One of the best ways to live a more eco-conscious lifestyle is to avoid buying new appliances more often than you absolutely have to. But how do you extend the life of your appliances? Don’t they just break when they break? Well, not necessarily. These tips will help you make your home appliances last longer, helping you do your bit for the environment.

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Build Best-Practices Into Your Lifestyle

With so much on your plate, maintaining your appliances is probably quite far down your list. Many people never get around to taking care of their appliances because they imagine that they will need to set aside large amounts of precious time to do so. But you needn’t get the tool kit out every weekend. Sometimes showing your appliances a little extra love is all it takes to avoid an expensive repair down the line. Often all you need to do is be mindful of how you use the appliance, and ensure that you clean it regularly. Something as simple as wiping out the microwave after you use it means you won’t have a build-up over time, reducing your chances of a breakdown in months to come.

Make Your Home Appliance Friendly

It’s worth getting your home set up to optimise the longevity of your appliances, too. Investing in a three-phase power installation can help you avoid power surges, which can wreak havoc on your appliances. Maintaining an appliance-friendly environment in your home will help you avoid costly repairs further down the line. For example, keep your home dry to ensure that your appliances stay free of rust. Regularly dust or vacuum in hard-to-reach places like behind the fridge or freezer to ensure that your appliances’ vents do not get clogged.

Brush Up On Your DIY Skills

If your toaster breaks and you take it in to be repaired by the manufacturer or a handyman service, chances are you’ll be turned away. These days, appliances aren’t generally built to last, and paying the hourly fee for someone else to fix it may come to more than a new replacement. But this doesn’t mean that a broken appliance can’t be fixed. If you had the skills, you could probably fix it yourself. Youtube is your best friend when it comes to learning how to fix appliances. While you may think that repairing toasters is a lost art, you’d be surprised by how many people out there take nerdy pleasure in extending the life of their appliances. As long as you’re taking note of safety issues, what do you have to lose? Worst case scenario? You can’t fix it and have to buy another one, but at least you tried, right?

Whether you’ve recently bought a new flat screen T.V. or you’re using the heater your great-aunt left you in your will, there is satisfaction to be gained—and major sustainability points to be scored—in preserving the life of your appliances. These tips will help you give your appliances the best chance to stave off the grave.