Tips For Optimizing Your Refrigerator's Efficiency

All appliances in your home need cleaning and care to run efficiently and reduce the need for repairs. Your refrigerator is one very important appliance—without its cool interior, your food would spoil, making you and your family sick. With a few tips, you can keep your refrigerator clean and running as it should for many years and keep your family healthy. 

Keeping The Icebox Clean

The inside of your refrigerator doesn't require harsh detergents to get it squeaky clean. In most cases, warm soapy water helps wipe away any dried-on food, spills, or other grime inside. For the stubborn stains, you can use baking soda on a damp sponge. This gives you the extra scouring action that you need without scratching the plastic or glass shelves inside your appliance. 

If you want the outside of your fridge to shine, try wiping it down with a solution of equal parts distilled white vinegar and water. 

Cleaning your fridge once a week to make sure that there are no spills and to remove any old leftovers can help your fridge work more efficiently. An overloaded refrigerator cannot allow air to circulate freely through the appliance.

A Little Effort Equals Efficiency

The rubber piping (or gasket) inside your refrigerator door seals the door to keep your food cool. If this seal is dirty or not attached properly, it wastes electricity and could cause food spoilage. You should always wash this seal each time you clean your fridge and make sure it is attached. If it's not, you need to call a local appliance repair service to discuss replacing it. 

A level refrigerator uses less electricity and runs more efficiently than one that is even slightly off balance. It has to work harder to keep cool. You can determine if your fridge is level by placing an almost-full glass of water on a shelf inside your refrigerator. If the water tends to swoop to the right or left, you need to adjust your refrigerator. You can often make a simple fix by placing a small piece of wood or cardboard on one side to give it even footing, which can save you quite a bit on your electricity bill.

Your freezer works best when it's at least 2/3's full. This does not mean you have to buy extra frozen food at the market; you can fill any extra space by putting water in a plastic bottle or other containers to fill in the extra space. When both the freezer and refrigerator are maintained, you'll get optimum efficiency. 

Your local appliance repair service is there for you when things go wrong; you can call these professionals for advice on how to keep your appliance running smoothly and efficiently, so you save on both repairs and energy costs. One company that can assist you wit your appliance repair needs is Master Tech Mechanical.