Are you moving to a new home? Packing must have been exhausting. I know!

You probably won’t be moving everything to your new house, especially if you have been renting and your previous property had furniture and white goods already in it. Or if you had a home where you donated or discarded your old stuff and wanted to get new items to your new home. And you finally moved in! The smell of a new fresh property is so exhilarating. But still, there are lots to be done! So you make a list of things you want to buy for your house. You need to know which product is best in the market for your needs and how to maintain and clean it to sustain it for longer.

Check out these five home appliances you would need in your new home:

1. Refrigerator

According to Reviews.com, we can choose between four types of fridges: Top Freezer Refrigerator, Bottom Freezer Refrigerator, French Door Refrigerator, and Side-by-Side Refrigerator. Check their guide on how to buy the best fridge for your home. When you have it delivered to your kitchen, make sure that you have installed and plugged it correctly. Usually, the manufacturer will advise to plug the fridge in and only put food in it when around 24 hours have passed. Now, I recommend cleaning your fridge every two weeks on average (don’t tell my mum, because she insists on washing it every week!)

Well, lots of factors play in deciding the time frame of cleaning a fridge. A crucial element is the number of habitats living in the house using the refrigerator. A single person is not like a family of 5! Adults are different in handling stuff in the fridge than children. Anyhow, in 2 weeks time, empty the fridge and take a damp sponge with dish soap and give it a good clean. Shelves, trays, compartments, the whole lot. Then, take a clean cloth and wipe it dry. Put a little saucer with some baking powder, and three drops of lemon essential oils, to help make the fridge smell delicious.

That was from the inside. From the outside, use a damp cloth and wipe it from its top to down its sides. For underneath it, when the fridge is empty, move it a little (with help please), so you can dust the dirt away. You can use a long thin duster, like the one I use for dusting my baseboards.

2. Dishwasher

I know that most people don’t have the luxury to buy a dishwasher, so washing up the dishes every breakfast, lunch, and dinner would be a hefty task. But if you can buy one, even on a budget, and have a room for it in the kitchen, check out Review.com for their guide on buying the best dishwasher for you.

One thing I would like to point out for you is the cutlery basket. Make sure that your cutlery are always facing upwards when you put them in the basket. Otherwise, knives will cut through the bottom creating holes and will no longer hold your cutlery correctly. Loading your dishwasher is key to maintaining it for longer. Cups and glasses on the top shelf and dishes on the bottom.

Keep checking what the best powder/tablets/capsules for your dishwasher are. I use Fairy capsules, but from time to time I might use a DIY recipe made of baking soda and citric acid. This, cleans your dishwasher as well, multipurpose! Don’t forget to clean the filter every month at least. If I have plates that had egg or meat/fish on them, the bad odors will go away with a lemon! #Dishwasherhack

3.  Food processor

Review.com has chosen the best food processor in the market. Check it out here. A food processor is an efficient tool in the kitchen, and it becomes convenient if you want to mix certain ingredients or grate particular veg and fruit. They come with different accessories and attachments, so we need to handle each part with care. The main body of the processor needs wiping every time you use it with a damp (a little bit soapy) cloth. If the manufacturer says in the manual that the accessories are dishwasher safe, you may put them there. Otherwise, you can wash them as soon as you are done with them and air-dry them. Be careful with parts that have blades and store them away from children’s reach.

4. Mattress

Which mattress is better? Check out Reviews.com guide! We should invest in a good quality mattress (if you are aiming for a brand new one) for many reasons: Its lifespan is around eight years. So it will serve you well Lousy quality mattresses may cause you back and neck problems You spend 6-8 hours sleeping. More than you sit on your sofa or desk!

The best way to maintain it is to:

Buy a mattress protector because it will trap in odors and sweat that you release during sleeping. That can go smoothly every month in the wash.
Every 2-3 months, take off all sheets and sprinkle baking soda on the mattress. It will absorb all odors in it. Leave it for around 3 hours then get your vacuum cleaner and give it a good hoover (best done with a mattress attachment)
Always ventilate your bed before making it. Yes! Don’t make your bed immediately after you get up, because your bed will still be warm and it needs to get cool and ventilated. So after you are up from bed, take off the duvet and pillows off the bed and open the window. After an hour or so, pat on the mattress a couple of times, then you are free to make your bed!

5. Vacuum Cleaner

This is a tough one! Let’s see Reviews.com what they have to say. Check out their recommendation here. Whatever vacuum you choose for your home, make sure it is practical for your needs. Keep a mental note in your mind of how you assembled the vacuum so that when you want to clean it, you can remember that in knowing how to dismantle it. The reason why I am saying this is because you can easily take the hose, put warm soapy water in the bath, and let it soak overnight then air dry it. Same thing with the compartment (if the vacuum is bagless). The filter could be complicated, so you better read from the manual how to clean it. You can clean the brush head as well, if the head has a brush, dismantle it, and get rid of hairs and other stuff but cutting them with scissors. Then you can soak the parts too. Wipe the exterior of a vacuum with a damp cloth.

In general, if you don’t pull the cable too much, or knock over the vacuum while vacuuming, you can guarantee your vacuum to live longer.