🍳 Kitchen
How often should you clean your fridge coils?
Clean the condenser coils once a year, or every 6 months if you have shedding pets or a dusty home.
Why it matters
Dust on the coils stops the fridge getting rid of heat, so the compressor runs longer, the appliance uses more electricity and it wears out sooner. Clean coils are one of the cheapest ways to extend its life.
How to do it
- Unplug the fridge first. The coils are either on the back or behind the front grille at the bottom.
- Loosen dust with a coil brush or a long, soft brush.
- Vacuum it all up with a crevice tool, including the floor under and behind the fridge.
- Check the drip tray if there is one, and wipe it dry.
- Plug it back in and leave a few centimetres of space behind so air can circulate.
In your HouseKiper schedule
Clean the fridge condenser coils: once a year. Unplug it and vacuum the dust off the coils: it uses less energy and lasts longer. Get a reminder when it is due.
Related tasks
Deep-clean the fridge
Every 45 days
Defrost the freezer
Every 6 months
Clean the dishwasher filter
Every month
Clean the range hood filters
Every 3 months
See it in a checklist
This job is part of the complete home maintenance checklist and of the first-time homeowner checklist, apartment checklist and the summer checklist.