How to Make Appliances Last Longer: Tips for Every Device

Along with plastic waste, electronic waste (e-waste) is growing fast. In 2022, the world produced a record 62 billion kg of e-waste, and only 22.3% of it was documented as properly collected and recycled. You can read why e-waste is a problem and how it harms the environment and, above all, people in our article on waste. One of the simplest ways to reduce e-waste is to make appliances last longer.

I know that most of us find it hard to give up some of our electrical appliances. That is why this article offers practical tips to make the appliances and devices you use every day last longer.

We cannot control whether a manufacturer designs a product to fail early (this is known as planned obsolescence). What we can control is how quickly we feel that a product is out of date, and how we use it.

How quickly a product starts to feel out of date varies from person to person. Some people want a new phone every year, others every five years. So it is worth asking yourself whether you really need to have the latest model all the time.

Another common reason for buying a new product is that the old one is no longer powerful enough. You can avoid this by buying a more powerful device, even if it costs more, so that it will still meet your needs years from now.

Also look for good build quality. You can check it in expert reviews or in reviews from customers who have already bought the product. In the EU, smartphones and tablets placed on the EU market since 20 June 2025 carry an energy label with a repairability class from A (most repairable) to E (least repairable). Their batteries must keep at least 80% of their capacity after 800 charge cycles. Manufacturers must also provide operating system updates for at least five years, and key spare parts for at least seven years, after the model stops being sold in the EU.

Sometimes the easiest way to extend an appliance’s life is to have it repaired. In the EU, you have the right to a legal guarantee of at least two years on goods you buy from a seller, so check what it already covers before you pay extra for an extended warranty. Under the EU Right to Repair Directive, which EU countries had to bring into national law by 31 July 2026, the guarantee is extended by 12 months if you choose repair instead of a replacement. After the guarantee has expired, manufacturers must still repair common household products such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners and smartphones at a reasonable price.

Since March 2021, EU ecodesign rules have also required manufacturers to keep spare parts for appliances such as fridges, washing machines, dishwashers and TVs available for several years (typically seven to ten years, depending on the appliance and the part). How these rules work in practice depends on national law, and outside the EU consumer rights differ, so check the rules in your country.

Some of the tips below are standard advice that you will also find in user manuals. Others mean giving up a little convenience, and some point out habits that shorten an appliance’s life. Most of us will not follow every tip, but even a few can help our appliances keep working longer, sometimes by several years.

Phone and tablet

• Recharge the battery when it drops to about 15%, or even earlier. Deep discharges wear out lithium-ion batteries faster.
• Do not leave the phone on the charger for hours after it reaches 100%. Keeping a battery fully charged, especially when it is warm, shortens its life, and therefore the life of the phone. Many phones now have a setting such as optimised charging or a charge limit (for example, 80%) that does this for you.
• Choose slower charging over fast charging when you do not need to charge quickly. Fast charging, especially ultra-fast charging, puts more strain on the battery.
• Limit the apps that run in the background to those you really use. The less power your phone uses, the fewer charge cycles the battery goes through and the longer it will last.
• Use a protective case and a tempered glass screen protector. If the phone gets hot while charging, take it out of its case.
• Do not expose your phone to extreme heat or cold. Apple, for example, says that its devices work best at ambient temperatures between 0 °C and 35 °C.
• Do not overheat the phone with heavy use, such as long gaming sessions or running demanding apps for a long time without a break. In hot weather, avoid this kind of use, or at least limit it to times when both you and the phone are in the shade.
• On the other hand, if it is very cold outside and the phone is exposed to temperatures below 0 °C, it is better not to use it at all. Before you use it again, let it warm up at room temperature for about half an hour.
• Protect the phone from moisture. This means not only steam in the bathroom, rain or a fall into water, but also damp trouser pockets and sweaty hands. Any liquid can damage a device or stop it from working. If your phone has fallen into water or got wet for any other reason, do not put it on a radiator or dry it with any other heat source. Let it dry at room temperature, which is best for the phone, and do not charge it until it is completely dry.
• Protect the phone from viruses and other software threats: install system updates and download apps only from official app stores.

Laptops

• Above all, choose a laptop made with good-quality components and with good cooling. For demanding work, a laptop with a fan (active cooling) is a better choice than a small fanless model. If you do not plan to use the computer on the move and will mainly work at home, choose a desktop PC instead.
• A cooling pad helps keep the laptop cool and extends its life.
• High temperatures shorten the life of laptop components. The main sources of heat are the processor and the graphics card. So choose a laptop with some performance in reserve: in practice, you should use no more than about 80% of its power. Do not overload it, for example with a game that needs more power than your laptop has.
• Carry the laptop switched off, especially if it still has a hard disk drive (HDD) rather than a solid-state drive (SSD). The disk in an HDD keeps spinning while the laptop is on, and even a small knock can make the read head hit the disk.
• Protect the laptop from knocks by carrying it in a laptop bag or backpack. For even better protection, also use a padded laptop sleeve.
• Clean the laptop about every six months. Switch it off, unplug it and remove dust from the air vents with a vacuum cleaner on a low setting or with short bursts of compressed air. Clean the fan inside only if you know how to open your laptop safely; otherwise, ask a repair shop to do it.
• Use antivirus software.

Desktop PC

• I do not recommend buying ready-built PCs. They often combine a powerful processor and graphics card with cheaper, lower-quality parts, such as the power supply and motherboard. It is better to buy the components separately. You can build the PC yourself or have a computer shop assemble it for you.
• Make sure the motherboard uses high-quality components (some manufacturers market these as “military class”).
• The power supply unit (PSU) protects all the other components, so choose a reputable brand with at least 80 PLUS Gold certification. The wattage you need depends on your PC, but in general it is good to have about 100 W in reserve above what your PC actually uses.
• When you buy a processor, do not rely on the stock cooler that comes in the box: buy a better air cooler. Liquid cooling usually has a shorter lifespan, because the pump can wear out, and it creates more waste. So unless you enjoy overclocking, a liquid cooler is not worth the money.
• Do not overclock the processor. Instead, buy a CPU powerful enough to meet your needs for as long as possible.
• Also buy the graphics card with the future in mind: choose one as powerful as you can afford. A good-quality cooler with three fans will help it last longer.
• Do not underestimate the PC case. A good-quality case with good airflow helps keep component temperatures lower, which is key to a long life. In other words, choose the largest case you can. Small cases do not give components room to “breathe”, so temperatures rise and the components wear out sooner. Here, saving space should not be your priority.
• Once a month, switch off and unplug the PC, then remove dust from the fans and the inside of the case. Use compressed air or a soft brush, and hold the fans still so that they do not spin.
• Here too, protect your PC with antivirus software.

Television

• Choose a TV with the future in mind, so that its features will meet your needs for at least the next five years, ideally longer.
• Do not use the TV as a radio, and switch it off when nobody is watching. If it has to stay on for hours, avoid leaving the same channel with a static logo or news ticker on the screen: on OLED TVs, static images at high brightness can cause permanent burn-in.
• Lower the brightness and contrast to about 60–70%. If you do not want to adjust the settings yourself, choose a preset picture mode in the menu, such as eco mode. When you watch a film in the dark, you can lower the brightness a little more.
• As with most electrical appliances, heat is the main enemy of a TV’s lifespan. Prevent overheating by switching the TV off when you are not watching and by placing it where air can flow freely around it.
• Use surge protection, or unplug the TV, especially during thunderstorms or when you expect power cuts (for example, when a neighbour is renovating).
• Clean the dust off the TV, especially the vents it uses to “breathe”.

Computer monitor

• Before you buy, read user reviews on reliability and quality. Choose a monitor with a size and resolution that will meet your needs for at least five years.
• Keep the monitor out of direct sunlight. Long exposure will fade the colours over time.
• Do not press on the screen with your finger: pressure can damage the pixels.
• Clean the screen only with products made for screens, ideally applied to a microfibre cloth.

Washing machine: how to clean it and make it last longer

• Limescale from hard water is one of the most common causes of washing machine faults. To prevent deposits, use a limescale filter made for washing machines, or once a month run an empty hot wash (at least 60 °C) with a washing machine cleaner or descaler that your manufacturer approves. Hoover, for example, recommends this kind of monthly maintenance wash. Many people use citric acid (about 60 g) or white vinegar (about 1 litre) instead, but some manufacturers, such as Bosch, advise against acids and vinegar because they can damage rubber parts. Always check your user manual first.
• For a very dirty washing machine, some people pour white vinegar into the drum and put bicarbonate of soda into the detergent drawer, using the same amount as their usual detergent. The video below shows this method. Because of the risk to rubber parts, use it only occasionally and only if your manual allows vinegar.

• If the drain hose runs into a wall-mounted trap, remove the cover every two months and clear out hair and clothing fibres.
• Do not put heavy objects on the washing machine, and do not sit on it.
• Empty all pockets before you put clothes in the machine. Even a paper tissue can damage it, and you know what your clothes look like after washing a tissue.
• Do not overload the machine: leave at least a little space in the drum. Stains will also come out better.
• Wipe the drum after every wash.
• On a front-loading washing machine, check the rubber door seal from time to time, as a lot of dirt can build up in it. Be careful when handling the seal so that you do not tear it.

• Also clean the detergent drawer, one of the dirtiest parts of a washing machine. Take the drawer out and first soak it in hot water, then remove the dirt with a brush and, for example, washing-up liquid.

Fridge

• When you transport a fridge, keep it upright and do not tilt it, so that oil from the compressor does not flow into the cooling pipes. If you are unsure how it was transported, wait 24 hours after delivery before you plug it in and switch it on.
• If your fridge or freezer is not frost-free, defrost it when the ice is about 3–5 mm thick. Frost-free models do not normally need manual defrosting. Never use knives or other sharp objects to remove the ice.
• Dust the condenser grille at the back (always unplug the fridge before cleaning it). The condenser is not always at the back: in newer fridges it can be in other places. Your user manual will tell you where it is.
• Never put hot food in the fridge. Let it cool first, but put it in the fridge within one to two hours, as food safety agencies advise.
• Do not overfill the fridge. Leave some gaps between foods so that air can circulate better.

Vacuum cleaner

• Empty or change the bag before it is completely full, ideally when it is about 90% full. Some vacuum cleaners have a warning light for this.
• Do not forget the dust filters: replace them every year, or at least clean them once a month. A clogged filter is one of the most common causes of vacuum cleaner faults.
• Also check and clean the tube and hose. You should be able to tell from the sound when something larger is stuck in one of them.
• Do not overload the motor: keep vacuuming sessions as short as possible. If you need to vacuum for longer, give the vacuum cleaner a break of at least five minutes.
• Use each vacuum cleaner only for its intended purpose. For example, ash, garden leaves, and sawdust or other larger debris in a workshop each need a vacuum cleaner made for that job.
• Protect the vacuum cleaner from physical damage. The wheels in particular are often made only of plastic, so lift the vacuum cleaner over door thresholds and other obstacles.
• On robot vacuum cleaners, keep the brush, wheels and sensors clean.

Microwave

• Do not put anything on top of it.
• Clean it regularly, inside and out.
• Use only dishes and containers that are suitable for it. You will find details in the user manual.
• Not all plastic containers are suitable for the microwave: use only those labelled as microwave-safe.

Sources: ITU and UNITAR – Global E-waste Monitor 2024, European Commission, Your Europe, European Parliament, letsrecycle.com, European Consumer Centre Belgium, European Commission – Directive (EU) 2024/1799, Battery University, Apple – Batteries, Apple Support, Engadget, Bosch Home, Hoover, Zanussi, Food Standards Agency