When the weather is chilly, there are plenty of low impact projects we can take on while we are cooped up in doors--and here's a great one! Yes, this is MY refrigerator! I went in after a refrigerator magnet (a letter "K" to be exact) and came out with a blog post!
If you have 10 minutes, you have time for this important and EASY home maintenance task.
When was the last time you looked under your refrigerator?? Probably not too recently. Besides those of you like me, often fishing out lost toys or magnets, we usually don't have much reason to take a peak under our refrigerator at all. Well, here's a great reason to do so today! Did you know that debris around your refrigerator coils can reduce the appliance's efficiency; and in extreme cases, can even cause a fire? Nobody wants either of those things, so here's what we can do:
Maintenance Task: Refrigerator Coil Cleaning
Level of Difficulty: EASY
- Access: Your coils will be located either at the back of your refrigerator or underneath. If yours are at the back, very gently pull your fridge out so you can access them. Keep in mind that if you have a water line connected to your fridge, you need to be extra careful. You DO NOT want to rupture this line. If your coils are located underneath the refrigerator, simply remove the front grate, which should pop off rather easily.
- Inspect: Now it's time to grab a flashlight. Shine your flashlight at the coils and be looking for any debris. You may find anything from a few errant dust bunnies to a large mass of dust and hair--especially if you have pets!
- Clean: Grab a vacuum with a long nozzle and simply suck up the debris from around your coils and anywhere behind and beneath the fridge. Then replace the grate and/or push the fridge back into position.
And that's it! It takes about 10-15 minutes to complete this task; and while we rarely think to do it, doing so can help protect you and your family from fire, and enable your refrigerator to run more efficiently, and in turn last longer.
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