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If you clean your fridge regularly, good on you. Wiping down the shelves in your fridge and defrosting your freezer for a deep clean will keep your trusty fridge humming along and the food inside from becoming moldy or tainted.
But there are are some less obvious areas of the fridge that you’re probably not cleaning and should be. Neglecting these hidden spots could hinder the functionality of your fridge or mess with the taste of food, ice and water that comes out of it.
Here are four spots on and in your fridge that you’re forgetting to clean and how to clean them.
1. The condenser coils
Dust the coils on back of refrigerator with a damp cloth.
Condenser coils release heat from a fridge. They can accumulate dirt, dust and even pet hair, which only causes our already hard working fridge to work harder to keep its cool.
Condenser coils are typically located on the back of the fridge, on top or behind the grill at the bottom. If you’re uncertain, check your owner’s manual to locate the coils.
Once you locate the coils, unplug the fridge and remove the coil cover (check your manual to see if there is one). To really get them clean you’ll want a coil brush, especially if the coils are located on the bottom. This brush is specially designed to get them clean and slither into hard-to-reach spots. If the coils are located in the back, you can wipe them down with a damp cloth.
When you’re done, be sure to wipe down the coil cover and vacuum underneath the fridge if you have coils located beneath.
2. The ice maker
Ice ends up in your drink so don’t forget to clean the ice maker.
Your ice maker should be cleaned around once a month if not more to keep it working properly. Leaky frozen foods and other debris can collect in the various machanisms and affect both the function and taste of ice outpit. It’s also handy if you don’t want dirty ice.
Here’s a guide to cleaning and descaling a freezer. And here’s how to defrost your freezer quickly for a deep clean.
3. The water filter and dispenser
The water filter should be cleaned regularly and replaced every 6 months or so.
The fridge’s filter is there to keep your water fresh and clean, but it too needs to be clean in order to function. First, check your fridge’s manual to see if the in-door water dispenser has a filter. Remove it and rinse it with warm water. You’ll also want to change it about once every six months, but consult your manual for the recommended cadence.
While you’re at it, clean up into the water dispenser with a wet cloth. This high-traffic area isn’t always easy to see but it can collect dust, grime and even mold if it’s left uncleaned.
4. Clean the freezer vents
Freezer vents are another forgotten spot.
Yep, there are vents in our freezer and they’re probably in need of a cleaning. Vents are vital to keeping the freezer at the proper temperatures. If they’re caked with ice or debris, it’s time to clean them.
For a spot treatment, grab a blow dryer and heat the ice until it melts (be sure not to get the dryer wet). Then, wipe up the water with a sponge. If you want to go for gold, defrost the freezer and you can deep-clean the vents, the ice maker and everything else in there.
From now on, keep an eye on the vents. Don’t let them get layered in ice and be sure to prevent food from covering them up.
