Home Home Improvement Home Maintenance & Repairs Refrigerator Maintenance Steps You Should Know to Save on Energy Costs Keep your refrigerator running like new by performing these quick tasks. By Nicole Sforza Nicole Sforza Nicole Sforza is a former senior editor at Real Simple and Home Magazine with more than 15 years of experience. Today, she is is the executive editor of Yahoo Lifestyle, Commerce. Highlights: * Former vice president of marketing at Underbuilt.com * Author of three books: "Mrs. Meyer's Clean Home," "You're So Invited: Panic Less, Play More, and Get Your Party On," and "Domino: Your Guide to a Stylish Home" Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 20, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Monica Buck A refrigerator is an expensive appliance that most of us use without much thought. However, like most appliances in a home, fridges require some routine maintenance. Unlike cleaning a dryer vent (which you may not want to do without the help of a professional), anyone can tackle these simple tasks. It doesn't matter if you own or rent your home or have no home maintenance experience. If you rent a home and don't own the fridge (and therefore aren't in charge of maintaining it), it's still helpful to keep the fridge in good condition. Why? The better your fridge works, the more money you'll save on your energy bill. Those small savings will add up over time and help reduce your carbon footprint. Basic Maintenance Steps 01 of 05 Check the door seals. A loose seal on the fridge door allows cool air to seep out, wasting energy and causing your fridge to work harder than it needs to. First, make sure the seals are free of food residue. You should clean them about twice a year using a toothbrush and a solution of baking soda and water. Then try the dollar-bill test: Close the bill in the door so that half is in and half is out. If it slips out easily, you may need to have the door seals checked by a pro. 02 of 05 Keep the coils clean. When the condenser coils are covered with dust, the refrigerator can't run efficiently. Twice a year, pull the machine from the wall to reveal the coils in the back (or snap off the grille if the coils are on the bottom front), unplug the refrigerator, and vacuum the coils with the brush attachment. 03 of 05 Set the right temperature. A fridge at the wrong temperature will either run too long or not long enough. Keep the fridge between 37 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer at 0 degrees. There are several ways to keep your fridge at the right temperature, and the most important is ensuring the door seals are functional (see step one). 04 of 05 Fill it up (even if you never cook and only have takeout). Refrigerators need "thermal mass" (a.k.a. lots of stuff) to maintain low temperatures while using less energy. Cool foods and drinks help absorb warm air that streams in when you open the door. If you're the eat-out type or your fridge is too big for your needs, store a few jugs of water in there. Just make sure you don't stuff your fridge too much. There needs to be some air circulating around your items. 05 of 05 Be prepared for a power outage. If the power goes out, an easy way to lose all that saved energy is by opening the door every hour in a panic to check on the food. Keep the doors closed and use food from the pantry. An unopened refrigerator will keep food safe for four hours; a freezer will maintain its temperature for 48 hours if full and 24 hours if half-full. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit