Tips for a Fresh, Clean & Efficient Refrigerator
Keeping up with your refrigerator maintenance helps extend the life of your appliance
When it comes to caring for their appliances, most homeowners seem to take an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach. However, it’s actually to your advantage to spend a little bit of time cleaning and caring for your refrigerator now rather than waiting for it to become smelly, dirty, inefficient, or even broken. Try these tips for a fresh, clean & efficient refrigerator and see if you don’t get more life and better performance from your unit.
Clean
Cleaning out your refrigerator can seem like a herculean task, but you’ll find that the more frequently you do it the easier it gets because food debris and grease have less time to build up. Here’s what to do:
- Remove all food from the fridge & discard anything that’s expired.
- Create an easy-to-use, no-rinse degreasing cleaner that will prevent mold and mildew by adding 1 cup of ammonia, ½ cup vinegar, and ¼ cup baking soda to 1 gallon of water.
- Apply your cleaner to all surfaces inside the fridge using a sponge or a spray bottle. Allow fridge to dry completely before closing it.
- Clean the top of the fridge, then buff some paste wax into the surface to make it easier to clean dust and grease off later.
Deodorize
No one wants to eat food that’s picked up odors from a stinky fridge. In addition to cleaning up spills and bits of food promptly, you can help eliminate lingering odors from your fridge using some of these tips:
- Place an open box of baking soda or a clean sock filled with activated charcoal in the fridge to absorb odors.
- Crumple up a piece of a brown paper grocery bag and leave it in your crisper drawer for 48 hours.
- For a fresh scent, sprinkle vanilla or orange extract on some cotton balls and place in a dish at the back of the fridge.
Improve Efficiency
In order to get the best possible performance from your fridge, you need to take good care of it! Here are some basic tips:
- Read your user manual and follow all instructions.
- Keep your fridge set to 37 degrees.
- Check your door seals by placing a flashlight inside. If you can see light, you probably need new door seals to help keep cooled air inside your fridge where it belongs.
- Keep your condenser coils clean for more efficient cooling. If you don’t have a duster that will fit under the fridge easily, you can make one by stretching panty hose over a yardstick.
Get Professional Maintenance
If you do notice any problems with your fridge, such as strange sounds, excessive running of the motor or fan, lack of cooling, water leaks, or persistent mold smells that won’t go away after cleaning, get professional help right away! The longer you let the problem drag on, the worse it will get, but by calling Authorized Appliance you can get nip problems in the bud and restore your fridge to its best possible operating condition.
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