Your refrigerator is arguably the most important appliance in your home, but many of us don't know the proper way to take care of it to ensure it continues to run smoothly.
A homeowner recently tried to remedy that by posting to Reddit a hack for cleaning your fridge.
The scoop
In the post, the homeowner shares a picture of their refrigerator with the back panel open. A massive amount of dust and dirt has gathered underneath and on the coils. They caption the photo, "Friendly reminder to clean your fridge!"
How it's helping
Most of us forget to clean the hard-to-reach areas of our refrigerators, and the efficiency and longevity of the appliance suffer for it. Regularly cleaning and maintaining your refrigerator saves you money.
First and foremost, your refrigerator will last longer before needing to be replaced. More importantly, your food will remain fresher. This is hugely important, as Feeding America has estimated that around one-third of all food in the United States is thrown away or wasted each year.
It is also good for the environment beyond just our food supply. Using energy efficiently means less dirty fuel being burned, which releases harmful emissions into the air. This leads to a cleaner, cooler future for all of us.
This is just one of many hacks people can use to keep their refrigerators running smoothly and efficiently. Another ingenious hack is to put frozen bottles of water in your fridge and let them slowly defrost. This lowers the temperature in the appliance naturally, meaning it doesn't need to use extra energy to cool your food.
Another hack demonstrated on the internet helps ensure the seal of your fridge is working properly. The poster suggested putting a bill or piece of paper between the door and your refrigerator. If the paper easily comes out, the seal may not be working properly, which means you could be wasting massive amounts of energy and money.
Of course, refrigerators are not the only appliances in our homes that we want running efficiently. Luckily, it is now easier than ever to turn our houses into smart homes, lowering our utility bills and conserving energy for everyone.
Perhaps the best home hack to save money and conserve energy is to install solar panels. A company called EnergySage has a service that offers free quotes for solar panel purchase and installation from vetted contractors. The service from EnergySage can save consumers up to $10,000.
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Under $1K 😎 What everyone's saying
Commenters on the original post were appreciative of the recommendation.
"I'm so glad I saw this post," one wrote. "New homeowner here and there isn't a manual for all the things I should know and check."
Another also touted the many benefits of cleaning your refrigerator, writing: "This simple cleaning tip will save your refrigerator working harder, dying faster, and driving up your utility bill."
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