Aquilo's Guide To Fridge Maintenance

Introduction

Looking after your fridge will maximise its efficiency and ensure food is kept in optimum condition for the longest time. A proper maintenance schedule will also reward you by increasing the useful life of your fridge.

Check fridge contents daily and discard anything that is out of date or beyond its best.

Resist placing warm items into the fridge. Doing this can increase the possibility of activating dormant bacteria and lead to foodstuffs perishing quickly – and even more crucially, could lead to food poisoning.

Clean Both Internally And Externally Weekly.

This includes the following:

• Switch off at wall and transfer contents.
• Remove shelving and rails and wash in mild soapy water.
• Wash inside fridge and door.
• Sanitize with a commercial sanitizer.
• Power up and allow to reach temperature before re-loading contents.
• Remove gaskets, check for damage and wash as above. If they are showing signs of deterioration (this happens) do replace them. A good supplier should always have stock available that’s right for your model.
• Clean coil and vacuum if necessary.
• Clean condenser (many well-specified models have a pre-filter screen which makes cleaning much easier).
• Check the air filter and keep it clean.