Save Up to 6% on Your Electricity Bill by Cleaning Your Refrigerator Coils

It's probably my least favorite part of spring cleaning—cleaning out the refrigerator! I mean, who wants to spend the morning on their knees scrubbing away the congealed barbecue sauce on the bottom shelf? Even after you've discarded the moldy leftovers and wiped away every spill—don't throw in your cleaning gloves just yet. Unless you've cleaned your refrigerator coils, your spring cleaning isn't complete! Your refrigerator coils—which release heat so that your refrigerator stays cool—can collect a ton of dirt, hair and debris. Over time, this debris can make your refrigerator work harder and can even shorten its lifespan! So what are you waiting for? Clean the refrigerator coils and save up to 6% a year on your electricity bill!

How to clean your refrigerator coils

1. Unplug your refrigerator and carefully pull it away from the wall. Get help with this step! You don't want the refrigerator to fall on you!

2. Look for the refrigerator coils. They are often found on the bottom of the refrigerator beneath the grill. But you might also find the coils on the back or top of the fridge.

3. Dust off any large clumps of dirt, pet hair or debris from the refrigerator coils using a small brush.

4. Vacuum the coils using the crevice attachment on your vacuum cleaner. You can even find special refrigerator-crevice-vacuum attachments at home-supply stores.

5. If you feel like channeling your inner Cinderella, you can scrub the coils with a sponge and a bucket of soapy water.

6. Vacuum or sweep up any hair and debris from the floor.

7. Push your refrigerator back into place—be careful you don't squish any tubing or cords!

8. Plug your refrigerator back in, step back, and enjoy your sparkling refrigerator coils!

 

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