Tag Archives: refrigerator care

Appliance Repair: 7 Tricks To Keep Your Fridge Organised For The New Year

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Your refrigerator was full of activity during the festive season. As the New Year begins, you need to keep it organized for you to keep it functioning efficiently. How do you do it? Here are expert tips given by appliance repair professionals:

Start with a clean slate

Start everything on a clean slate. This calls for you to toss out any expired products that you aren’t using.

With all the hands that were going in and out of the appliance and the accidental spills during the season, the chances are that there is a lot of dirt in the appliance.

Before you do anything, clean the unit. A simple wet cloth and soap are enough. Regardless of the stains, avoid using abrasive products as they will damage the appliance.

Leftovers on the top shelf

You should designate the upper shelves for pre-cooked foods, packaged foods, drinks, and leftovers. The cool thing with these foods is that they are already cooked, so you don’t have to worry about them spilling from their packages hence compromising the foods you place below.

For you to have an easy time telling what is in your appliance, transfer the foods from the delivery containers into a glass or BPA-free plastic storage.

Having the foods in clear containers also prevents you from forgetting about the foods.

Place fruits and vegetables in bins

You should have specially designated containers for fruits and vegetables. The containers should keep the contents as fresh as possible. While it’s tempting to prepare the foods ahead, avoid chopping the ingredients until too close to the time you will be using them.

If you slice and dice the vegetables too early, they can easily go bad.

Store the fruits and vegetables in their whole form and at the right humidity levels to keep them nice and crisp.

Watch what you place in the door

The fridge door is often warm, so you should be cautious of the items you put there.

The best items to put in the door are milk or fresh juices. These are highly perishable, and the best place to store them is towards the bottom and in the back of the appliance where the fridge is the coldest.

You can place butter and soft cheeses in the door as you don’t have to keep them too cold.

When it comes to eggs, keep them at an area with the most consistent temperature. This is on the middle shelf of the fridge.

Do you have deli meats? Keep them in their designated meat bin.

Store the bottles neatly

If you struggle finding enough space in your fridge due to all the drinking bottles and containers in your appliance, you can improve the look of your appliance by stacking the water bottles in a pyramid shape to make them easy to grab.

Transfer things such as juice and iced tea to tall, slim, grass carafes to make the fridge neater.

Don’t buy more than you need

When you are looking to give your fridge a new look, it’s easy to buy more things than you even need. As you might guess, this results in overstocking the appliance.

You should note that an overstocked fridge doesn’t do its work properly, which means that it doesn’t keep the items cold and fresh.

When the fridge is too packed, the cool air doesn’t circulate properly; hence the food items spoil faster.

One of the best ways of avoiding buying more than you need is to have a notepad or chalkboard nearby to keep a tally of what’s in the fridge, so you don’t buy what you already have.

Move what needs to be eaten at the front

If you are like other homeowners, you have food that you need to eat sooner than the other. Whether it’s leftover yogurt, don’t run the risk of having to throw it away simply because you forgot about it.

Go through the fridge once a day and move the foods that need to be eaten soon to the front of the appliance.

Refrigerator repair Springfield professionals recommend that you mark the container with the date you opened the food, so you don’t have to wonder whether it’s still good.

5 Ways To Triple The Lifespan Of Your Refrigerator

Virginia Refrigerators Repair

A good quality refrigerator doesn’t come cheap; therefore, the last thing you want is having to buy a new appliance every few years. The good news is that there are several things you can do to extend the refrigerator’s life. Some of these things, as given by refrigerator repair professionals include:

Keep it clean

Everything begins here. Just like your car, your refrigerator won’t last for long if you don’t clean it regularly. Begin with the insides. At least once a month, clean the insides of the fridge with warm soapy water.

Is your refrigerator giving off bad smells? Get rid of them by placing a bowl filled with vinegar and lime on the inside. The purpose of the products is to absorb the bad smell.

You also should pay attention to the outsides of the refrigerator. The most common area that gets dirty is behind the appliance. To keep it clean, clean it 2-3 times a year. If you have pets, clean it more often.

The purpose of giving more attention to behind the fridge is because this is where coils are located. When the coils are dirty, they lead to inefficient cooling, which puts a lot of stress on the compressor that works harder than it should.

The best appliance to use to clean the coils is a vacuum cleaner.

It’s also common for the door seals to get dirty and greasy. If you haven’t cleaned them for a long time, use soapy water and clean piece of cloth to clean them.

Does your refrigerator have a drip pan? Clean it thorough every two weeks.

You also should defrost the refrigerator. Most of the modern fridges have an auto-defrost option, but if yours doesn’t, do it manually once every few months.

Don’t put hot foods in the refrigerator

While the refrigerator is meant to keep the foods cool, you shouldn’t put hot items in it. This is because the items make the fridge work too hard, which not only results in the appliance consuming a lot of energy, it also lowers its lifespan.

For you to give your refrigerator a long life, let the foods first cool down to the room temperature before putting it in the fridge.

Don’t overfill the refrigerator. Also, don’t let it run empty

When you allow the refrigerator to run empty, you save a lot of money on cooling, right? Wrong! Refrigerator experts report that an empty fridge wears out faster; hence, you should ensure there is always something in the refrigerator.

So even when you are leaving for vacation, have a few items in the fridge. For example, you can place water bottles in the fridge.

Just as you shouldn’t leave the fridge empty, you also shouldn’t overfill it. When you stock too many items in the refrigerator, you block smooth and efficient air circulation.

When air doesn’t circulate as well as it’s supposed to, the compressor works too hard which not only translates to high energy bills at the end of the month, it also reduces the lifespan of the appliance.

When storing items in the fridge, store items that allow air to flow freely without putting a lot of stress on the compressor.

Keep the refrigerator away from heat

Dishwashers, ovens, and other heat-producing appliances make the refrigerator compressor work harder than it should, so you spend a lot of money on the refrigerator and at the same time, shorten the lifespan of the appliance.

For your appliance to last for a long time, keep it in an area where it’s not exposed to high temperatures. This calls for you to keep it away from the appliances mentioned above. You also should ensure that it’s not exposed to direct sunlight.

When making the purchase, go for a fridge with a reflective surface as it will reflect heat.

Undertake regular inspections

Have you ever hired an appliance repair Fairfax professional to inspect your fridge? If you are like other homeowners, you haven’t, which is wrong. At least once a year, even if your appliance is functioning correctly, ask an appliance technician to inspect your fridge.

During the inspection, the professional will identify issues with the unit that you should fix before they get worse.

Appliance Repair: Good Habits To Make Your Home Appliances Last

The experience you have with your appliances depends on your habits. Bad habits cost you as you have to keep on hiring expensive appliance repair professionals while good habits save you thousands of dollars. Here are tips on how to properly care for your home appliances for you to save big and at the same time make the appliances last for long:

Clean the refrigerator coils

When you don’t take good care of the refrigerator, the coils get dirty, which can provoke the fridge to stop working. For you to fix the problem, reach the coils, and clean them. You can clean them by yourself or hire a professional to help you out.

Clean coils cool more efficiently, saving you a lot of money on your utility bills.

Many people have the notion that they save time and energy by stuffing as much food as possible into the refrigerator. Overloading the fridge overworks the compressor hence you have a hefty monthly bill. You also tend to weaken the fridge door by sticking too many items there.

For the fridge to last for long and function optimally, place items to capacity. Don’t load more items than the refrigerator is designed to carry.

Clean the dishwasher

A clean dishwasher not only looks great, but it also cleans better. Clean the filter installed at the bottom of the appliance. While at it, take a look at the bottom sprayer that catches large pieces of food.

Just like the refrigerator, don’t overload the dishwasher. To save energy to heat the appliance when starting, use hot water.

Wash small loads

Regardless of how large the load of clothes you need to wash, don’t stuff all of it in the appliance. Large loads lead to early death of the machine as the appliance has to overwork.

You also should avoid washing large carpets and rubber mats with the machine. Don’t wash the clothes with too much detergent as it leaves a film on the inner surfaces that promote mold growth.

Regularly inspect the washer and ensure that it’s firmly planted to the floor. If it’s not, vibrations come about which loosen the connections causing water to leak. Loose connections also lead to a noisy washing machine that isn’t fun to have.

When it comes to cleaning the washing machine, wipe and clean the inside drum with a damp piece of cloth. Do this once a week.

After washing your clothes, leave the door open. This is to let the moisture and dampness to evaporate.

Recalibrate the oven

When the oven isn’t baking as well as it’s supposed to, chances are that the temperature setting is off. Most of the appliances come with a manual that guides you on how to recalibrate the machine properly.

Carefully follow the manual, and you will have an optimally functioning machine.

It’s common for food to splatter. When it happens, scrape the food off as fast as you can. To have an easy time removing the spills, coat the large spills with salt while the mess is hot.

Don’t put metal utensils in the microwave

To avoid fire in the appliance, don’t put any metal utensils or containers in the microwave. Before putting food in the appliance remove the aluminum foil from the food. Also, remember always to remove the seal from the food containers before you put them in the oven.

When the oven is in use, don’t cover the top. It’s common for spills to happen. To avoid a rotten smell, clean the spills as soon as they happen.

Once a week, go around the appliance and wipe down the frame, door seal, and control panel using a damp piece of cloth. This is to get rid of any dirt that might be there.

Clean out the lint filter

A dirty and clogged lint filter reduces the efficiency of the appliance and at the same time puts it at the risk of being a hue fire hazard. Commercial appliance repair Fairfax professionals recommend that you clean the dryer after every cycle.

In addition to this, take time to deep clean the dryer every month in order to get rid of any lint that might have built up in other places.

Refrigerator Repair: How To Store Different Foods In The Refrigerator

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According to refrigerator repair professionals, one of the prime reasons why the fridge keeps on developing issues is due to improper placement of the food.

Do you want your refrigerator to last for a long time and give you a great service? You need to know how to properly place your food. Here are expert ways on how to go about it:

Meat fish and poultry

Plenty of issues have come up as a result of storing these materials in the refrigerator. Place the meat products in sealable containers. You can also place a plate underneath them to prevent the juices from escaping.

The bottom of the refrigerator is the coolest and darkest part of the fridge. This makes it the ideal place to place the foods. You should note that raw meat doesn’t last for a long time.

If you aren’t going to cook the meat in the next few days, place it in freezer bags with as little air as possible.

Fruits and vegetables

Many fridges come with a fruit and vegetables compartment. You can mix vegetables and fruits together, but since they give off different gases, it’s wise that you store them in different compartments.

For example, you should store carrots in the same area and spinach in the other area. Avoid washing the vegetables before storing them as it has been shown to lead to an early death.

When using bags, place paper towels around the vegetables to capture the moisture. If you don’t use a bag, lay down a few paper towels in the drawer to ensure that they stay fresh and moisture free.

Not all fruits and vegetables are ideal to be stored in the refrigerator. There are some that go bad fast. They include: tomatoes, bananas, onions, squash, and potatoes.

Instead of storing bananas in the fridge, hang them in a discreet place. When storing them, avoid breaking the stem when pulling them off.

When it comes to onions, squash, and potatoes, store them in a cool, dark place such as a cupboard.

Dairy

The key to keeping dairy products in top shape is to keep them in their original wrappings. This calls for you to keep cheese, milk, and other dairy products tightly sealed in the refrigerator.

When you remove something from the packaging, don’t return it. Use a plastic wrap or an airtight container to seal the food again.

When buying milk, buy it in glass bottles as bacteria tends to form at the sprout of the cardboard box.

When it comes to hard cheese, store it in the original store packaging until you use it.

After removing it from the wrapping, store it in wax paper, foil, or loose plastic. Avoid wrapping the cheese too tightly as it needs room to breathe properly.

Bread, butter, and pasta

You should refrigerate fresh pasta. If you have dried pasta, place it in an airtight container in the pantry.

You shouldn’t refrigerate bread, but the cold environment has been shown to be highly effective at preventing the bread from developing mold.

You don’t have to leave blocks of butter and margarine in the fridge. Sometimes it’s good to leave it on a tray with a cover. While this is the case, you should note that butter tends to separate when you don’t refrigerate it properly enough.

When storing butter in the fridge, you can go ahead and store it on one of the outside shelves of the fridge to maintain flavor and taste.

Wine and beer

It’s okay to store beer in the refrigerator when you are looking to keep it cool. When it comes to the wines, store then at temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Vodka and spirits consist of up to 40% alcohol and you can go ahead and store them in the freezer.

You don’t have to keep Irish cream and drinks such as Kahlua in the fridge. According to appliance repair Springfield professionals, alcohol aids in preserving the milk and cream.

Since the drink is served cold, you can go ahead and store it in the refrigerator on the side shelf.

Refrigerator Ice Maker Repair: Tips To Keep Your Refrigerator Ice Maker In Top Shape

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Many people complain that their refrigerator ice makers aren’t working as well as they are supposed to. This is usually because they don’t know how to properly take good care of them.

To help you out, here are tips given by refrigerator ice maker repair professionals on how to take good care of their ice makers:

Keep the ice maker clean

Ice makers turn water into frozen cubes; therefore, it might seem absurd having to regularly clean the unit to keep it functioning properly. You should note that the machines are like any other machine you might be having in your home—you need to clean it.

When you go for a long time without cleaning it, you promote germ growth which not only prevents the machine from functioning as well as it’s supposed to, it also poses a great health risk.

You need to periodically sanitize your ice maker to keep it functioning optimally. If your refrigerator has built-in ice makers and water dispensers, you don’t have to rigorously sanitize it. Cleaning it once every month is enough to keep it in top shape.

Start with turning off the unit then shut off the water flow to it. Then remove the ice bin and melt or discard the remaining ice.

Using a mixture of warm water and dish soap, clean the insides of the ice bin then disinfect it once clean. Once you are done, return the bin to the freezer and turn the ice maker and water flow back on.

It will take you some time for the ice to produce again as the ice maker needs to get back to its operating temperature. Discard the first batch of ice made. This is because it tends to contain some cleaning solution that isn’t healthy for you. Ice from the first batch also tends to taste bad.

Place it at the right location

Where you place the ice maker not only determines how well it functions, it also determines how long it lasts. Where you place the ice maker depends on the type of ice maker that you have.

If you are installing a built-in unit, choose a location that is easily accessible. The goal is to place it in an area where you can easily go back and forth from the ice maker without any problems.

Are you thinking about installing portable ice makers? You should note that these units are compact and require an outlet to function properly. The appliances are ideal when you already have a place to plug them in.

Avoid placing the portable ice maker next to beverages as someone can easily spill something on them. You can place the ice maker and other beverages on the same counter, but don’t place them too close to each other.

Change the water filter

A dirty water filter prevents you from making quality ice. It also makes the ice maker work too hard; therefore, it keeps on developing issues. It also doesn’t last for a long time. Most of the modern ice makers come with filtration systems that determine the quality of water that you get.

Over time, it’s common for the filters to get dirty or get damaged. For you to have good quality ice and for your ice maker to last for a long time, you should make a habit of replacing the ice filter when necessary.

It’s easy to change the filters even by yourself. One of the things you should do is to ensure that you get high-quality filters from a reputable brand. For ideal results, buy the filters from the same company you bought the ice maker.

Get rid of clogs as early as possible

Refrigerator ice makers are prone to clogs. The clogs result from the jamming of the ice dispenser chute. If you have a modern fridge, it’s easy to fix the problem.

According to refrigerator repair professionals, you need to remove the ice bin then clean it. You should then dry everything then replace the bin.

If you have an older fridge, you might require the services of an appliance repair Northern VA professional to help you remove the ice maker located in the freezer compartment.