Refrigerators & Freezers

A Visual Guide On Where to Place Your Refrigerator

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Where to place your refrigerator

Choosing the best refrigerator model for you is one thing; choosing where to place it is a whole other animal. Putting the fridge in the wrong spot can ruin the kitchen’s layout; it can also reduce its efficiency – resulting in a higher electricity bill. We’ve created this guide to help you find the perfect place for your refrigerator.

Where to place your refrigerator

Where you’ll place your fridge is largely dependent on the existing layout of your kitchen. Here are some guidelines

The kitchen triangle

The kitchen triangle is the area formed by the refrigerator, the sink, and the stove.

Having these three elements close to one another will make kitchen work more convenient and efficient.

Kitchen Triangle

Don’t crowd them too close though – make sure you have an ample cabinet and counter space so that you’ll have room to work on.

Away from sources of heat

Kitchen Layout

Additional heat can interfere with the fridge’s temperature regulation; keep it away from windows, stoves, and ovens

Near a power socket

Power Socket

Don’t use an extension cord for your fridge – it is a potential fire hazard!

FURTHER READING: Refrigerator 101: How Does A Refrigerator Work?

Refrigerator sizing

Now that you have an idea where you’re going to place your fridge, it’s time to measure the area so that you can choose a model that fits.

Refrigerator dimensions

Know your dimensions

Grab a tape measure to assess the space where you plan to place your fridge.

You should also start to build a list of prospect ref models that will fit in this area.

FURTHER READING: Refrigerator Buying Guide

Ventilation

Give your fridge some breathing space.

If a refrigerator is fully enclosed, it will have a hard time dissipating heat from its body – this will result in a overheating fridge.

Fridge Ventilation
Fridge Front View
Fridge Top View

Keep in mind that different manufacturers have different requirements in ventilation space – check your operation manual first!

Refrigerator Door Swing

Mind your door swing

Measure the space in front of your refrigerator so that the door won’t bang against other fixtures.

Conclusion

From cooking, eating, and socializing – a lot of good stuff happens in the kitchen. We can elevate this experiences to another level by making our kitchen not only more inviting, but also more convenient and easy to navigate in. This is why where you place your refrigerator can make or break the vibe of your kitchen.

Sources:
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/kitchen-triangle-best-way-to-design-a-kitchen

Introducing the Refrigerator FAQs Page

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Refrigerator FAQs

Do you still have some questions that need to be answered before you buy a refrigerator? Or maybe you’ve already bought one and you think that something is wrong with it? To help you, we listed down the most commonly asked questions about fridges in the Refrigerator FAQs page.

These questions range from technical matters, to proper usage, as well as troubleshooting and the maintenance of your fridge.

You can access it in the Refrigerator 101 tab in the main menu, or you can click here:

Refrigerator FAQs

Couldn’t find the answer to your question? Send me an email here so that I’ll be able to help you.

How To Keep Your Refrigerator Smelling Fresh

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Refrigerator Odors

Stinky refrigerator? Here are a few tips to make it smell good again – and keep it that way.

Maybe it’s the garlic, or it may be the three-week-old salad that you forgot to throw out. Whatever it was, it made your refrigerator stinky. Removing the offending piece of food may be the most logical first step to solve this dilemma – but it may not be enough; certain smells can linger long in the fridge, and it can rub off to the other stuff inside. So, what are you to do?

Getting rid of refrigerator odors

Clean up and wipe down

To really clean your refrigerator, you have to unplug it and remove everything inside – yes, everything – this includes all the shelves and the drawers. Be on the look-out (and should I say a smell-out) for foods that are spoiling or rotting and throw them away. Give your fridge a thorough wiping down with a clean cloth and your preferred cleaning solution.

  • Cleaning Solutions:

Deodorize

Now that you’ve removed the source of the odor, it’s time to deal with the lingering smell. Our parents used to do solve this by placing a cup full of charcoal inside the fridge. That’s not just some old wives’ tale – the science behind it is this: since charcoals are porous, they act as natural filters that “suck” odors and trapping them within their pores.

Some refrigerators come with a built-in deodorizing filter that acts the same way, like LG’s Hygiene Fresh+ Filter. If yours is not equipped with one, then you should fill a bowl with any one of the following items and let it sit inside the fridge for at least 24 hours:

Coffee grounds for deodorizing fridge
A bowl of coffee grounds can absorb fridge odors. | Photo by István Szitás
  • Charcoal
  • Baking Soda
  • Vinegar
  • Ground Coffee
  • Dry Oats

Leave a fresh scent

Citrus peel for deodorizing fridge
Leave citrus peels to keep your refrigerator smelling fresh. | Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Now that the bad lingering odor is gone, you can add a lovely, sweet-smelling scent to help keep your fridge smell fresh. An easy way to do this is to place a few peels of any citrus fruit with a few tablespoons of salt into a bowl; the salt will absorb bad odors while the citrus peel will leave a nice aroma lingering in your refrigerator.

Minimizing and preventing refrigerator odors

As they say, prevention is better than cure. Here are a few tips to prevent the bad odors from occurring in the first place.

Repackage leftovers and strong-smelling food

If your leftovers were packed using tin foil or left in their paper food container, you should transfer them to an airtight plastic container immediately to prevent the odors from mixing. This should also be done for strong-odored food like cheese and raw fish.

Maintain the right temperature and humidity

If your refrigerator is too warm, it can cause the bacteria in our food to become active and accelerate the process of spoilage. Your fridge temperature setting should be kept at 2–3°C to keep spoilage at bay. Also, don’t let it rise above 4°C as the bacterium Listeria (which causes foodborne illnesses) will have more chances to develop [1].

Samsung Refrigerator Humidity Control
Samsung Refrigerator Humidity Control

Some models of fridges also have a built-in humidity control function in the crisper drawer. These function by simply opening or closing a window in the drawer, with open being the low humidity setting and the closed being the high humidity setting.

To know which setting to choose when storing veggies and fruits in the crisper, a rule of thumb to follow is low humidity for vegetables and high humidity for fruits. Citrus fruits make an exception though, as they like a low-humidity environment better.

Choose a refrigerator with a deodorizer and/or an ionizer

Most brands equip their refrigerators with a built-in deodorizer to help deal with fridge odors. They can be made from activated carbon or from silver ions; either way, it will help prevent bad smells from lingering inside.

Some brands also equip their refrigerators with an ionizer that releases charged ions to attack and deactivate the viruses and bacteria that causes the odors. This also has the benefit of extending the shelf life of your food. Check out Sharp’s Plasmacluster Ion technology to know how they deal with viruses.

Conclusion

With these tips, you can easily deal with bad refrigerator odors and keep your fridge smelling nice and fresh. Always remember to clean out your fridge from time to time so the smell won’t build up and you’ll have an easier time dealing with your refrigerator’s odor problem.

PS: Check the drain pan at the lower back of the fridge. If left uncheck, it can develop molds that produce the bad odor. Unplug your fridge and take it out to wash it with any of the cleaning solutions listed above.

FURTHER READING:
Refrigerator Buying Guide
Refrigerator 101: How does a refrigerator work?