When you notice the fridge is leaking or not cooling down enough as it should, the source might be due to an unclean fridge.
Cleaning the fridge thoroughly
Turn the appliance off (turn the knob to 0) and remove all the products from the fridge. Store them outside in winter and in summer in cool bags and boxes with cooling elements.
Remove all removable shelves, drawers, trays and racks from the refrigerator and clean them thoroughly. Also clean the inside of the fridge. Use a lather of washing-up liquid, mild all-purpose cleaner or a tablespoon of baking soda in 5 litres of water to clean the fridge. Rinse with clean water and dry with a clean cloth.
Cleaning the back of the fridge
For a freestanding fridge, it is good to clean the grid at the back once a year. A dirty grid means the appliance cannot get rid of the heat properly, which increases energy consumption.
Cleaning the drain hole in the refrigerator
Is there water at the bottom of the fridge? This is often caused by a blocked drain hole at the back of the refrigerator. The drain gets rid of the condensation that forms on the back wall of the refrigerator as a result of cold air. Keep the drain clean. Pierce the drain with a satay pricker and wrap a piece of kitchen paper around it.
Defrosting the freezer
Keep the freezer free of ice as much as possible, otherwise it will use more power. Remove a thin layer of ice with a plastic ice scraper. A thick layer of ice and ice accretion can only be removed by defrosting the freezer. This is how you do it:
Completely empty the freezer and unplug it.
Speed up the defrosting by putting containers of hot water in the freezer. Do not use electrical heating products such as a hairdryer or paint burner. Also place a tray or towel at the bottom of the freezer so that the water does not run away.
Use a spatula or an ice scraper to remove the ice. Certainly, do not use sharp objects.
Clean the defrosted freezer the same way as the refrigerator. Do not put things back in the freezer until it is at the right temperature.