The refrigerator is an essential appliance in any household. However, due to the fact that it’s running pretty much non-stop year round, it can also be one of the most wasteful appliances in your home. The energy consumption can reach staggering levels if you’re not careful and don’t adhere to several crucial rules of fridge maintenance.

With the rise of global warming and the growing scarcity of natural resources, it becomes every household’s duty to minimize its carbon footprint, and enforce eco-friendly practices that will not only safeguard the environment and the health of your family, but allow you to make financial savings as well. Here are some of the healthiest ways to use your refrigerator.

Keep your fridge well-stocked and loaded

One of the bigger mistakes homeowners unintentionally make is leaving their oversized fridge half-empty all the time. No matter if you’re living alone or with a growing family, there is always that fear that if you stock your fridge to the max, the food will eventually spoil before you get the chance to eat it.

While you definitely shouldn’t waste food or money, you also shouldn’t waste resources (which translates into an inflated utility bill) and under-stocking your fridge will actually waste precious electricity. So avoid leaving it half-empty and stock it above 70% on a regular basis while avoiding eating takeout so that you can actually get around to consuming all of the food you bought.

Adhere to regular cleaning and maintenance

The fridge can become a true hub for various pathogens and all kinds of hazards if you allow food residue, dirt, and grime to accumulate over time on the shelves, trays, and the lining on the walls. In order to avoid foul smells gathering in your fridge and prevent harmful bacteria from spreading, you want to clean the inside (and outside) of your fridge regularly.

As a general rule of thumb, you should clean your fridge at least every three months, or even more frequently if need be. Start by taking out all of the food and the removable shelves and trays. Clean the inside walls with a cloth soaked in warm water and soap. Run the trays and shelves through warm water in the sink and leave them to air dry while you tend to the rest of the fridge. Before you put the food back in, make sure you give all of it a thorough wipe-down.

Make use of eco-friendly features

Modern appliances are making it substantially easier for homeowners to optimize their resource consumption and thus bring down their utilities to a more manageable figure on an annual level. Not only should your household boast contemporary appliances with eco-friendly features, but the refrigerator needs to be the leader of positive change in your home.

For instance, the new generation of Miele refrigerators allows you to tailor your energy consumption with programmable settings for optimum food preservation and energy conservation. Remember to always look for the energy star declaration on your appliances and choose the refrigerator that lowers the total energy consumption in your home.

Don’t run it on max settings

Finally, your fridge might be able to operate on max settings, but it’s generally not advisable as that way you are decreasing its lifespan and wasting electricity in the process. There is no need for the internal thermostat to read lower than 35° F or for the freezer to go well below 0° F.

Keeping your food at a cool 40° F and your freezer at 0°F is the optimal way to conserve energy and keep the contents fresh for days. Remember that cleaning your fridge regularly will also avoid having to up the cool settings in order for the fridge to compensate for the energy wasted on cooling dust, debris, and food residue.

The fridge is one of the least eco-friendly appliances in the entire household, however it is also a modern-day necessity no home can do without. However, if you follow these simple rules, you will have no problem using your fridge in a healthier, environmentally friendly way.

Author Bio: If one thing is true about Lillian Connors, her mind is utterly curious. That’s why she can’t resist the urge to embark on a myriad of green living/home improvement projects and spread the word about them. She cherishes the notion that sustainable housing and gardening will not only make us far less dependent on others regarding the dwellings we inhabit, but also contribute to our planet being a better place to live on. You can check her out on LinkedIn.

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