Refrigerators are a lot like air conditioners they remove heat to provide cold for our food. That means that refrigerators have the same working parts that your air conditioner has and should be taken care of in the same way so they will last as long as possible. The refrigerator has an evaporator built into the back of the cabinet. It has a heat rejection device or condenser in the form of copper coil in the bottom of the cabinet where the compressor, fan and other electronic components are located. There are several important things you can do to help your refrigerator do the best job of taking care of your food. Proper cleaning, proper storage, proper operation.
Proper cleaning of your refrigerator consists of more than just whipping out the vegetable drawer, although that is important. You should clean up spills and leakage on regular basis and you should unplug the refrigerator remove all the food and remove all shelving, drawers, etc. Whip down the inside of the refrigerator with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 quart of warm water and whip dry. Hand wash the shelving, drawers, etc. in warm soapy water. Make sure to rinse thoroughly and whip dry. Do not use hot water the glass may break and the plastic will melt into an unusable shape. Also be sure and clean the door gasket to insure a good seal. While you are waiting for the inside and the removable parts to dry it is a good time to remove all the artwork, magnets and sticky notes from the outside of the cabinet and give it a good cleaning with warm soapy water. Whip dry and begin putting the removable stuff back inside. Now that the inside and the out side of your refrigerator are clean and dry lets focus on what makes it purr. At the bottom of the cabinet in the front you will see a grill, it will unsnap from the front, now look down and oooh ugh look at the size of those dust bunnies.
Get a vacuum with a wand attachment and stick it in there and vacuum all that dirt, dust, dead critters, all manner of hair human and animal out of there. You may want to pull the refrigerator out and vacuum it from behind as well to make sure you have really got all of it out. Your refrigerator will really thank you because now it can breathe. Do this yearly unless you are a crazy cat person then you should clean it out every 3 months.
Have you ever wondered why even though you keep turning your refrigerator temperature down it still does not seem any colder, well, when you reach into turn the dial can you actually see the dial or is your refrigerator so crammed full that you have to feel your way in. As important as it is to keep the outside clean it is equally important to keep the food properly stored and not over stuffed. The cold air has to be able to circulate around the inside of the refrigerator in order to keep the food cold. If you over stuff the refrigerator it will not be able to circulate and the food will get warm.
How you operate your refrigerator is also very important. Never run frost-free refrigerators with freezer compartments in unheated areas with air temperature below 60 F. unless specially designed for such conditions. When the air temperature goes below 60 F. the compressor runs less, keeping temperatures in the refrigerator compartment cold enough for fresh food but not cold enough in the freezer compartment to keep food quality there. At air temperatures below 40 F. the compressor stops running, so the freezer compartment rises to air temperature and food thaws and spoils. Also below 32 F. water melted during the automatic defrost cycle may freeze again and block air passages.
For seasonal homes with heat left on at very low temperatures, or long winter vacations with heat turned down in home, remove all food, unplug, clean thoroughly, dry, and leave door ajar so air can circulate. Be sure no child can get into empty refrigerator in your absence and become trapped! If you cannot use up all the food, give it away or throw it away; food that spoils in a refrigerator can create odors that may require discarding the refrigerator!
For short vacations, leave refrigerator on but use up or discard perishable food, and if you have ice makers, turn off the mechanism and water line following your manual directions.
Remember treat your refrigerator well and it will treat you well.
