Hensall Major Appliance & Mattress Centre

Additional Checks By Appliance

Plugged vents can easily result in a fire. The dryer overheats and the safety sensors are burned out so they can't do their job. That big bonfire you see across the lake could be someone's cottage if the owner didn't do the spring check thoroughly.

Replace any worn lint traps so your dryer is managing ever-present lint properly. Breaks in the lint trap screen allows lint to be drawn back directly into the heating element where it becomes a fire hazard.

Fall Close-up: Block off the dryer vent by stuffing with a towel or old shirt. (Remember to remove before starting up the dryer in the spring!)

Don't use wire mesh to block off the vent because lint will catch there and become a fire hazard. For the same reason, don't use a kitchen stove vent in place of a dryer vent.

Fall Close-up: Disinfect the washer by running it on a normal cycle with vinegar or bleach. Turn off water supplies. Drain water supply hoses. Pour a litre of RV antifreeze into the washer tub and run the drain cycle to mix the antifreeze with any water still in the pump. Don't use regular antifreeze. Regular antifreeze will harm plastic plumbing, plastic parts and the pump, which is all plastic in newer models.

Fall Close-up: Any food bits act as a GPS for mice to locate the stove, a favorite place to chew on wires and insulation. The stage is then set for an electric fire. After a meticulous cleaning inside, around and under the stove in the fall, put mothballs all around the bottom of the stove to deter these ambitious critters. Some folks also suggest fabric sheets.

Fall Close-up: Give the microwave a thorough cleaning, inside and out and all around.

If you didn't drain the water lines in the icemaker or water cooler and allow the filter to dry before closing up the cottage, you could have problems. The yards of tiny coil that cool the water break under the pressure of frozen water and may need to be replaced.

Also check the water valve at the back of the fridge. Does it need replacing?

Fall Close-up: Clean fridge inside and out. Pull the fridge out and clean behind and under it to eliminate any trace of food. Prop doors open to keep the inside dry and have air circulation.

Mothballs around the outside base will deter critters. Some folks also suggest fabric sheets deter little critters.

Drain the water lines in the icemaker or water cooler and allow the filter to dry before closing up the cottage.

Fall Close-up: Clean freezer inside and out. Pull the freezer out and clean behind and under it to eliminate any trace of food. Prop doors open to keep the inside dry and have air circulation. Mothballs around the outside base will deter critters. Some folks also suggest fabric sheets deter little critters.

Fall Close-up: Add a litre of RV antifreeze to the wash cycle to ensure no freezing damage. Don't use regular antifreeze. Regular antifreeze will harm plastic plumbing and parts. Drain the lines.

Bedroom Checks

The cottage bedroom also deserves special attention.

If you gave your mattresses a thorough cleaning in the fall and encased them in good-quality mattress protectors (ones that can be washed on high heat to kill any bacteria, dust mites, etc.), you are ahead of the game.

When you store mattresses, keep them away from windows because of the potential for condensation. Pillows also should be stored in an area where air circulates. Encase pillows in high quality, washable-at-high-temperature pillow protectors.

Protecting Your Investment of Money and Time

As tempting as it might be to use almost-worn-out appliances and mattresses at the cottage, it may be false economy. A seasonal residence deserves the same respect as your primary living space for you to have maximum enjoyment of the precious time spent there.

Do all you can to ensure that your memories at your seasonal residence are all happy ones!