start in the center of the home. If I had a two story home I would use this technique cleaning the upstairs deeply and then the following week I would clean the down stairs. Anyone that has cleaned a home is aware that one can't deep clean everything in one day on a weekly routine. Something will get missed. This routine has an overlapping method that maintains everything nicely. I rarely got asked to clean anything because they knew I would get it done within a reasonable time frame.

Step 3: Cleaning the Filters

âFilters on all electric appliances should be cleaned once a month. If there has been a noticeable difference in the amount of dust in the home then I would clean them more often. I have one of the best air purifiers that I am aware of and they actually recommend only cleaning them once a month. I clean our window air conditioners every week. The dryer vent after every load and the furnace gets a good overhaul in the spring and fall. We take the grate off and remove the guts and clean it very good. We notice a huge difference in the air in the house and it does not smell like dust. It is not that difficult to do. We actually saw the repairman remove the guts and I never knew it could be done. I used to get on my hands and knees with the vacuum hose trying to reach the crevices and get in between them. That method was very difficult. I vacuum the air conditioner vents every week.

My husband took care of his mom in the last few years of her life and her refrigerator, dryer, and furnace were all going out. The repairman said: she would be better off getting new ones. My husband cleaned them very good and got them working and she got a couple of more years out of them. Cleaning can save money after all, but not a fun task.

Step 4: Frequent Vacuuming

Vacuuming more often is also a great benefit. Removing shoes at the door will reduce a tremendous amount of dust and dirt that gets into the appliances and prevents them from working properly.

Step 5: Computers

Computers are very sensitive to dust. I usually disconnect the key board and vacuum the keys and with a damp cloth and a mild cleaner wash the key board. I use a soft water dampened cloth to clean the screen. I vacuum all around the vents. Occasionally my husband will take them outside and use the air gun on them to blow out the dust. So far it has worked for us.