Refrigerators are arguably the most essential home appliance in our households, but while the ovens, washing machines or even the air conditioning systems get their break when they are turned off, refrigerators rarely get any break. In order to keep our perishable foods fresh and safe, refrigerators are kept active 24/7 – through the night, through power cuts and through the dozens of time we open the door just to look for a midnight snack.
Of course, refrigerators were built keeping all of this in mind. But that doesn’t mean they don’t need a bit of looking after. They also cost a pretty penny, and an only a little cleaning and maintenance is often the difference between making a refrigerator last for five years or fifteen.
Take cleaning, for instance. People tend to clean the refrigerator only when there is a spill in it; however, the reality is that the shelves, drawers, and lining of the door are always accumulating some amounts of condensation and food remains. After some time, this might develop an odor even if the food inside it is perfect. A little wipe now and then would ensure that everything stays fresh and clean. Overloading the shelves is another problem. It causes some items to end up warmer than they should while others freeze unexpectedly. As a result, food that should stay fresh for days starts turning bad within hours even inside a fully functional refrigerator.
Modern refrigerators, however, work in a more efficient way. Samsung’s 700L Side by Side Refrigerator model, for instance, has digital inverter compressor that adjusts continuously based on what’s needed, so temperatures stay steadier without the fluctuation. It’s all-around cooling system that spreads cold air evenly from corner to corner, so a shelf packed a little too full doesn’t leave anything warmer than it should be. It also has a deodorizing filter that keeps odors from settling in so the interior stays fresh for longer even without a wipe down.
Even with all that modern technology, a handful of other smaller habits round things out such as, keeping the door seals snug, defrosting before ice builds up too much, not setting the temperature colder than it needs to be and keeping a few inches of clearance on each side and the back of the fridge.
Small as they are, these practices add up the difference between a fridge that runs smoothly for a decade and one that gives trouble far too soon.