Fridge and Freezer Appliance Maintenance Tips

Reposition the refrigerator. Your fridge runs more efficiently when it has airflow behind it. Pull the fridge an inch or two away from the wall to improve how it runs.
Clean the fridge. Wipe down the door gaskets and vacuum the condenser coil on your fridge once and a while to keep it running more efficiently.
Organize the fridge. You can use clear plastic bins to help organize similar foods in your fridge. You can also line the shelves with plastic wrap to make the cleaning process very easy.
Prevent ice buildup in freezer. You can put a thin layer of cooking spray inside your freezer and then wipe it down. The small amount of spray that remains will help prevent ice from building up.
Re-magnetize refrigerator doors. If the magnets of your fridge door seals seem weak, you can re-magnetize them by running a powerful magnet along the gasket. You need to run it in the same direction about 50 times for the best results.
Empty your ice bin. Ice that sits in your freezer for a long time will form a large chunk and start to smell bad. Empty the ice bin once a month for fresh, odorless ice.
Fill the freezer. Your freezer works more efficiently when it is full of cold things rather than empty. If you don’t have much to put in your freezer, fill a couple of milk jugs with water and freeze them until you have more food to preserve.

Clean tough microwave grime. Put some white vinegar in a microwave-safe cup or bowl and microwave it for 3 minutes to loosen the stains on the inside. After that, you can wipe it down more easily with a damp cloth.
Clean the oven. The inside of the oven can become a baked-in mess if you don’t clean it regularly. To loosen up the grime, you can bake a combination of baking soda, vinegar, and water in an oven-safe bowl on low heat for 45 mins. Turn off the oven, and it will be easier to wipe down once it cools.
Clean the oven hood. If your vent hood is particularly dirty, you can remove it and soak it in soapy hot water before wiping it down. You can then prevent some dust buildup by rubbing a small amount of cooking or mineral oil on it after the cleaning.

Clean the coffee machine. You can run a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water through your coffee machine to clean it and remove mineral buildup. Make sure you run a couple cycles of water through the machine before making your next pot of coffee to rinse it out.
Polish stainless steel. Stainless steel appliances can be polished with WD-40, giving them a nice smooth shine.
Sharpen the garbage disposal. You can sharpen the garbage disposal blades and freshen the appliance up by running ice and lemon rinds through it.
Clean the dishwasher. Similar to the microwave, you can use vinegar to help clean your dishwasher. Put a cup of white vinegar on the top shelf and run a normal cycle to remove tough residues before wiping it down.
Get a lazy Susan. A lazy Susan (turntable) is a great way to organize your spices or condiments, making it easier to find what you want without knocking things over.

Drain the water heater. Minerals build up in your hot water heater over time, which cuts down on its efficiency and causes problems. You can help reduce the buildup by draining it at least once a year.
Cover the water heater. You can get a water heater cover to insulate the appliance and keep it from losing as much energy to the surrounding air.
Clean the air conditioner. You can use a hose to wash off the outdoor AC unit. Make sure that it’s turned off when you do so.
Change the AC filter. If the air conditioner filter gets clogged, it runs less efficiently. Change to a new filter at least once a year.

Remove the dryer lint. It’s important to clean out the lint trap on your dryer after every load of laundry. It’s also important to clean out the accordion hose that comes off of the machine to make sure that it doesn’t become clogged, causing a fire hazard. You can do this easily with a vacuum attachment.
Clean the washing machine. Especially for front-loading washing machines, mold can grow quickly. Periodically wipe down the inside of the machine, including the seals on the door.

Collect filter debris. You can wrap your pool’s filter skimmer basket with pantyhose to collect fine debris. Change to new hosiery as needed.
Collect oils on the surface. You can have a tennis ball floating in your pool to help collect oils that come from sunscreen and sweaty swimmers.
Don’t allow regular clothing. Swimsuits are made from particular fabric that’s made for pools. Regular clothes can have fibers and dyes that can cause harm to the pool.
Repel insects. Lemongrass naturally repels mosquitoes, so having some near the pool can help make it a more enjoyable location.