How to use your refrigerator efficiently

Taking steps to save energy when using your fridge will collectively help the environment and can save you a bit money on your electric bills. Two of the most significant benefits of using your refrigerator efficiently are that the fridge will last longer and foods will continuously be cooled to a safe temperature so they last longer.

Follow these expert tips to ensure that your fridge stays in top shape and works at peak efficiency.

Check the refrigerator settings

The refrigerator temperature setting should be at 37 degrees F for the fresh food section to prevent dairy products from spoiling and bacteria from contaminating food. Set the freezer temperature at 0 degrees F to preserve frozen foods and allow the ice maker to cycle efficiently.

For energy efficiency, minimize the use of the Rapid Ice or Fast Ice setting on your fridge. This setting reduces freezer temperature to -5 degrees F in many models to speed up ice production. Some models also turn on a fan in the ice compartment to help speed up ice production. Using the accelerate ice setting in some refrigerators can cause items at the back of refrigerator section shelves to freeze. Freezing some foods in the fridge section can cause spoilage.

Some refrigerator models have a Fast Freeze or Quick Freeze feature that makes the freezer section colder (-5 degrees F) so fresh food quality is preserved by freezing food at a faster rate. As with the accelerated ice feature, you should minimize your use of the Fast Freeze feature to save energy and help your fridge work efficiently. Items on the back of fridge section shelves can freeze and spoil when using the Fast Freeze setting on some refrigerator models.

Some refrigerators have dial or knob settings instead of digital temperature settings. To set the temperature properly using a dial or knob, start by choosing the middle setting for the freezer and fridge. Using the middle settings typically cause the fridge section to cool to 37 degrees F and the freezer section to cool to 0 degrees F. You can check temperature inside each section using a thermometer and adjust the dial or knob settings as needed to achieve these optimum temperatures inside your fridge and freezer. After making adjustments, give the fridge about 24 hours to equalize temperatures in each section before measuring temperatures and making further adjustments.

Keep your fridge organized

Overfilling your fridge or freezer can cause air flow problems. Know where air supply and return vents are located in the fridge and freezer. The owner’s manual will show the location of these vents for most refrigerator models. Don’t block air flow through the refrigerator section by overcrowding shelves or placing large items directly in front of air vents. Follow the same strategy in the freezer section to keep air paths clear.

Keep your fridge and freezer sections organized to minimize the time that the doors are open. The refrigerator has to work harder to cool down the sections the longer that you have the doors open. Let all family members know how important it is to get what you need and shut the refrigerator and freezer door promptly to avoid wasting energy.

Let hot foods safely cool before placing them in the fridge or freezer

Placing hot items directly in the fridge raises the internal temperature and forces the refrigerator to work harder. Allow hot foods to cool down before placing them in the fridge or freezer.

Follow safe food handling guidelines when letting foods cool. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “leaving food out too long at room temperature can cause bacteria to grow to dangerous levels that can cause illness.” Never leave food out of the refrigerator over 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 °F, food should not be left out more than 1 hour. Put leftover cooked foods in shallow containers for quick cooling and store them in the fridge or freezer within 2 hours.

Use the crisper drawers wisely

The crisper drawers in most refrigerators have a slide opening on the handle that controls humidity inside the drawer. Slide the humidity control fully open (low humidity setting) to store fruits and vegetables with skins such as tomatoes, mushrooms, apples and pears. Close the humidity control slide to maintain high humidity in the crisper drawer for leafy items such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage and kale.

Using the humidity controls on crisper drawers will help fruits and vegetables last longer in your refrigerator – saving you money on your grocery bill.

Maintain proper ventilation space around your refrigerator

Follow the installation instructions to make sure that you keep proper ventilation clearance on all sides of your fridge. You’ll typically need to leave a gap on all sides of your fridge to allow air flow through the condenser coils for heat dissipation. Blocking air flow through the condenser coils will cause the compressor to work harder to cool the freezer and refrigerator sections.

Also, avoid placing your refrigerator near heat sources such as ovens, stoves, or direct sunlight. Ventilation air around the fridge needs to be at normal room temperature. High ambient temperatures can make the fridge work harder to maintain cool temperatures.

Perform regular fridge maintenance

Keep your refrigerator clean and perform regular maintenance tasks so that your refrigerator operates efficiently.

Clean the interior

Spills can build up inside your refrigerator. At least once a year, you’ll need to pull everything out and wipe down the shelves and walls using baking soda and water to remove deposits and stains. You may need to use a nonabrasive scrubber to remove stubborn spills and stains. Start at the top of the interior and work your way down to the bottom.

Cleaning the interior regularly will help prevent bacteria in the fridge. Also, drawers will slide in and out easier when they’re clean.

Clean the exterior

Follow the directions in your owner’s manual to clean the exterior of your refrigerator. You can use wash cloth moistened with mild soapy water to clean the exterior on most fridges. Use stainless steel cleaner to clean the cabinet if you have a stainless fridge.

If your fridge has an ice and water dispenser, pull out the drip tray and clean the dispenser housing thoroughly to prevent mold and mildew from building up in that area.

Don’t forget to clean dust off the toe grill vent and the ventilation holes on the back of the fridge. This step will help keep air flowing through the condenser so your refrigerator will cool efficiently.

Replace the water filter every 6 months

To ensure your water filter can trap all the impurities and contaminants it’s been proven to remove, replace your refrigerator water filter every 6 months.

Failing to replace the water filter regularly can expose you and your family to unsafe and poor tasting drinking water and ice. A water filter that’s past its prime also can cause diminished water flow through the water dispenser, leading to smaller ice cubes because water doesn’t fully fill the ice maker tray.

Clean the condenser coils

The refrigerator’s cooling system won’t work efficiently if condenser coils are dirty. That translates into higher energy bills and more wear and tear on the compressor because it has to run longer to cool the refrigerator.

Follow the tips in this video to clean the condenser coils on your fridge.