Cleaning behind your big appliances: stove, refrigerator, microwave, washer and dryer, might seem like it’s a little thing, but cleaning out all the dust from beneath and behind your appliance might actually help it run better.
My refrigerator has been running super cold and vegetables were freezing in the vegetable drawer. I removed the drawer so the air would better circulate which seemed to help a little.
As soon as I pulled the refrigerator out of its spot in the kitchen — very snug but the back of the refrigerator is always about six inches away from the wall — the refrigerator started running, almost as if it was being released from all the cat hair and dust that had accumulated underneath it on its motor.
It’s only been three days since I cleaned it but I can already notice a difference in the vegetable area of the refrigerator. I just re-stocked the fridge with groceries and will keep my eye on the iceberg lettuce and celery which seem to be susceptible to too much cold.
Basically, for both the stove and refrigerator, after pulling them out of their spots, I wiped down the exterior with a cleaning spray. The refrigerator was dusty on top. The hood over the stove was greasy. Which reminds me that I want to look for replacement hood screens and if they’re not too expensive, maybe instead of scrubbing and soaking the hood screens I can just replace them once a year.
I used a vacuum and then a cleaner on the floor and walls behind the appliances. There was not much of anything under the stove, but the refrigerator had a lot of cat hair and dust accumulation! I emptied the new vacuum twice!
I always cleaned behind my big appliances once a year, right before Thanksgiving. I think it’s been two years since I cleaned behind the refrigerator.
Cleaning behind your appliances is an important job. The challenge is to find the time! Cleaning behind the stove took about 10 minutes or less. Cleaning behind the refrigerator took a little longer because I had to use the skinny attachment to get suction near the motor beneath the refrigerator. Cleaning behind the refrigerator took about 15 minutes.
Just have all your cleaning supplies at hand and that makes the job go quicker!
Read my earlier blog post about cleaning the inside of your oven: https://livingwithdana.com/2024/04/challenge-clean-your-oven/
I also wrote a blog post about organizing your refrigerator and freezer: https://livingwithdana.com/2024/02/challenge-4-refrigerator-freezer/
If you’re looking for a new glass-top stove, this is the one in my kitchen: 30-in Glass Top 5 Burners 6.4-cu ft Self-Cleaning Convection Oven Freestanding Electric Range (Stainless Steel with Printshield Finish). Check my Lowe’s affiliate link https://fave.co/4amx2CA The stove is currently on sale at Lowe’s for $999, regular $1,399. You can order online and pick it up in the store. Some areas will deliver.
Get your Pink Stuff kit through my Walmart Storefront using my #walmartpartner link: https://walmrt.us/3Ja2kAq
I prefer cotton rags to the microfiber cloths in most situations. At my house we buy new face cloths all the time and the old ones become our new rags. We pick a color for the new face cloths that is different than the color of the rags so we don’t mistake one for the other.
Mainstays 18-Pack Washcloth Bundle, Grey Multi. Walmart Creator affiliate ad link https://walmrt.us/4ggDrST
Read about the Bissell cordless stick vacuum cleaner I bought and wrote about: https://livingwithdana.com/2024/07/bissell-stick-vacuum/
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