Your refrigerator is one of the most vital appliances you will ever have in your kitchen. It brings a lot of convenience and efficiency in the kitchen area, and any form of breakdown will lead to so many things going wrong in the kitchen. As such, it is imperative to know how to take good care of it so that it doesn’t just serve you better and longer, but also helps in avoiding lots of unnecessary fridge repair calls.
However, for you to know how to take good care of your refrigeration unit, it is vital that you also increase your knowledge about certain components of the fridge and the best practices when it comes to care and maintenance. Below is a look at some of the vital things you need to know about your refrigerator if you hope to get the most in terms of service, efficiency, and longevity.
How to operate the refrigerator at the right temperatures
Regrettably, most people never give a thought to the temperature settings of their refrigerators. Once they switch on the unit, and so long as the main compartment can keep food fresh and the freezer compartment is also working fine, they won’t bother to think about tweaking the temperature. The importance of knowing the correct or recommended operating temperature is so that you ensure the unit is operating at maximum efficiency and also to ensure that your foods are not in an unsafe zone.
The ideal temperature for most units is between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything above 400F is considered unsafe and will not just risk spoiling the food, but also promotes the growth of bacteria inside your unit. The best way to ensure that your refrigerator temperature is in the right zone is to simply invest in a refrigerator thermometer. With a thermometer, once you have placed it inside your unit, preferably at the door, you will easily monitor the temperature and adjust accordingly to ensure maximum efficiency.
Seasonal cleaning of the refrigerator and the freezer
Most people never take time to clean their refrigerator and freezers regularly, and as a result, they incur costs or experience damages that could have been easily avoided if a proper cleaning schedule was ensured. Instead of waiting for major spills for you to clean the entire fridge, it is recommended that weekly, or twice every month, you should remove everything from the refrigerator and the freezers and give it a thorough cleaning.
This is how you stop germs and bacteria from building up inside the compartments and also stop any odors that might have started building up inside the fridge. For better cleaning results, use a solution of baking soda and vinegar to thoroughly clean every part of the refrigerator.
How to properly use the crisper drawers
Most people see crisper drawers in their refrigerators and they have no idea how they work. To them, they are just additional places to store your foods. However, the drawers have some science behind them and once you know how they operate correctly, you will know what to store where depending on the number of drawers that your fridge has. To begin with, crisper drawers have varying levels of humidity compared to the rest of the fridge.
If your fridge has two crisper drawers, for instance, you should use one for low humidity storage and another for high humidity storage. Items such as fruits should always be stored in the low-humidity drawers. This is because with prolonged storage, they will begin to produce a gas known as ethylene, and since the low humidity drawers have a vent, they will provide an easy escape for the gas and avoid a build-up inside the fridge. The high humidity drawers, on the other hand, should be designated for items such as vegetables that produce no gas that will need to be released out of the fridge.
Proper organization for ease of use and safety
Another thing you have to know if you want to completely dominate your fridge is proper organization. For most people, they think it is okay to keep whatever they want inside the fridge, but this is a huge misconception. For instance, there are certain items that should never find their way into the refrigerator. For example, items such as garlic, bread, honey, potatoes, onions, avocados, and bananas should never be stored inside a fridge.
The rule of thumb is that ready to eat food should occupy the upper shelves, while items such as raw ingredients, and meats should go to the lower shelves. One huge mistake most people do is store eggs and milk on the door because they are easily accessible, but this is wrong. The door is the warmest part of the fridge, and it is ideal for storing condiments.
About the efficient operation of the fridge
It is also vital to know how to tell if your unit is running efficiently or if it is working harder than it should. Any inefficiency will not just lead to higher energy bills, but may also cause serious mechanical problems which may compel you to seek for appliance repair in Montreal & Laval services. But with a little practice and knowing how to understand your unit, you can ensure that it is operating optimally at all times.
To begin with, you should check and ensure that the doors are airtight at all times. This is one of the places where the most energy is lost, leading to expensive operational costs. Secondly, you should check the coils to ensure they are not covered in dust and other debris because this will lower the efficiency of the fridge. Also, you should be keen enough to notice any strange or unusual noises coming from the fridge.
Finally, form the habit of calling a professional for inspection once every year. This is how you will detect problems before they occur and have them resolved in good time. This is the greatest secret to avoiding expensive repair costs associated with Samsung & Whirlpool refrigerator repairs.
