Decoding the Dishwasher Dilemma: Upgrade, Downsize, or Stay Put? Your Comprehensive Guide to Smart Choices

Beyond Suds and Rinses:Tailoring Your Dishwasher Choice to Fit Your Lifestyle

We are not often the ones to tell you to give up on a dishwasher that works. After all, one of our key mottos is that we will keep trying to fix something until you tell us to stop, so long as it is fixable.* So why would we, clients rescue services, tell you to replace your dishwasher? Well, there are a few circumstances where it's just necessary.

Choosing a Dishwasher for a Bustling Household

If your family has recently grown by two or three people, congratulations! Whether it's a marriage, birth, or family moving in, when you add more people to your household, your dishwasher is going to be used much more often. And that four-setting dishwasher that you had before isn't going to be able to handle now having a family of six or more, at least not without being run multiple times in a day. At this point, you might look into a larger model with more features to help deal with all of the dishes that you now need to get done.

Growing Family
Courtesy of Craig Adderley

You might look at features such as fold-down tines or rows to add in space and ensure everything gets cleaned. Cooking for larger groups also includes larger pots, so an adjustable or free-flex rack can help get dinner dishes taken care of quickly. Info lights and auto-release doors are features that we adore as they let you know if your dishwasher is done and ready to unload. (Honestly, these are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to features, but they are some of the most useful in our opinion.)

Compact Dishwashers: Small Size, Big Efficiency

The flip side to that is if you're downsizing your home, potentially an equally joyous time. It might be that the kids have all survived to adulthood and are starting their own homes. It might be that you're living on your own for the first time, and you don't need a large dishwasher. Or it might be that you're outfitting a mother-in-law suite. Whatever the case, you don't always need a full-size dishwasher. Instead, you can consider how many people you're doing dishes for and whether a compact dishwasher might not serve you better.

Empty Nesters

Courtesy of Kampus

So this would lead you to question what is a setting, and what is the smallest dishwasher I can use? So according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, a full setting includes the following: a large dinner plate, bowl, knife, small snack plate, coffee cup, two teaspoons, a saucer, drinking glass, dinner fork, and a salad fork. Most dishwashers on the market can fit between 10 and 12 full settings and are approximately 24 in. A compact dishwasher fits a setting and is typically only 18 in as of the time of writing. While there are other even more compact dishwashers, such as one that can be set up in your sink, we advise against those. As of yet, the engineering in them is not the best, and we cannot guarantee your dishes coming out clean or in one piece.

Beyond the Bills: Energy and Water Efficiency in Dishwashers

My Electric Bill

Courtesy of Google Deepmind

Or if you're struggling with an exorbitant energy bill or water bill, you might want to look into a new model to replace your old workhorse. Just because it still runs perfectly doesn't mean that it's still serving you best. As we've talked about many times, with every passing year, companies are making more efficient dishwashers. If you want to learn more about energy-efficient dishwashers, we'll share our post going into what defines energy and water efficiency and how to find them, in the Additional Reading section at the end.

Deciphering Decibels: Finding Your Ideal Sound Level

If your current dishwasher can wake the dead… Maybe you have a new baby in the house, or you have somebody who's ill and needs as much sleep as they can get. If it's not a matter of something being faulty, a new dishwasher might be a better choice.

Finally some quiet

Courtesy of sound-on-

While dishwashers used to average about 60 decibels, we've come down to 45 to 50 being the standard, with some models being as quiet as 30 decibels. To better illustrate that an older dishwasher would be around the level of a loud vacuum, the average for modern dishwashers is about as loud as typing on your keyboard, and 30 decibels would be someone whispering near you. Additionally, modern dishwashers are designed with advanced noise reduction technology built into the frame. This might mean additional soundproofing; this might mean better-joined components, whatever it is, the manufacturers are working on making them quieter with every generation. More recently, however, the dishwasher space has changed. Where older models averaged about 60 decibels—just below the sound level of a vacuum—modern dishwashers average between 45 to 50 decibels, which is about as loud as typing on a keyboard. It’s not completely silent, but also not loud enough to wake someone up.

Signs It's Time to Let Go: Beyond the Obvious Breakdowns

Or in the rare cases when we've tried everything, and we have to say we can't fix it. It's not often, but occasionally we do run into appliances that we can't fix, or getting the parts to fix them is worth more than purchasing an entirely new model. While we are always eager to help keep your home running smoothly, we do understand having to balance your checkbook against practicality.

We will always try our best to keep your home running smoothly. Whether it's your dishwasher giving you fits or your washer isn't draining properly, Appliance Rescue Service is here for you. You can get hold of us via our website or by giving us a call at ( (214) 599-0055). We'll work with you to find a date and time that works for your schedule and send one of our expert technicians to get the job done right.

*If something is shattered on the floor or has met its demise in an irreparable state, we reserve the right to reconsider our stance—because even we can't work miracles on shattered dreams or appliance ghosts.

Additional Reading

5 Energy Efficient Dishwashers For Your Home

Dishwasher Deep Dive

Sustainability Unveiled: The Complex Process of Recycling Your Appliances

Unveiling the Environmental Impact & Recycling Journey of Household Appliances

Behind the scenes of our everyday appliances lies a tale of transformation—a journey from obsolete to reimagined. When it's time to bid farewell to your trusted fridge or washing machine, their journey doesn't culminate in a landfill. Instead, it embarks on a recycling odyssey, a meticulous process designed to salvage hazardous materials, reclaim valuable metals, and tackle the overlooked challenge of recycling plastics. Join us as we unravel the complexities of this often-overlooked yet critical realm, where innovation meets environmental stewardship.

An overview of the recycling process

When it comes to recycling appliances there are three major parts to it. All hazardous materials need to be recovered and recycled. These are materials that can be dangerous to you or to the environment.  Then the appliance is picked over for the various metals. And finally, the plastics that make up the appliance are recovered for future use.

Boring but important parts 

Before we dig into how recycling your appliances works, we need to look at why. In the first article, we mentioned how dangerous it is to leave appliances just rotting. What you might not know is that there is an initiative put together by the EPA within the United States to work on this, because of how dangerous this is. Called the Responsible Appliance Disposal partners, companies partner together with the EPA to accomplish a series of goals. They aim to protect the ozone layer, cut greenhouse gas emissions from the improper disposal of appliances, and work to benefit communities by keeping appliances out of landfills, parks, and waterways. 

Launched in October of 2006, RAD partners take the extra cost onto themselves to go above and beyond what federal law requires. Instead of just worrying about refrigerants like hydrofluorocarbon or the disposal of universal waste, instead, they look to recover insulation foam and to help remove older appliances from the secondhand market. 

Between 2007 and 2018, RAD partners have accomplished the following:

Diverted 1.06 billion pounds of ferrous metals and 88 million pounds of non-ferrous metals from landfills;

Recycled 196 million pounds of plastic; 

Recycled 30 million pounds of glass.

They’ve facilitated the proper handling of:

765,000 gallons of used oil; and

319,000 PCB and 196,000 mercury-containing components.

Hazardous Materials 

Depending on the age of your appliances, they can contain everything from mercury to used oil to polychlorinated biphenyls as well as ozone-depleting substances and hydrofluorocarbons. 

That's a lot of complex chemicals that all boil down to dangerous for you, the water system, and everything that we eat.  So, it makes sense that removing it is a top priority when it comes to recycling major appliances. These materials are recovered and recycled for future use either into new appliances or other everyday items. 

Not only do we benefit from being reused and kept out of our farms and foods, but by recycling these, we don't have to spend the fuel to dig up more or process the raw materials. 

One material that we didn't mention but is present in your refrigerators and freezers is insulation foam. The type used most often contains hydrofluorocarbons, and if left to break down or be degraded, would also be dangerous to the atmosphere. However, a new technology allows for that foam to be turned into pellets. These pellets can then be burned for fuel safely and used to fuel other parts of the recycling process.

Courtesy of The EPA

Metals 

Your appliances, large and small, contain a large variety of metals. Copper, aluminum, steel, all of these are recyclable. They can be reused either in making new appliances, other electronic circuits or any of a thousand other items that you come in contact with throughout the day. 

After, say, your refrigerator is broken down and stripped of all its hazardous materials, it gets shredded by large machines with many teeth. They rip all of the pieces down into pieces small enough to float on water. First, the danger confetti is gone over with a magnet. This pulls out the steel from the pile that can be set aside and use later. Unfortunately, we still have a large pile of mixed plastics and metals that do not respond to a magnet. So all of this gets dumped into water. The pieces are sorted using their density and ability to float to separate out the metals from the plastics. The plastic confetti gets sorted into the next step while the copper and aluminum stay here, along with any other metals, to be melted down and reused.

Plastics 

For a very long time, appliance recycling stopped at recovering the hazardous materials and the metals.  The plastics weren't seen as important. People didn't care that they were clogging up landfills and being utterly useless. Fortunately, others have stepped in and seen the necessity of change.

From the environmental aspect, you probably don't like eating plastic or the idea of your family eating plastic any more than the next person. And we highly doubt that you like the idea of your pets eating it either. Unfortunately, microplastics, or pieces of plastic that are less than 5 mm in size, have shown up everywhere. In waterways. In farms. In animals, land, sea, and air. On mountain tops, ages away from where they initially started. And most frighteningly in your blood. We don't say this to frighten anybody. This is, unfortunately a statement of fact. And leads us back to the reason why plastic recycling is necessary. 

Fortunately, the company Hitachi is leading the way. Not only are they working in Japan but also abroad, trying to find ways to recycle as much appliance plastic as possible. The use of plastics in home appliances is widespread and extensive. While it varies from appliance to appliance, at least 40% of most appliances is plastic. Plastics are made from crude oil and their market prices are affected by more than merely supply and demand. Politics, economics, and speculation all affect the price as well. With the rising demand for crude oil and the prices on a long-term upward trend, with every passing year, stable sources of plastic materials are becoming more difficult to obtain.  

Because of that, and additional issues within Japan specifically, Hitachi is looking at ways to increase the ability to recycle plastics. They do this by sorting through the various types of plastics within major appliances. Polypropylene, polystyrene, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene makeup between 70 to 80% of the plastics used in home appliances. 

Polypropylene and general-purpose polystyrene are easy to identify. They're easy to find and easy to recycle. This makes them more valuable, so most shops will have dedicated crushers for these two plastic types. 

Remember the plastic confetti we mentioned earlier? This is where that comes back into play. Once the polypropylene and general-purpose polystyrene are pulled out you're left with a mixed bag of plastic confetti that still needs to be sorted. Previously this process would be done by hand if it was done at all. Hitachi is working on speeding up the process. They hope to install sorting equipment that can separate mixed plastics into individual types using water and electrostatic separation. 

Courtesy of Barphilosof

(Sidenote: If you're interested in the process of removing microplastics, that is a bit beyond the scope of our coverage on this site, but we do suggest some of the links we've left in the additional reading section. One from National Geographic explains the situation, and the other from Princeton discusses exciting research toward solving it.) 

Stepping back from the intricate process of appliance recycling, we're left with a profound realization of its undeniable significance. Recycling isn't just a mundane chore; it's a vital cog in the wheel of environmental preservation. Don't forget to revisit our previous article to deepen your understanding of the recycling journey. And keep an eye out for the forthcoming installments in this series, where we'll continue unraveling the compelling narrative of sustainable appliance management.

While recycling remains a pivotal solution, prevention is equally crucial. At Appliance Rescue Service, we're committed to prolonging the lifespan of your appliances, offering maintenance and repair services to keep them running efficiently. Whether it's a need for immediate repairs or a desire for a routine maintenance check, take the proactive step towards sustainable appliance care. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or visit our website for more information on how we can assist in maintaining your appliances for a greener, more efficient household.

Call us at: (214) 599-0055

Additional Reading

Explaining The Basics Of Appliance Recycling

RAD Partners

New Research On Removing Microplastics

The Plastic Crisis Explained

Looking Back And Closing Out 2023

A Recap of Trendsetting Refrigerator Styles

Hey there, fridge enthusiasts and kitchen aficionados! Can we just take a moment to appreciate how far our good ol' refrigerator has come? I mean, from being this big, clunky box in the corner to a sleek, stylish centerpiece of our kitchens, it's undergone a serious glow-up! And guess what? While the year is winding down, the fridge game isn’t slowing down any time soon. Let's dive into a recap of the world of 2023's coolest refrigerator styles - trust me, you won't believe what these bad boys can do now! 

Panel Ready: Elevating Kitchen Aesthetics

Courtesy of SubZero

               While panel-ready appliances have been out for a while, they gained traction in 2023. Panel-ready appliances can be found for every major appliance and most small ones as well. Naturally, this includes your refrigerator. Panel-ready appliances are those that are unfinished and are ready to be covered with a panel that seamlessly matches the rest of your cabinetry. If you want a high-end kitchen, custom panels are the way to go.

Question: How might a hidden refrigerator transform the functionality of your kitchen space? We'd love to hear your ideas!

               Invisible & Hidden: The Rise of Hidden Refrigerators

Even as pandemic restrictions have lifted, people have not shed their focus on staying home and being comfortable in their homes. Manufacturers are still responding to that need and are working to make refrigerators smarter, quieter, and as close to invisible as they can get.

Courtesy of Simple Showing

Creating an invisible kitchen allows you to use the space in more than one way. It also helps with making smaller homes feel more open. The use of cabinetry faces and pocket doors creates the illusion of the refrigerator vanishing into the walls.

Handle-less Marvels: Embracing Futuristic Designs

Refrigerators are beginning to go handless. Although it’s not common yet, what started as recessing the handle into the door is now shifting towards no handles at all. Instead, manufacturers are looking at how to incorporate smart options like auto assist. Not only does this help the everyday user, but it also helps those who are disabled or injured to be able to get around with less trouble. 

Splash of Color: The Vibrant Evolution of Refrigerators

At the beginning of the year, we pointed out the LG MoodUp. While we haven't seen anything as bombastic as that, we have seen other manufacturers bringing about colored appliances. we've seen them and talked about them for years with ovens, but now refrigerators are beginning to get some love as well in blacks, blues, reds and more unique colors like purples and teal. There have been other manufacturers that have done this, such as the European SMEG, but it's not a common occurrence in the American market.

Courtesy of LG

Question: Which vibrant color would you pick for your refrigerator to express your kitchen's personality? Tell us your favorite hues!

Zones Redefined: Customizable Spaces for Organized Living

We’ve talked recently about the importance of refrigerator zones and how they affect your food’s life span. The design of your refrigerator is one way that this can be affected. Multi-door refrigerators offer a unique option to mix and match the type of space you need.  They offer different zones that can be controlled from your phone as well as additional drawers and doors to allow you to better break down your fridge for your needs. 

LED Illumination: Efficiency and Elegance Inside Your Fridge

While it might sound odd, LED lighting is starting to gain traction in the market. LED lighting throughout your refrigerator and the various compartments makes a difference on multiple levels. First off, it allows you to cut down on your power usage as LEDs are up to 90% more efficient. Second, it gives your refrigerator a modern and sleek appearance. Finally, it makes it easier to find items within your fridge, ensuring you don’t lose that delicious bottle of jam to the back of a shelf. 

Smart Innovations: Cameras, Ice Filters, and Beyond

Cameras inside the refrigerator allow you to take stock of what you have even when you're out on the go. Instead of having to make a list of what you have at all times and trying to maintain that in your head, you can pull open your refrigerator app and check what's there. This doesn't necessarily get rid of your need for grocery lists or lists of what you need for different recipes, but it does help if you forget to check for an item or two before you leave. This continues to build momentum, and manufacturers are constantly trying to figure out something new. We look forward to what innovations the new year will bring us. 

Courtesy of KitchenAid

An interesting new feature that we noticed for the first time this year was filtered ice. While refrigerators making ice is nothing new, being able to get crystal clear ice is. Refrigerators are now being included with filtered water and ice as part of the system rather than having to be a specialized or aftermarket feature.

Question: Which smart feature - camera integration or filtered ice - would you find more beneficial in your daily kitchen routine? Let us know your choice and why!

And there you have it, a sneak peek into the dazzling world of 2023's coolest refrigerator trends! From seamless panel designs to invisible fridges and futuristic innovations, it's been a whirlwind of creativity in kitchen tech. By the way, if your trusty fridge or any major appliance needs a tune-up or repair, we at Appliance Rescue Service have your back! Whether it's fixing a stubborn ice maker or giving your appliances some TLC, our repair wizards are on standby. We're your go-to folks for keeping your kitchen tech running smoothly. Share your thoughts on these trends in the comments on our Facebook page, and remember, if your appliance needs some love, reach out to us at Appliance Rescue Service!

 Trends come, and trends go. Tell us which of these trends you expected or enjoyed in the comments on our Facebook page!

Additional Reading
Chill Hacks Unveiled: Mastering Your Fridge's Microzones for Fresher Foods

The MoodUp Refrigerator to Shake UP Your Kitchen

Kitchen Hazards Unveiled

Your Guide to Oven Safety

Welcome to the heart of the home—the kitchen. Amid the aroma of culinary wonders lies a landscape fraught with potential hazards. From toppling ranges to shattering cookware, the dangers are subtle yet prevalent.

In our exploration, we’re taking a look at the three primary adversaries: range tipovers, cookware mishaps, and the looming threat of cooking fires. These dangers aren't just about burns; they encompass a complex web of risks that demand attention.

Avoiding Common Oven Related Accidents

We’re going to take a look at the three most common types of oven-related accidents. While you think immediately of getting burned, you also have to think of rage tipovers and shattering cookware. 

Range Tipovers

Almost 40,000 people were injured during a 20-year NIH study, just from a range tipping over. Unsurprisingly, children are the ones most at risk. When left unsupervised, kids love to climb, And if an oven door is left open? You can bet they will climb on that, unfortunately, causing the range to tip. 

A few ways you can prevent your range from tipping over- 

If your range doesn’t have one, install an anti-tip bracket to keep it securely in place. 

Never place a heavy tray on an oven door that’s been left open. (This is the most common reason adults get injured in a range tipover.) 

Drape a towel on the oven handle if a pan is cooling to remind you that it’s still there. 

Cookware Injuries

In the same NIH study, more than 37,000 people were injured while using cookware. Hot glassware can shatter (yes, even ‘heat-proof’ dishes), and handles can absolutely burn. 

To avoid both of these instances, remember these tips- 

Don’t take a dish directly from the freezer to the oven or the other way around. 

Don’t add liquid after a dish is hot, or put a hot dish onto a cold or wet surface as it can cause shock to the dish. 

If a dish has become cracked or chipped, stop using it. Those chips will eventually become cracks, spreading over time until the piece shatters. 

Make sure to turn handles out to the sides rather than being over a working burner. 

Cooking Fires

Cooking fires account for 2 of every 5 reported home fires. Of those, unattended equipment accounts for 1 in 3, and half are set off by fat, grease, or oil, according to the National Fire Protection Association. 

In the NIH study, approximately 16,262 people were treated for injuries caused by contact with the stove, most commonly for burns. 

If you spend a lot of time in your kitchen, take a minute to learn these safety tips to protect yourself and your home. 

Stay in the kitchen if you are frying, grilling, or broiling something. 

If you’re simmering, baking, or roasting, stay at home and check on your food often. A timer on your phone can help. 

Make sure to keep anything that can catch fire away from the stovetop. This can be things like food packaging, pot holders, kitchen towels, and cookbooks. 

If a fire starts in your oven, turn it off and leave the door closed. This will suffocate the fire. 

Always keep a lid near to hand to smother small grease fires. You can slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burn. 

Keep a fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of 5-B:C on hand in your kitchen or as close as possible. 

If a fire gets out of hand, leave the house and call 911. 

Gas Ranges vs. Electric Ovens and Safety Concerns For Each 

Gas 

Gas stoves burn natural gas, which does generate a number of invisible by-products. The biggest concern to our health is the production of nitrogen dioxide or NO2. According to Josiah Kephart, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at Drexel University, this is produced when natural gas is burned at high temperatures when there is also nitrogen in the atmosphere. “We’ve known for a long time that [nitrogen dioxide] has many harmful effects on health,” says Kephart. 

While the Environmental Protection Agency regulates outdoor NO2 emissions, there are no standards for indoor exposure. Nevertheless studies dating back decades have shown the harmful effects from the no2 in gas cooking stoves. 

Studies have also found that unburned natural gas leaks from stoves, and contains the known carcinogen, benzene. Additionally, cooking, in general, creates fine particulates, which can cause or exacerbate respiratory problems. 

However, studies in this area have also long been linked to political lobbying groups, so data might be skewed one way or the other. As usual, politics is beyond our purview here, so we suggest doing your own digging. 

Electric 

Recent attention to the gas stove’s environmental impact has turned some away from the once-preferred chef’s stove. However, while electric stoves are the current darling of the industry, they also have their own issues. 

Courtesy of Mike Jones

According to a report by the National Fire Protection Association, they do tend to have far greater fire risks. A 2020 report by the NFPA showed that households with electric stoves reported fires at a rate 2.6 times higher than those with gas stoves. Equally staggering, the death rate of electric-run households was 3.4 times higher than those that had gas appliances. And the injury rate? That was nearly 5 times greater. 

General Safety Tips In the Kitchen 

We’ve taken both general tips and those from the community to bring to your attention. *

You need to be sure you are watching your food and your hands so you do not get burned; both are hot. Pay attention to smooth-top ranges, as the ceramic glass can be very hot for a while, even with the burner off. The same goes for gas stove grates above the burner.

Roll up your sleeves before cooking. Loose-fitting clothing can catch on fire.

Both electric and non-electric ovens have a thermostat to control how high the heat goes, and then they cycle the heat on and off to maintain the correct temperature. Can thermostats go bad? Yes, equally in both electric and non-electric ovens. ((ARS Note: This is one of the key reasons we suggest having your oven maintained regularly!))

Clean the stove, oven, and burners regularly to prevent grease buildup.

Use the right cookware both for your type of range and for the size of the burner. 

Only use cookware in the oven that is meant to go in the oven. Plastics will melt and either damage your oven (ask us how we know.) Metals, on the other hand, can damage the oven by heating it improperly and will almost certainly cause your food to cook improperly. 

Keep items that can catch fire, such as dish towels and pot holders, away [from heat sources].

Overheated foods can cause a fire. With that in mind, cook your food for the recommended cooking time, and use oven mitts to protect yourself when taking it out. 

Plug cooking appliances directly into an outlet. Never use an extension cord for a cooking appliance.

Tuck appliance cords out of reach of children.

If your oven has malfunctioned, it’s not safe to use it. Whether it is gas or electric, it needs to be seen by a professional. You can have gas leaks, your oven overheating, or the heat cutting out randomly and without notice. 

Finally, read the manual for your range. The manufacturer included it so you could get the best experience from your oven, and reading it will only help you. 

And there you have it—a peek behind the oven door, revealing the quirks and perils lurking in our culinary havens. Remember, while your kitchen might be a stage for gourmet wonders, it's also a hotspot for potential misadventures. Stay vigilant, cook safely, and should your appliances ever decide to throw a cooking tantrum, don't hesitate to summon the professionals at Appliance Rescue Service. Until then, may your kitchen adventures be filled with delicious triumphs and minimal mishaps. 

Website 

Office Number:  (214) 599-0055

Additional Reading:

Places to Avoid: The Paw Version! 

Why The Media Wants You To Be Scared Of Your Gas Stove

Help I Melted Plastic In My Oven

*Some commentary may have been adjusted for clarity or length. 

Chill Hacks Unveiled: Mastering Your Fridge's Microzones for Fresher Foods

 From Crisper Drawers to Door Dilemmas - Your Complete Guide to Optimizing Refrigerator Storage and Banishing Food Wastage

Ever wondered why your refrigerator seems like an enigmatic labyrinth of varying temperatures? Brace yourself for a surprising revelation: your fridge isn't the uniform cold box you think it is. Instead, it's a tapestry of microclimates, each with its own purpose and ideal use. Buckle up for a journey into the hidden world of fridge dynamics, where thermodynamics and food storage collide to challenge common assumptions.

Prepare to unravel the mystery behind why your leftovers might fare better on one shelf than another, why your greens shouldn't cozy up with your meats, and why that jar of jam ended up frozen solid in the back. Join us as we break down the misconceptions about your refrigerator's temperature zones and unveil the secrets to optimizing freshness and food safety within its chilly confine

Refrigerator Revelations: Unveiling the Myth of Uniform Temperatures

Let's start with breaking down a common misconception: your refrigerator is not all one temperature. We know it's a strange thought. Most of our clients are very shocked when they discover this. But it's true. 

Instead, your refrigerator is made up of many different microzones. Now, your microzones work based on the concept of thermodynamics. We know, we know, that's not something any of us want to try and dive into on a Wednesday night. And to be frank, it's beyond anything we need to go into. What matters is understanding that heat rises. Even in a cold environment like your refrigerator, heat will always rise*. So, the warmest portions of your refrigerator will be the top shelf of your refrigerator because of that principle, and also the door of your refrigerator because it's constantly being exposed to warm air as you open and close your refrigerator throughout the day. No matter how fast your refrigerator returns to temperature, there is still fluctuation. That fluctuation will directly affect whatever you store on the door of your refrigerator. We'll go into more of that later on in the article. For now, it's enough to understand that it's an issue. 

The Secret Behind Microzones: How Your Fridge Works on Thermodynamics

The different zones in your refrigerator are  your door, top shelf, middle shelf, bottom shelf, and any drawers you have, like a crisper drawer, cheese drawer, or deli meat drawer. Each of these different zones has been engineered for a different purpose, and the shape of the drawer directly impacts how temperature and humidity affect the food inside the drawer.  

Crisper Drawers Decoded: Optimizing Humidity for Fresher Produce

Let's take a quick side note to explain the different drawers that might come with your refrigerator. Your crisper drawer is typically one to two drawers on the bottom of your refrigerator. Whether you have a French door, a single door, or a top-of-the-line Sub Zero refrigerator, the bottommost drawer or drawers is for fruits and vegetables. The reason for this ties into the microclimates like we talked about earlier. This is the coldest part of your refrigerator, and it fluctuates between cold and colder. Now, your fridge's design might be two drawers side by side or one on top of another. We have worked on both varieties. It doesn't matter for the most part. Either way, there is typically a small flap or a slider that allows you to set which one has lower humidity and which one has higher humidity. 

Lower humidity is typically for fruits, and higher humidity is for vegetables. This is where we will get into some exceptions in just a minute. These drawers work on humidity as well as temperature. Your fruits need lower humidity, which the slider or air flap on the drawers allows them to adjust. Just because it's not extra fancy or has dials or switches that you need to work to learn doesn't mean that it's not effective. Companies have discovered what works and, for the time being at least, are sticking to it. Higher humidity allows your vegetables to maintain the most moisture, keeping them from wilting for longer. 

Mastering Middle Shelves: The Stable Haven for Dairy and Deli Delights

But Blogger, you say, what about the shelves in the middle? What are those for? Oh dear, reader, those shelves are, in what we said earlier, the most stable portion of your fridge. This is the section that is most likely to stay at the temperature for what you've set your refrigerator to. These drawers, whether you have one or two, sometimes even more, will be where you store your cheeses and deli meats. Cheeses and deli meats need to be kept away from fluctuations in temperature to ensure that they stay tasty and free from bacteria for as long as possible. They also don't need to worry about humidity like your fruits and vegetables, which is why they are just drawers. 

Strategic Food Placement: Where Every Zone Shines in Your Fridge

Now that you understand how your refrigerator works and how some of the more specialized sections should be used let's look at your fridge as a whole. This breakdown for storing your food comes from years of research into maximizing space, freshness, and food safety. So, at the top of your fridge,  as we mentioned earlier, that is going to be the section that fluctuates the most, and therefore, is the section where you should store already cooked foods; this is your leftovers,  this is the rotisserie chicken that you're going to have tomorrow night for dinner or the green bean casserole that your neighbor brought over because they had a little too much. Things like that. 

Your middle shelves are where you should store your dairy products. Cheeses, butter, eggs, and other things that need to be kept as stable as possible. 

Your bottom shelves are where you store raw meats and fish. If you really wanted to, all of the other shelves, ,could be swapped around. If you follow the other tips we will talk about, your food will stay fresh. Maybe not for as long as they could, but they will stay fresh for about the average length of time that you might expect. For your raw meats and fish, you store them at the bottom of your refrigerator not just to keep them fresh for longer and to butkeep them in that cold air that doesn't fluctuate as much. It's also for food safety. Raw meats tend to leak. You don't want that getting on the rest of your food.  

Now, we're not saying you should just throw a hunk of raw meat or the fish your cousin caught for dinner tonight onto these shelves. You store these on the bottom shelf because they won't leak into the drawers when wrapped properly. Your crisper drawers are designed so things from on top, unless they spill or overflow, won't get into the drawers. Instead, they drip around and under. Your shelves, though, say the top and middle shelves aren't designed the same. Put meat on those shelves, and you will contaminate the shelves below.   

Decoding the Door Dilemma: What to Store (and Avoid) on Your Fridge Door 

The one thing we haven't talked about yet is your refrigerator door. On your refrigerator door, it is good to put things like condiments. They're not bothered much by fluctuating temperatures. Salad dressing falls into the same category. Even the ones you might make yourself can still be stored in the container and left on your fridge door. Soda, water bottles, sports drinks are great to put on your refrigerator door, so they're easy to grab. 

Things that maybe shouldn't go on your door that you wouldn't consider: 

Nut butters

Milk 

Glass bottles 

We've all done it. Heck, in your Blogger's fridge right now (or at least right now as of the time of this initially being written) is a container of milk. The reason you don't want to store it there normally is because it will go bad faster. In our household, however, it doesn't typically last long enough, so we choose to take that risk. Which is what you can do as well. Nut butters, however, and glass bottles are less conditional. Nut butters like almond butter and cashew butter will start to separate when kept at unstable temperatures. They start to either become hard or oily, they don't taste as good, and they're harder to spread. Then you've got glass bottles, which is more of a practicality issue. All it takes is one slam of the door, and there goes all that lovely wine you were planning on sharing. 

A refrigerator with some things stored properly and some not. How many can you find?

Courtesy of the USDA

Versus, this refrigerator which has taken into consideration the various tips and safety measures that we talked about, and the size and design of this particular refrigerator.

Courtesy of the USDA

The FIFO Method: Saving Money and Maximizing Freshness in Your Fridge

How do you save money then? The answer is the First In First Out method. It is a very simple concept, but it does take a bit of thinking as you implement it. You put the newest foods at the back of the shelf and bring the oldest foods towards the front. You can do this with everything or just things you buy duplicates of. An example would be putting an already open pint of sour cream at the front and a new one at the back of the shelf. 

 We aren't saying you have to do this every day. That would be ridiculous, and you would end up wasting electricity and letting in all the hot air you're trying to avoid. But once a week or so, when you go grocery shopping, do this, and then you have all of the oldest food towards the front automatically when you need to go and plan for meals or just need a quick snack. The First In, First Out method is utilized by restaurants and other corporate-level food services. It's a way to ensure your food is used long before it spoils.  

The Perils of Overstuffing: Why Air Circulation is Key in Your Refrigerator

A final important note that we think cannot be overstated is that you should not be overstuffing any section of your fridge. Your refrigerator cannot do its job properly if it can't breathe. If the air cannot circulate around your refrigerator, the microclimates we discussed will go to extremes. The coldest section, that bottom shelf, and your crispers will end up freezing. Meanwhile, your top shelf and door will be much warmer than they should be, causing things to spoil. This is how you end up pulling out the jar of jam from the back of a shelf and finding out that it's frozen solid in the time that it's been in your refrigerator. While sections like your crispers have an optimum level of food in them, say 67%, the rest of your fridge is more a matter of air being able to move around. That one does take a little bit of trial and error. It becomes much easier if you pay attention and start with the tips we've taught you today. 

Keeping Cool: When to Call for Professional Refrigerator Assistance

Remember, your refrigerator is not just a glorified cold box—it's a meticulously engineered system of microzones. By understanding its nuances, from the fluctuating temperatures of the top shelf to the humidity-controlled crisper drawers, you hold the key to prolonging the freshness of your groceries and minimizing food waste.

So, bid farewell to haphazard food placement and embrace the art of organized refrigeration. Employ the 'First In First Out' method, keep meats low, dairy mid, and condiments on the door, and most importantly, avoid overstuffing to let your fridge breathe. By following these simple strategies, you're not just managing your fridge; you're preserving flavor, maximizing space, and ensuring a longer shelf life for your groceries.

However, if you encounter issues beyond the realm of organization—such as temperature inconsistencies, malfunctioning water lines, or any other fridge-related quandaries—don't hesitate to reach out for professional help. Appliance Rescue Service is here to assist you, whether it's a troubleshooting call or a need for expert maintenance. Contact us today via our website or give us a call to schedule an appointment and ensure your refrigerator runs smoothly, keeping your food fresh and your kitchen hassle-free.

Website

Call: (214) 599-0055 

Additional Reading: 

The Hidden Messages Behind the Odors in Your Refrigerator

Why Is My Refrigerator Making Weird Noises!? 

* If you are a physicist, or other scientist who studies thermodynamics and we have gotten this wrong in certain instances, please understand that we are talking solely about heat in a refrigerator.