3 Easy Hacks to Extend the Life of Your Vacuum Cleaner, Smartphone, and Coffee Machine

What do a clogged vacuum cleaner, a phone that won’t charge, and a clogged coffee machine have in common? All are perfectly good items, but can be returned to the manufacturer or warranty partner for repair. It’s a problem. However, the good news is that it’s often a quick and easy fix at home.

More and more people are showing interest in repairing their products to extend their lifespan. Six in 10 Europeans (62%) surveyed by OnePoll for Amazon said they had success watching DIY repair videos at home, and 32% visited a repair cafe in the last year to fix broken items. I visited. To help customers get repairs done quickly, Amazon has released a new video series that shows how quick, cost-effective, and easy these DIY repairs can be.

how to clean everything vacuum filter

Most newer models, including upright vacuums, have two or sometimes three filters. This can cause confusion for customers who think they have cleaned their filter when in fact the second or third filter is clogged with debris. Leaving it unattended may cause problems such as weakening of suction power.

“If you open the vacuum cleaner and look near the motor, you can empty the second or third filter, which is hard to find,” says Bal Sokhar, a repair engineer who specializes in the maintenance and repair of household appliances. Be careful not to force it open. If it does, use your finger to release the catch. Once all the filters are clean, try vacuuming again. You can see the difference right away.”

How to empty your phone’s charging port with a simple toothpick

Microscopic particles are one of the main culprits that make it difficult to charge a perfectly normal smartphone. Although your phone’s charging port appears transparent to the naked eye, a common problem is that pocket lint, pet hair, and other small particles can build up inside.

A clean toothpick can save the day in a matter of seconds. “Don’t give up on your phone if it’s charging slowly or won’t charge,” advises Sokhal. “Turn off your phone. Next, use an unused toothpick to examine it very carefully for dust and debris and insert only the tip into the charging socket. Since the phone itself is sealed , don’t worry, this won’t get any more dust inside your phone. Once you complete this step, you’ll see that the charger is easily connected again and your phone powers on again. .”

How to clean your coffee machine filter for smooth operation

In the kitchen, coffee powder residue can clog internal pipes and cause problems for your coffee machine. “Simply removing coffee grounds from the pan (the device that holds the coffee) with an unused toothbrush, rinsing the filter, and running the steam function or boiling water through the machine for one minute will resolve the issue,” says Sokal. I did.

According to repair experts, there are several other common repairs you can do at home.

1. Wireless headphones: If you experience any technical issues with your headphones, be sure to try a factory reset. You can usually find it by searching YouTube for the make and model of your headset with the words “factory reset.” In most cases this will resolve the issue.
2. tablet: Saving everything to the cloud and then resetting to factory settings will resolve most tablet issues.
3. Push bike: Some bikes require 10% to 20% assembly. Problems that occur with such bikes are usually caused by the initial assembly instructions not being followed correctly. It is best to start the process again.
4. Mouse: If the sensor under the mouse stops glowing and the mouse is unresponsive, the problem may simply be dirt or dust. To clean the area, gently dust the area with a clean new toothbrush or lint-free cloth. Your mouse should now work again.
5. Smart TV: If your smart TV has become slow and difficult to change channels or control your TV, try doing a factory reset. You can usually find this by searching for your TV’s make and model on YouTube. Resetting will clear cookies and data that may prevent your TV from working properly.
6. Remote control: If you’ve added new batteries and the remote seems to be lagging in power, or doesn’t work at all, try removing the batteries. Use a clean new toothbrush to gently brush away any dust around the metal contacts in the battery compartment, then reinsert. This should resolve your issue.
7. Touch the top bin: Remove the lid and thoroughly wash both parts of the locking mechanism with warm, soapy water. After careful drying, the trash can should be functional again.

invest in repairs

“Amazon is working hard to repair returned items so that we can resell them at a discount and make them available to our customers.” Sam Littlejohn, Head of Amazon Europe Returns and Repairs. “At the same time, we are seeing a growing interest among European consumers in home repairs, with more people looking to make their homes last longer.”

Despite this enthusiasm, only one in four (26%) of people surveyed in Europe said they would repair an appliance themselves if it broke. One in three people (35%) say they don’t know where to start when it comes to home repairs.

Those brave enough to try repairing something themselves are likely to start with clothing and textiles, furniture, vases and decorations, with electronics at the bottom of the list. More than a quarter (29%) of those surveyed don’t feel confident trying to repair their home for any of these items.

By creating these videos, Amazon wants to give people confidence in easy do-it-yourself repairs and maintenance on popular home appliances and household appliances.

European customers can also purchase high-quality returned, opened, used, and refurbished products at discounted retail prices through: amazon resale and Amazon has been renewed. All products are professionally inspected and graded. Purchases are eligible for Prime and are backed by Amazon’s 30-day return policy, award-winning customer service, and statutory legal guarantees.

Extend product life

For many purchases, we provide our customers with free product support to help you set up your product, use your product, or troubleshoot problems. Depending on the product, customers can call or chat with Amazon customer support, access the manufacturer’s contact details, view step-by-step troubleshooting steps, and learn more about warranty repair benefits.

find out How to make more sustainable choices when shopping on Amazon and take a look at some of our works repair hack video Extend the life of your most frequently used items.