What kind of maintenance do refrigerators need? Refrigerators should get regular cleanings and maintenance to keep them in the best working condition. Maintenance and upkeep kind of depends on the customer's...
Maintenance and upkeep kind of depends on the customer's locale in the country. For example, I used to live in Florida and there, and particularly in the coastal regions, we advise people to use a wax on the exterior of the appliance to just protect the paint. We suggest that you use an automotive polish wax on the exterior cabinet and doors of your refrigerator and that just locks in and protects the paint job. Particularly around the coast where you have high heat, humidity, doing that can extend the aesthetic life of the product. The heat and humidity probably do not shorten the actual life of the unit but it helps maintain the exterior appearance of the product from any rust that will incidentally happen. Products in different homes go through different abuse with the scratches and stuff so in anything you can do to try to protect it is a pretty good way to maintain your investment. We also tell people to clean underneath their products, the service guide probably says once a month but realistically, twice a year. Just move the product out of the way, clean underneath it, clean behind the grill. That's more aesthetic than it is hurting the operation of the product but it's somewhat suggested. Also take your crispers (where you store your meat and vegetables) out and empty that stuff out monthly and clean them out. Wash them out with soap and water in your sink, stuff deteriorates in those pans and some people don't clean them out as quickly as maybe they should.
Some things have changed. Going back 15-20 years ago we told you to clean your coils monthly, every six months or every year and that will improve the efficiency of your products, that's really not the case today. The coils are very, very efficient even when they get dirty, so cleaning your coils is more of an aesthetic benefit, particularly if you have cats or animals, it's more aesthetic. You can get those coils really dirty and it won't change the operational characteristic of your product like energy efficiency.
