You depend on your appliances every day, imagine life without them.

You probably never think of them until something breaks down -- but if you think of them sooner, you could prevent a problem.

Katy Sai's On Your Side with some advice from an inside source -- one of the folks you call when something does break.

Sai talked to a repairman who makes a point of educating his customers. He says a little effort can go a long way.

Mike has been on the job at A-1 and Clyde's for a decade. He's learned a few tricks he loves to share.

Garbage Disposal

"Have you ever noticed a light odor coming from your garbage disposal? If you run a dozen or two dozen ice cubes down your garbage disposal every couple of weeks, it will help," he said.

Mike says the ice sharpens the blades and breaks up grease and residue in the disposal.

Washer

Mike has a wealth of knowledge about your washer. For starters, he prefers liquid detergent. He says powder often doesn't break down properly.

"What I have seen, in some people's houses is, that the soap will actually build up on the inside of the tub and it can actually start to stagnant and smell and get into your clothes," he said.

Mike says there's a simple fix -- run three gallons of vinegar on hot. Stop before the spin cycle, and let it sit for half an hour.

Then restart the cycle and let it run through. Repeat the process with three gallons of bleach, and run one last cycle to rinse everything out.

Another common mistake? Overloading, which causes excess wear and tear on the machine.

"The way a washing machine works, it has to bring the clothes from the top around to the bottom and back up," he said. "When the clothes can't move, they're not going to get clean."

So how full should you fill your washer?

Put your clothes in, let it start agitating, and then you can actually look in to see if your clothes are moving. They move and rotate, top to bottom and working along. If they're not doing that, you've overloaded. You need to take something out.

Mike also says you can save money and save your clothes by cutting down on detergent, because soap is really hard on clothes and builds up in the machine. Mike says just a third of the recommended amount is enough.

Dryer

As for the dryer, Mike advises cleaning the vent every time you use it.

"You're going to get proper air flow through here which is going to help with the dry times, wear and tear on the dryer and wear and tear on your clothes," he said.

As a safety precaution, Mike advises checking your dryer venting.

There is one style of venting that's considered a very big fire hazard," he said. "It's going to be white in color and it's going to be vinyl."

You should replace white venting with something flame retardant.

Microwave

You can avoid unnecessary sparks by wiping down the top of your microwave.

"Keep it clean from grease and debris," Mike said. "If you don't, what will happen is it will start arcing and you'll have a fireworks display inside your microwave."

Protect Your Gaskets -- Save Money

Every time your fridge opens and closes, the plastic gasket seals the door and keeps the cold air in.

The most common problem is door gaskets going bad. In more than 10 years as a repairman, Mike from A-1 and Clyde's Appliance Service has figured out an easy way to prolong the life of a gasket. Take a very thin coat of Vaseline and put it all the way around.

"It actually soaks into your gasket and makes them more pliable," Mike said.

It will improve the suction on my gasket, so you don't lose as much air, and you will have a more efficient refrigerator.

Mike advises doing this every six months -- at the same time you clean your condenser.

"You just open up the doors, pop off the kick plate and stick it in where you can to get off the excess dust to keep that condenser clean," Mike said.

Also invested in a $10 brush to help your $500 dollar condenser do its job. ( More Refrigerator Maintenance Tips )

"If they are plugged, your refrigerator will not cool properly," Mike said. "The cleaner you keep them, the more efficient it will run."

Mike loves to share what he's learned about appliances.

"If you're using it properly, it's going to work better," Mike said. "You're going to be happier, and if you have to see me, you're not going to be as upset."

Don't Waste Money On Soap

One of the most common mistakes Mike finds with dishwashers is people overusing soap.

"One level teaspoon will get your dishes clean just fine," Mike said. Too much soap makes glasses hazy and can build up on dishes.

So why on the box does it say fill both cups? Why does a shampoo bottle say rinse and repeat?

"They want to sell soap," Mike said. And despite what you hear advertised, Mike can show you why you need to rinse dishes first.

"Every dishwasher has a screen inside, which is very accessible," Mike said. "And what happens is food particles build up alongside of it."

The food can plug the screen blocking water from the pump, and your dishes won't get clean.

"The last thing I recommend is to actually run your hot water faucet before you start your dishwasher," Mike said. "If you're getting hot water there, you're going to get hot water in your dish washer. Hot water cleans your dishes, cold water does not."

"I love teaching people about their appliances, the more you know about your appliance, the better you can use it," Mike said.

More Information:

• Remodelonline.com -- tips to keep your dyer, range, washer and freezer in tip-top condition
• Save money running your refrigerator
• Keep your disposal smelling good
• Diagnose your appliance problem