Kelly's Korner - Summer Refrigeration

Hey, All!

Wow!  Where did April go?  Time seems to fly by faster every year!  I wonder why that is?  It seems like when we were kids, summer lasted for-e-ver!  Now they are gone in a blink.  Getting old bites!  lol  I was on staycation all last week and it went by so fast!

So with spring in full bloom and summer around the bend, you know your refrigerator is going to be used alot - whether it's grabbing a popsicle, or your kids think it is a fast way to cool off, those doors will be opening and closing alot.  NOTE:  Do NOT let your kids stand in the door to cool off!  Your refrigerator works harder and your electric bill goes up.  Good recipe for disaster!

Check your door seals - stick a dollar bill or a piece of paper in the door and close it.  Now pull on the bill or paper.  If you feel resistance then you are good.  Do this all the way around. Now check for flexibility.  If it is flexible and has no cracks, you're good.  Clean out those folds in it all the way around.  This will prevent any nasty odors. If you see gaps where it contacts with the door or there is no resistance on the paper test, it is time to replace them.

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Check your water filter and replace if need be.  With summer comes an increase in water and ice usage, and you want your ice and water as clean as possible.  Also, if you have an onboard icemaker, check to make sure that is working properly.  It is always a good idea to totally dump the ice in the bucket at least once a month and clean it out.  This way the ice left in the bottom doesn't smell or taste funny from sitting there forever.

Take a thermometer (we have them here) that you can set inside the fridge and freezer and check your temps.  Refrigerators should maintain a 40 degree or below temp and your freezer should be at 0 degrees.  Deep freezers should be at -10 degrees.

Clean out underneath your fridge and don't forget to clean the coils - this will prevent your refrigerator from working too hard.  Because, as the temperatures outside rise, your fridges and freezers work harder to keep things cold.

If you have any problems or concerns, contact your favorite appliance technician for a checkup.  Better to make sure things are shipshape now rather than wait until something really bad happens.  The techs are really busy during the summer, too.

Time to clean out any old stuff, unidentifiable things or science experiments, too, to make room for all those ice cream bars, popsicles and otterpops!

Have a great week!