Your refrigerator will operate more efficiently with these simple guidelines.

•  Once each year, you should clean the condensing coils located either at the back, or underneath, your refrigerator. These condensing coils are needed for proper cooling of the refrigerator.

•  When coils become dirty, the refrigerator has to work harder. This costs you money.

•  Dirty coils can shorten the life of your refrigerator.

How can I remove Mildew from my fridge?

Try the following:

•  clean mildew from the refrigerator interior or door gasket using a soft cloth dampened in a mild water-and-ammonia solution: 1 gallon of water mixed with ½ cup of ammonia.

•  rinse the interior with a mix of water and baking soda.

Do not use abrasive cleaners, bleach, or concentrated cleaning agents.

You can help food last longer by following these tips.

Food will last longer in most refrigerators when you ..

•  Store all sliced meats, dairy items (such as butter), and fresh produce in the proper drawers in your fridge. This helps them to last longer.

•  Fridge drawers are designed to maintain the temperature and/or the humidity level at an ideal setting for these foods.

•  Specific types of food, such as fresh produce or packaged meats will last longer in these drawers, than they would if left in the main part of the fridge.

Your stove's cooking elements can last longer if you follow these suggestions.

•  Never place aluminum foil under your burner drip bowls, or under your ovens baking element. This can cause the stoves burners to short out.

Instead, replace the drip pans with new ones. Elements will work more efficiently because they will reflect more heat energy towards the pan. You will get better cooking results.

•  Aluminum foil placed under baking elements reflects heat back towards the element. Do not do this, as it shortens the life of your burners.

Keeping the dryer clean can be beneficial.

Your dryer will last longer, produce better results, and be safer when you follow these suggestions :

•  Clean the lint filter after every load. If lint filters aren't cleaned regularily, your drying time increases. That wastes hydro and costs you more.

•  Be sure to clean the duct leading outside at least once a year. Lint accumulates in the duct causing an increase in drying times. It can also pose a potential fire hazard.

How many clothes should I put in the washer?

To fill most washing machines without causing damage you should :

•  Fill the washer with dry clothes only, until the amount of clothes you put in reaches the top of the agitator.

•  Don’t press them down or try to stuff more in. That would result in a poor quality wash.

Clothes will be their cleanest when you follow these simple suggestions. Overfilling your washing machine could cause mechanical problems.