Hey, residents! If you’re reading this blog post, it’s safe to assume you’re experiencing some kind of kitchen mishap. Never fear – our maintenance team is here with some quick and easy kitchen maintenance tips.

The most common service requests we get in your kitchens involve dishwashers, refrigerators, and garbage disposals. If you ran into an issue with one of these appliances, we have outlined how to fix them below. You can even watch all these tips on our YouTube video playlist!

#1: Dishwasher Issues

Do you feel like your dishwasher isn’t rinsing and drying your dishes very well? We have lots of kitchen maintenance tips to address the issue.

First, you should know that our dishwashers are energy-efficient, which means they use less water and electricity to operate. While this helps save you money (at least $9 a year, when compared to similar models), it does mean that it will not rinse and dry your dishes perfectly every time.

Here are some tips to help you get your dishes clean and sparkly:

• Before you start your dishwasher, run hot water in your sink. The dishwasher pulls from the same water source, so the hotter the better.
• Try moving your utensil basket from the dishwasher door to the bottom rack. Large utensils can block the soap dispenser and cause uneven cleaning.
• Purchase a rinse aid like Jet Dry®. It goes into the chamber next to the soap dispenser. This can help rinse and dry your dishes more effectively.
• On the dishwasher controls, select “Wash Temp Boost” and “Heated Dry” to enhance the dishwasher’s performance.

#2: Refrigerator Issues

One feature we really love about our stainless-steel refrigerators is the water and ice dispenser. Not all apartments, even luxury apartments, offer that!

Now, if you notice an orange or red light next to your “Water Filter” button, there’s an easy fix for that issue.

Let’s walk you through it:

• All refrigerator water filters at The Pointe Brodie Creek are set to a six-month timer. We do this so you know to regularly check the water in your apartment.
• If your water has started tasting funny and the red light comes on, that means your water filter needs to be replaced. Just put in a service request and our maintenance team will take care of that for you.
• If your water still tastes clean, fresh, and nice when that light comes on, you can actually reset the timer by holding down the button for three seconds.

#3: Garbage Disposal Issues

When you flip the switch to start your garbage disposal, you should hear grinding and shredding. If that doesn’t happen…Houston, we have a problem. But, don’t worry! It’s easy to fix.

Here are some kitchen maintenance tips for your garbage disposal:

• If you don’t hear any noise or movement, go ahead and turn off the garbage disposal.
• Next, double-check that the disposal is still plugged in under your sink.
• Sometimes, your garbage disposal can jam, trip itself, and shut off for safety. So, make sure nothing is stuck inside it.
• Then, look for a button on the side or underneath the garbage disposal. If it has popped out, all you have to do is push it back in to reset it.

The maintenance team at The Pointe Brodie Creek deserves five gold stars for their hard work around here. Don’t you agree? Leave us a review on Google to share your feedback!

Want more tips? Check out our blog post on apartment cleaning to get ready for Spring.

If you have any kitchen questions we didn’t answer here, just give us a call at 501.221.3377.