Halloween is a (fun but) scary time of year, especially if you’re trying to eat healthy! But not all treats are one giant trick when it comes to your waistline—some candies are just better for you than others. Below, find out which treats to avoid and which you can indulge in!

TAKE A BITE

Snickers
Thick and chewy, you probably wont eat more than one or two Snickers, and they also contain less fat and saturated fat than a Reese’s Cup.

Peanut M&Ms
These favorites not only contain peanuts (protein!) but also are low on the glycemic index, which means they’ll keep you satisfied without spiking your sugar.

York Peppermint Patty
Three York candies only contain 150 calories and 3 grams of fat!

Bubble Yum
One piece of this gum contains only 25 calories and 5 grams of sugar, and you’re more likely to keep chewing on that than moving onto another piece of candy so quickly.

Kit Kat
With only 30mg of sodium and few calories than most chocolate candy treats, a Kit Kat is your best bet. Plus, you can share it!

AVOID

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Reese’s are lighter and fluffier than most chocolate candies, which makes them addicting and easy to get carried away with.

Skittles
These sugary little candies are high on the glycemic index, which means they release sugar into your bloodstream quickly.

Butterfinger
A single “fun size” Buterfinger packs a caloric punch of 200 calories and 100mg of sodium. Yikes!

Tootsie Pop
One pop contains 60 calories and 10 grams of sugar. It’s just not worth it for some a small treat!

Twix
Bursting with sodium (90mg), there are far healthier chocolate options.

Not sure if Immediate Appliance comes to your town? We got your back, New Jersey! Check below to see which towns we provide service to, as well as which counties.

Don’t see your town below? Give our office a call at 1-800-323-3023!

We proudly service Mercer, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Ocean and Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Service is available in the following towns in New Jersey: Freehold, Manalapan, Englishtown, Howell, Marlboro, Morganville, Holmdel, Middletown, Hazlet, Lakewood, Jackson, Bricktown, Toms River, Point Pleasant, Manasquan, Brielle, Neptune, Ocean Grove, Asbury Park, Colts Neck, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Avon by the Sea, Monmouth Beach, Rumson, Edison, East Brunswick, North Brunswick, Long Branch, West Long Branch, Deal, Allentown, Princeton, Hillsborough, Westfield, Manchester, Whiting, Lake Hurst, Berkley, Forked River, Lanoka Harbor, Barnegat, Manahawkin, Manoloking, Lavelette, Ortley Beach, Normandy Beach, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Springlake Heights, Wall, Waretown, Red Bank, Shrewsbury, and Oakhurst.

As Thanksgiving approaches, stress levels begin to rise. From planning to shopping to figuring out where to seat relatives who have opposing political views at the same dinner table, an American holiday that is meant to be relaxing and joyous can be anything but.

Many people’s worst fear, however? A failing oven, and by default, an under-cooked or burnt turkey. The absolute worst thing you can do, however, is wait until the last minute for trouble to befall: prevention and preparation is key!

So, how can you avoid an appliance-related Thanksgiving disaster? Just follow the steps below—no need to thank us.

1. Test run: Test out your oven, cooktop, fridge and dishwasher the week before the holiday! If you catch an impending issue ahead of time, you can receive repair service well in advance.

2. Don’t self-clean: Do NOT self clean your oven the day before or of Thanksgiving! Self-cleaning cycles can often cause the oven to malfunction or lock up.

3. Be mindful of your garbage disposal: Turkey bones, grease, egg shells and other animal byproducts should not be going down your garbage disposal, where they can get caught, clog, or cause nasty odors. These items should be  disposed of in the trash!

4. Make sure your oven lock is functioning: If your oven locks up, it may trap food inside or make it so you’re unable to cook anything. Make sure the oven lock is functioning well before the big day by testing it out.

5. Free up your fridge space: If your fridge is jam-packed or overstuffed, as they tend to get around the holidays, you run the risk of the door popping open and having food spoil. Make sure your fridge wont falter by keeping it organized and leaving a little room.

6. Make sure your dishwasher is working: Nothing stinks more than having to handwash dishes during and after Thanksgiving, especially when you’re simultaneously trying to entertain guests and, you know, relax a little yourself. If your dishwasher seems to be failing, get it looked at ahead of time to avoid further damage.

Burns. Allergic reactions. Fires.

Thanksgiving is meant to be a holiday built on family solidarity, comfort food and relaxation, not anxiety and impending disaster. But when a whole group of people are in a small space like a kitchen, waving utensils and sharp knives around with hot ovens and stoves in the near vicinity, things can go wrong quickly.

Particularly when small children or pets are involved, someone can get hurt! But there are a few simple ways you can keep your loved ones safe:

1. Man the stations
If you’ve got an oven baking or something boiling on the stove, make sre someone is constantly stationing and keeping watch for potential grease fires or for kids touching hot surfaces. Ouch!

2. Don’t keep sharp objects out
There’s no reason to keep knives and other potentially dangerous utensils hanging around where they can fall or get into the hands of kids.

3. Keep it clean
An organized kitchen is a safe kitchen. Piles of boxes or trash or food spills can lead to accidents.

4. Check for allergies
Nuts, dairy, wheat… All are the makings of many traditional Thanksgiving dishes, but these are also leading food allergies. Check with your guests (especially children and elderly!) if they have any specific allergies before serving them.

5. Cozy and contained
If you have a fireplace or like to light candles around your home for the holiday, be sure to make sure your fireplace is blocked by a sturdy screen, and make sure candles are up high, away from kids, and not located near napkins or other flammables.

To self clean or not to self clean? That is the question.

The answer? …No!

Your oven’s self cleaning feature is a built in tool which allows the machine to heat lingering food particles and grime in the oven, turning them to ash and basically burning them off the interior of the unit. Sound useful? It can be, but unfortunately using the self clean feature can cause the machine to overheat and malfunction when you try to use it afterwards, or even lock up completely.

Running your oven’s self clean feature can therefore run YOU the risk of having to call for a repair — a high price during holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Instead, during the holidays you should always hand wash if need be using soap, water and a good scrubbing brush and sponge. It may take a little extra elbow grease, but at least you’ll get that turkey in the oven in time for dinner!

One of the best things about Thanksgiving is, arguably, the leftovers.

Once your family is done feasting (and napping afterwards, of course), it’s time to go back for Round 2! And is there anything better than food served the next day?

Whether you’re going to make a turkey soup, a turkey and cranberry sandwich or a leftover pie, it’s important to know just how long (as well as how and where) to store your leftovers so that they stay as fresh and safe to consume as possible.

First, it’s important to make sure you put the turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and any starchy foods in the refrigerator within an hour or two of eating (i.e. before you fall into a Thanksgiving-induced food coma). Stuffing should be removed from the bird and stored separately, and items like potatoes, casseroles and yams can be stored in the fridge 3 to 5 days. Turkey should be consumed within 2 to 3 days (and between you and me, is delicious as a cold snack with a little salt!).

Below, you can check out this chart for the FDA-approved recommendations of how, where and for how long precisely you should store your Thanksgiving leftovers to ensure safe consumption.

Happy Thanksgiving! Stay full… and safe!

Whether it’s accepting a check made out in the technician’s name (and not the company’s), or trying to use a generic part of a brand appliance instead of a a factory part, there are many ways consumers may get scammed or tricked by people purporting to be  qualified appliance technicians.

With the Internet, it’s easier than ever to pull a fast one over someone, especially when it comes to repair service. However, by being aware of just a handful of important things to look our for, you can keep yourself safe from being swindled.

1. Craigslist is a no-no
With Craigslist, you really don’t see what you’re going to get when it comes to service. And while using a handyman isn’t necessarily frowned upon, when it comes to most appliances (like refrigerators and microwaves), you’re going to want someone qualified, certified and experienced in your home, not a stranger off the Internet.

2. Never sign a blank check over, or make a check out to the repairman’s name
If your repairman is asking you to write a check to him and not out to his business or the company he’s with, you could be paying someone for a service they may not be qualified to do.

3. Don’t pay upfront
Unless it’s the deposit to order a part or unless you’re a longtime customer, if a company asks you to pay upfront, you may never see your money, or service, again.

4. Appearance matters
If a repairman comes to your home in something other than a uniform and work boots, he’s likely not with a reputable company, or at the very least probably isn’t a true professional.

5. Don’t accept an estimate over the phone
If your appliance business or technician promises to give an estimate for a repair without looking at the appliance first, turn the other way! It’s impossible for a knowledgeable technician to diagnose the precise issue, and therefore cost to fix, of any given problem you may have with your appliance. An appliance contains countless parts and connections and configurations that may be causing your issue, and so it’s critical for the repairman to see the unit and diagnose it properly in order to be able to tell you exactly what’s wrong and what you’ll need (just like a doctor!).

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but even holiday cheer comes with its fair share of stress. From last-minute shopping to crazy traffic, a person can go mad preparing for Christmas and the holiday season, especially if you’re hosting a party at your home.

Below, find out 5 surefire tips to ensure a stress-free holiday party planning experience:

1.Make a list
Now matter how good a memory you have, creating a list of the things you need to buy and the things you need to do before your event will help you stay on budget, stay organized and not over-buy or under-buy (i.e. forget!) items you’ll be kicking yourself for not having later.

2. Cook in advance
Thinking of cooking for your party day-of? Big mistake — huge! The day of your event should be dedicated to preparing the space, decorating and getting ready. (Hey, the party host needs to look good, too.) Plus, you’ll be thankful to have saved time in the event of last minute issues. Instead, prepare the foods you can beforehand, likely the night before.

3. Clean as you go
One of the biggest stresses caused by throwing a party is the messy aftermath. However, you can alleviate much of the burden by cleaning up as the night progresses. For example, as you notice spills, clean them up quickly instead of waiting until later. Collect trash and throw it out as you find it, and place dishes in the dishwasher instead of allowing them to pile up in the sink.

4. Expect the unexpected
Sometimes more folks than you anticipated show up for your holiday party—or people who didn’t RSVP, or people who you may have invited at the last minute. Oops! Always be sure to have plenty of extra food and beverages on hand so you can accommodate any surprise guests. In addition, it’s smart to have a handful of extra gift bags tucked away with thoughtful yet flexible presents ready for those awkward moments when someone brings you an unexpected gift. Some great wine, chocolates, candles, beautiful scarfs and toiletries (think Lush or Bath & Body Works) go a long way.

5. Make it a potluck
Stressed about staying within your budget? Not sure what your party guests will like to eat? Or just looking to shake things up? Make your party a potluck and encourage your friends to bring their favorite homemade or take-out dish! This way, you can achieve delicious variety while saving your budget for gifts, fun decor, and games!

Amid the merriment and cheer, Christmas often ends up being a time for excess, especially when it comes to waste. However, you can certainly put emphasis on the GREEN part of the holiday’s typical red and green motif by focusing on simple efforts to minimize your waste output. Below, find five impactful yet convenient ways to manage your environmental footprint during the holiday season.

1. Holiday Cards: Do you usually mail our your holiday cards? Don’t waste your money, or the paper! Instead, try sending out e-cards. If you prefer snail mail, opt for eco-friendly or recycled paper cards.

2. Christmas Trees: Did you know you can recycle your natural Christmas tree? Don’t toss it into the garbage! Your tree can be used for organic recycling, mulching, and even bird feeders. Look up your local options for tree recycling on the web.

3. Bring Your Own Shopping Bag: Paper or plastic? How about neither? Bring some tote bags when you go holiday shopping and you can help save a slew of trees, as well as give yourself less to carry.

4. Earth-Friendly Gift Wrap: Wrapping paper using foil is not typically recyclable. Instead, try to use old newspapers for a cool, vintage look, or seek out paper wrapping that have been made from recycled paper. Then, continue your family to continue the cycle after opening their gifts.

5. Gift Cards: Minimize your carbon footprint (and your gas expense!) by purchasing gift cards and gift certificates online or in local stores. This will not only save on wrapping paper waste, but also allow the recipient to customize their own gift. Win win!

Your dishwasher is meant to get all your dishware, cutlery and cooking utensils clean. But what happens what the machine itself starts to get musty and caked with food and other spills?

Your dishwasher needs a good cleaning every now and then. Below, find out how to get your dishwasher clean the simple and easy way!

1. Clean the filter
After a few cycles, your filter will likely develop a layer of gunk. When first cleaning you dishwasher, hit the filter first by removing it from the machine and letting it soak in warm, soapy water for 10-20 minutes. Gently scrub off anything remaining.

2. Deodorize using vinegar
Pour a cup of white distilled vinegar into the bottom of your empty dishwasher and then run a heavy clean cycle to eliminate any lingering odors, as well as to really get the inside of your machine sparkling!

3. Deodorize with baking soda
You can also boost the deodorization process by sprinkling a cup of baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher. Let it sit overnight and then in the morning, run an empty cycle.

4. Scrub, scrub, scrub
Still have a few remaining stains or caked-on mess? Use an old toothbrush to scrub any any lingering debris, especially anything caught in the door seal, under the sprayer arms, or in the corners of the unit.

So, your refrigerator isn’t running, or maybe your oven isn’t getting hot. It’s time to call to schedule appliance repair, but if you’re not used to working with a company, never called for service before or haven’t needed it in a long time, there are a few things you should know before picking up the phone to schedule service.

Below, here’s what you need to know about scheduling appliance repair service before you call!

1. Have you information ready:
Be prepared to describe the issue you’re having, as well as the make (i.e. brand) of the appliance, so the person handling your appointment can schedule the most qualified technician to look at your appliance.

2. Pricing is typically job-based:
While service calls (i.e. having a technician out to diagnose your issue) and some services (like a dryer vent cleaning) are flat rate, repair service rarely is. Because of the technical nature of the job, most service repairs vary unit by unit.

3. Be prepared to ask the right questions:
If you’re calling for your fridge, you may want to ask what you can do to preserve the food you have while you wait to receive service. Asking what may have caused the issue you’re having can also help you avoid having the same problem in the future. Also, don’t forget to ask about any special offers or discounts when booking your appointment!

4. Scheduling usually takes place in 3-4 hour blocks:
Due to the nature of appliance repair, in which a job may take longer or faster than expected based on the diagnosis, be prepared to sign up for a small service window when booking your appointment. While most companies will give a 6-8 hour window, Immediate Appliance works hard to stay true to its name by giving 3-4 hour windows (plus a courtesy call when the technician is dispatched, so you know he’s on the way) plus limited 2 hour emergency windows.

Isn’t it great that you can store those extra pans and pots under your oven? You know, in that pull-out drawer?

Well, surprise! That drawer is technically not for storage—though you can use it that way.

In fact, though most people may not realize it, the compartment built into the bottom of most ovens is called a warming drawer, and it’s used to store (and keep warm) food you’ve cooked while other items are still busy baking in the oven.

For example, ever have to cook your Thanksgiving meal dishes in waves? Well, instead of leaving the green bean casserole and mashed potatoes out on the counter to dry out and cool down, you can pop them into the drawer for warm storage while the turkey finished up in the oven!

However, if you just wanna store your extra cupcake baking trays down there, that’s okay too. We won’t judge… We do it too!

Pennies. Credit cards. Pens.

At some point in your life, you’ve probably suffered one sort of dryer related disaster or anything, whether a rogue ballpoint pen burst all over your favorite blouse, or something plastic melted onto the tub, or a stringy wad of gum got stuck to the spin basket.

Stains inside your clothes dryer can be as dubious as the actual stains on your clothing—and perhaps even more destructive. Below, here are some surefire ways to get those icky, oft-accidental stains and spills cleaned up!

Note: Make sure your dryer has first been unplugged before cleaning inside the drum!

Ink: Ink spills from pens are the worst! First, run the dryer for about 10 minutes to make the ink easier to remove with a dampened rag soaked in rubbing alcohol. Keep changing the rag to avoid spreading the stain. Rinse with a clean damp cloth and water and once all ink seems to be eliminated, run a dry cycle with an old white towel.

Crayon wax: If you can find stuck-on pieces of crayon wax, gently scrape that off with an old credit card first. Then, using a soft rag sprayed with just a hint of WD-40 (spray onto the rag, not the drum itself), rub at the stain until remove. Finally, scrub with warm, soapy water.

Dye: Soak old towels in a solution of three gallons of hot water to one cup of household bleach. While wearing protective goggles/glasses and rubber gloves, wring the towels nearly dry and then toss into the drum. Run the dryer for 30 minutes on an air-fluff setting and repeat until no longer needed.

Lipstick: First, remove as much as you can using a dry cloth, preferably if the dryer is still warm. Then, once the dryer has been cooled down and unplugged, wipe with a soft damp cloth and rubbing alcohol. You can then try a load of old towels in the machine to remove any excess remaining.

Gum: First scrape off as much hardened gum as you can with n old credit card. Use a blow-dryer to soften any remaining gum and then remove the softened candy by scraping again with the old credit card. Finally,  wipe down the stained area with an all-purpose cleanser soaked cloth before wiping dry.

When you get sick, you go see a doctor. When your car breaks down, you take it to a mechanic. When your appliance malfunctions, it’s important to exercise the same sense of reasoning and have a professional diagnose your problem. Why? Let’s break it down, below:

1. Tutorials can be misleading
If your first instinct is to go online and try to self-diagnose your issue using YouTube or another site, there’s a very good chance you’ll be misled. Most appliances have complex parts and connections, which means any single given problem may be caused by a number of various malfunctions. A professional is necessary to pin point the precise reason why the unit isn’t working.

2. It’s dangerous
Trying to fix an appliance (especially like a fridge or microwave) without any training or experience is asking for trouble. You might inadvertently disconnect something, cause more damage, or worse—get hurt.

3. It can lead to extra expenses
If you end up misdiagnosing your own appliance, it’s likely you’ll either cause extra damage in the process, or end up needing to order more parts. It’s always best to allow professionals to do their work as soon as possible, in order to avoid unnecessary costs.

Faulty or unsafe dryer vents are in the top 10 causes of annual home-based fires. By following these simple, affordable tips, you can avoid clothes dryer danger and a potential fire hazard. And remember, if you’re dryer isn’t operating properly, has a strange smell, is overheating, or is making a strange noise, don’t hesitate to call an appliance repair professional like Immediate Appliance Service to take a look at your machine.

1. Have a qualified appliance service repairman clean your dryer and dryer venting system frequently to ensure proper air flow and remove lint build-up
2. Always clean the lint trap before and after drying your load of clothing
3. Check and clean the back of the dryer (lint can be stuck there)
4. Don’t leave your dryer running when you leave your home
5.  Always have a professional install the gas lines for a gas dryer

Here are Immediate Appliance, we strive to provide customers with the fastest, highest quality, most professional appliance repair service in Central NJ.

If you’ve used our service and were happy with the experience, we’d be so thrilled if you would take the time to vote for us in the Monmouth Health & Life Readers’ Choice Awards for 2017! Last year, Immediate Appliance Service, Inc. was honored and delighted to win the 2016 award for Best Appliance Repair.

The Monmouth Health & Life Readers’ Choice Awards are fueled by you, the readers and customers of local NJ businesses. That being so, the recipients of these awards are based on YOUR votes and recommendations! If you’d like to see Immediate Appliance win for 2017, please cast your vote here and share this with your friends, family, and neighbors. We’re relying on your support! VOTE HERE – voting ends on April 28th!

On February 25, Immediate Appliance Service, Inc. of Freehold, NJ sponsored the Toms River Knights of Columbus (Council 4969) in the annual Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics in Seaside Heights.

Over the course of the chilly one-day event, the Knights raised over $6,000 for the cause, which benefits the Special Olympics New Jersey and provides over 25,000 local Special Olympics participants and young athletes with disabilities year-round sports training, leadership opportunities, competitive events and health screenings.

“I am incredibly proud of the Special Olympics participants here in New Jersey, and proud of the Toms River Knights of Columbus who worked so hard to raise money for this important cause,” says Rob Gerrity, owner and CEO of Immediate Appliance. “We look forward to participating again next year!”

Click here to learn more about the annual New Jersey Polar Bear Plunge.

Spring is officially in bloom here in New Jersey, which means that although the temperatures are still fluctuating—and we may be in for some more chilliness over the next few weeks—it’s time to prep your air conditioning unit for the impending warmer weather.

The best time to get your central A/C inspected is BEFORE the heat hits. A yearly maintenance check is recommended by leading professionals, as proper maintenance can slice your energy bill by up to 15%! In addition, cleaning and servicing the unit before the weather warms up will ensure your A/C is ready to work before it’s too late—and too hot. (There’s nothing worse than trying to turn on a broken aircon on a hot, sticky day!)

Get your central A/C checked today by calling 1-800-323-3023!

When summer comes to mind, we almost always focus on picnics, days lounging on the beach, and tasty iced drinks. But hot weather has a gnarly side too. We’re talking about the real dog days of summer, when intense heat and humidity make it impossible to sit comfortably, let alone sleep through the night.

Pool parties, barbecues and ice pops: Summer is a veritable festival of fun in the sun! But with summer months come steamy summer night… And for some, restless, sleepless nights due to the heat.

If you don’t have an air conditioning unit in your home, you don’t have to spend all summer sweltering in your sweaty sheets. With a little ingenuity and a fan or two, you can be sleeping like a cool, comfortable baby. Below, check out 5 simple tips to do just that:

1. Craft a Cross-Breeze
Loading up your home with fans can help boost airflow around your space, which will help you and your house cool down quicker. At nighttime, a fan positioned in front of a window can help draw in the cool night air and push it around your home.

2. Choose Cotton
Ditch the thick, clingy fabric for cotton everything—clothes, underwear, bedding—to keep cool, crisp and sweat-free! Lighter than most other fabrics, cotton will hep wick away sweat and moisture, keeping you feeling clean and cool.

3. Sleep Alone
Sorry, but cuddling up isn’t conducive to a comfy-cool rest in the depths of the summer heat. Body heat begets body heat. Instead, try snoozing alone with loose sheets instead of a heavy comforter.

4. Lights Out
Lights = heat. Duh! Keep your home cool (and conserve energy) by minimizing your light usage, especially during the daytime, when your home will already receive plenty of light from the sun.

5. Get Cold Feet
Your biggest winter pet peeve will become your summer best friend: cold feet! You can purchase cooling gel socks to wear at night, or even store some socks in the freezer to keep your feet, a sensitive spot which can affect the way the rest of your body feels, nice and cool at night. You can also try sleeping your feet outside the covers… and skip the slippers!

Hey, Monmouth County! Did you hear the news?

Immediate Appliance Service is now an official sponsor of the upcoming County Seat Street Fest in Downtown Freehold.

Presented by the Monmouth Regional Chamber of Commerce and taking place on Sunday, May 7 downtown in the Freehold Boro (12-6 pm), the event will include live music, local vendors, food stalls and plenty of fun!

For over 25 years, Immediate Appliance Service, Inc. has served as the leading appliance repair service company in Central New Jersey specializing in all home appliance repairs, including refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washers, dryers, microwaves, ovens, stoves, central air conditioning, gas furnace heating and more. We also provide appliance recycling, annual maintenance and installation.

Immediate Appliance has been voted as the #1 Appliance Repair Company in Monmouth County four consecutive years by the Asbury Park Press, and has won Monmouth Health & Life Magazine’s “Best of the Best!” award three years in a row for providing excellent service to our customers.

Shop, Dine, Discover, & Explore… in Downtown Freehold!