The fridge is one of the most important and beloved appliances in the home. You want to make sure you are taking the best care of your fridge to ensure its longevity. Here are some easy ways to maintain your fridge and get the most life out of it. With these simple steps, you’ll be sure to get your money’s worth from your appliance!
- Keep it clean
Wipe up spills right away before they have a chance to rot or create mold issues in your refrigerator. If food has gotten stuck on the back wall, remove all items including shelves. Using a damp sponge with soap, wipe down the entire inside of the appliance including where the rubber door seal meets the floor. Don’t forget to wipe down any wire racks or dividers as well as underneath those items that hang beneath the bottom shelf.
- Check the gasket
The rubber door seal is the most important part of your refrigerator. It provides an airtight seal that keeps food cold while preventing warm outside odours from entering into your fridge. Check for cracks, tears or other damage on a regular basis and make sure it’s clean to prevent decay. The door seal should fit tightly against the metal rim to maximize pressure between the two.
- Don’t overcrowd
It’s tempting to stuff too much food in there, but resist! This causes warm air to gather inside which reduces efficiency and increases energy usage. Only keep what you need so that you’re utilizing all that space effectively and maximizing energy savings at the same time!
- Keep it cold
Make sure your refrigerator’s temperature is set to a temperature between 2 and 4 degrees Celsius. The freezer should be around 0 degrees.
- Store food properly
Be smart about what you choose to keep in your fridge based on where it’s located inside the appliance. Store the heavier items on the bottom shelves so that they don’t collapse under their own weight and potentially damage other foods. Make sure produce sits somewhere moist to prevent bruising and store meats in tupperware or airtight containers to avoid contamination from other items.
- Clean your condenser coils
Your refrigerator’s condenser coils may be located under the fridge or freezer on the floor, on the back wall or even behind a protective grate. In order to efficiently cool food you have to remove hot air from inside the fridge so that cold air can take its place. You’ll want to clean these at least once per year as dust and dirt cause them to work harder and reduce energy efficiency.
- Defrost if needed
Some more modern units have automatic defrosting by removing warm air which means you don’t have to manually defrost! If your unit requires manual defrosting you should do this at least once per year just like cleaning out those coils we talked about above. This will not only take care of any drips from ice buildup, but it will also reduce energy consumption!
- Keep the right temp inside
Make sure you have a thermometer in your fridge to keep track of the temperature and adjust accordingly. If you find that your fridge is too warm, take a look at your insulation around the door seal to see if there’s any holes or gaps which might let heat escape. Also be sure that the doors close tightly to prevent warm air getting in when you’re not using the appliance.
- Fold down those shelves
Be sure to fold down all wire shelves and dividers so they don’t block cold air flow between different compartments. The shelves also need to be clean in order to maximize airflow throughout the fridge compartment. If you have a meat or produce drawer, make sure it’s pulled out fully so cold air can circulate. This will reduce energy consumption and allow for a lower temperature inside your fridge!
- Get rid of that frost
Finally, when you defrost your appliance, if you find any ice buildup on the walls or floor, remove this frost with warm water and dry it thoroughly before turning your freezer back on. Frost helps keep food cold but it also reduces efficiency, so it’s best to get rid of as much as possible in order to chill more efficiently!
Now that you know some of the basics of how to care for your refrigerator, it’s time to get started! Remember these 10 tips (plus find more online!) and head back into the kitchen with confidence. If you need any help with your fridge or have any questions about your fridge’s condition, give us a call at 1 877-650-0775. We are always happy to help you with this important appliance in the home.