How to Clean Your Refrigerator Coils for Max Efficiency

When you think about cleaning your fridge, you probably think mostly about clearing out old leftovers and past-its-prime greens. But cleaning the exterior of your fridge—in particular, your refrigerator coils—is also essential for ensuring that your refrigerator runs as efficiently as possible.

If you haven’t cleaned your refrigerator coils in a while (or in—well—ever), now’s the time to take on this task. And fortunately, it won’t take you too long to cross it off of your to-do list. Here’s everything you need to know about keeping your refrigerator coils clean.

What Are Refrigerator Coils—and Where Are They?

The refrigerator coils (aka, condenser coils) are a key part of what keeps your fridge cool. They pump a refrigerant through the interior and exterior of your fridge, which pulls heat out of the interior of the fridge, and releases it outside the fridge through the condenser coils.

That’s why it’s so key to keep the coils clean, as layers of dust bunnies and grime can serve as a sort of insulation on the coils and make your fridge’s condenser work extra hard to release that heat.

Refrigerator coils are often located at the back or on the bottom of your refrigerator. They may be behind a panel—which could hopefully keep the worst of the dust and grime away from them and make your job easier. If you’re not sure, you can check your refrigerator’s owner’s manual to see where the coils are located.

How Do You Clean Your Refrigerator Coils?

Fortunately, even a long-neglected set of refrigerator coils won’t take long to clean—plan to spend about a half hour tops for the whole process. (Honestly, this is one of those cleaning to-dos you might procrastinate on, but find that it was a simple fix!) Here’s what you need to do:

Unplug your refrigerator

You’ll be cleaning near some sensitive refrigerator parts, so you’ll want to unplug your refrigerator to avoid a shock hazard.

Locate your condenser coils

Remove any panels that may be blocking your access to the refrigerator coils. (Again, your owner’s manual may be key to helping you find them!)

Use a vacuum or brush to remove the debris

There are specialized brushes that are ideally suited to tackle the condenser coils, but you can also use a regular vacuum (or even a handheld) with a crevice attachment, and a paintbrush or toothbrush to get into the tiny crevices. If it’s been a long while since you’ve cleaned it, you may even want to have a go with gloved hands to pull off the worst of dust bunnies before you pull out the vacuum.

Minimize the use of water or cleansers on your refrigerator coils

You can use a damp cloth or specialized cleanser to finish cleaning the coils, but avoid getting this area too wet.

Clean the floor under your fridge well

Odds are, the last time you cleaned your refrigerator coils was also the last time you cleaned the floor under and behind your fridge. This is your perfect opportunity to sweep up any remaining dirt and wash the floor—as that debris can all too easily end up back on your refrigerator coils.

Plug in your fridge and move it back into place

Pop your newly cleaned fridge back into its rightful home.

How Often Should You Clean Your Refrigerator Coils?

Many appliance experts recommend cleaning them twice a year if you have an average amount of dirt and dust in your home—and every two to three months if you have a lot of pets. (All that pet hair can clog your condenser coils fast!)

What Happens if I Don’t Clean My Refrigerator Coils?

While it’s not a fire hazard like leaving your dryer vent uncleaned, a condenser coated in dust and grime may need to work harder to regulate the temperature of your fridge. That can lead to higher energy bills and a shorter lifespan for your (probably pretty pricey!) refrigerator.