Your refrigerator is more than just a place to keep your drinks cold— it’s one of the most essential components of your kitchen, and also a critical part of staying healthy! After all, if your refrigerator fails to keep your food items at the right temperature, you could find yourself seriously ill. Not to mention, your refrigerator is a considerable investment that doesn’t exactly come for free.
Taking the proactie steps to increase its longetivity and efficiency is in your best interest for a variety of reasons. Here are some of the best tips to keep your refrigerator going strong, and running smoothly for plenty of years to come.
Address Problems Early on
All too often many of us let things slide because we don’t want to have to deal with them. Unfortunately, this can lead to worse and more expensive problems in the long run. When issues come up with your refrigerator, get them fixed sooner than later. You want to contact a qualified repair technician to diagnose any issues, and perhaps most importantly to resolve them.
Keep it Clean
Cleaning your refrigerator regularly is more than just aesthetics. Keeping it clean can actually maintain its efficiency. By wiping down the interior surfaces including the shelves and drawers, you can prevent accumulating mold, and food residue. Not to mention, failing to wipe down regularly can lead to bacterial growth, which isn’t exactly appealing in a place where you keep your food.
Perhaps most importantly is to regularly clean the condenser coils which are normally located in the back of the refrigerator. This will help prevent dust and debris building up which can impact its ability to stay cool.
Set The Correct Temperature
It’s important that you set the correct temperature for your refrigerator. This means setting it between 37 and 40° Fahrenheit, while your freezer should be at 0. Consider using a refrigerator thermometer to guarantee that the temperatures stay within the safety zone. Perhaps one of the most important ways to keep your refrigerator at the correct temperature is to avoid overloading it. When you put too many things inside of your refrigerator it restricts air flow, and in turn uneven cooling. If you’ve ever noticed that certain items in your fridge are soggy or even frozen, overloading is probably likely the reason.
Replace Seals as Needed
Your frigerator comes with door seals which are also known as gaskets. These play a critical role in maintaining the efficiency of your refrigerators cool air. These seals create an airtight lock when the doors are closed. However, it’s perfectly normal over time for these seals to start to wear out as we open and close our refrigerators multiple times a day.
Unfortunately, when they do wear out that means your refrigerator isn’t keeping cold air in and hot air out as well as it should. So regularly inspect the door seals for signs of wear and tear, and replace as needed.