Want to cut down on your energy bills? A TikToker revealed a game-changing refrigerator hack that she said can save you up to $180 annually.
The scoop
Let's be honest: the back of your fridge isn't at the forefront of your mind. Checking what gathers behind it probably isn't on your weekly to-do list.
@southernescape When was the last time you cleaned the coils behind your fridge? 🤔 Don't let hidden dust and pet hair cost you money—clean those coils today! #cleantok #cleaning #FridgeCoilCleaning #energy #HomeHacks #EnergySaving #dirty #tips #tipsandtricks #PetOwners #CleaningTips #fyp #foryoupage ♬ Beautiful Days - Lynne Publishing
"If you don't have pets, twice a year is how often you should be cleaning this," TikToker Kristen (@southernescape) explained.
Non-pet owners can breathe a sigh of relief, then. But if you've got a high-shedding pet, you may want to make this a part of your regular chores.
"Once every two to three months is what is recommended," Kristen said.
That's because pet hair gets stuck behind your fridge, creating a thick barrier over your appliance's vents and clogging its coils.
How can you tell if your fridge needs a clean-up? There are a couple of telltale signs. Musty smells and too-warm food both indicate that your fridge's coils need a good vacuuming.
It doesn't require any special tools, either. In the video, Kristen popped open the vent behind her fridge and attacked the coils with a regular vacuum cleaner. In a reply to a commenter, she said she purchased small vacuum attachments online for the task.
How it's helping
Neglecting your refrigerator coils can cost you — literally. When your fridge works harder to cool itself down, it sucks up more energy.
"You've got nothing to lose and $180 to save," Kristen said at the end of her video. The dollar amount depends on your energy rates and appliance efficiency, but she's not wrong.
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Every day 😥 Let's crunch some numbers. Your average large fridge costs about $78.84 per year to run normally. However, a fridge with blocked vents will be forced to use extra energy. How much it uses depends on other factors, like the amount of food you're storing, but Kristen says people could be losing $100-180 per year.
Why not save those few extra bucks?
This easy hack doesn't just slash your energy bills; it also helps the planet. The less energy your fridge uses, the less electricity it needs from an energy grid that still relies on burning dirty fuels to create power.
What everyone's saying
Commenters agreed with Kristen, saying that it wasn't just thick-coated pets that clogged refrigerator vents. "I have birds," one user replied. "Can attest they impact the same way."
They also fretted over the state of their own fridges.
"My fridge is a year-and-a-half old," one commenter said. "I've never cleaned it and I have a dog and a long haired cat. Guess I know what I'm doing tomorrow."
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