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How do I adjust the temperature of the refrigerator?

Have you ever noticed that the food in your refrigerator is freezing? Or that raw meat spoils quickly before it's cooked? There must be a mistake in adjusting the temperature of your refrigerator. Setting the temperature correctly helps you preserve your fresh foods without ice crystals or bacteria, and according to the recommendations of the US Food and Drug Administration, food should be kept in the refrigerator at 4 degrees Celsius and in the freezer at -18 degrees Celsius, so how Can we adjust the coldness of our refrigerator to avoid food spoilage?

Use a refrigerator thermometer

Try checking the temperature of the refrigerator and test it with a thermometer. Buy a refrigerator thermometer to test the temperature. It is a relatively cheap and inexpensive method. At least five hours after placing the thermometer in the refrigerator, the temperature is read on the thermometer, if the reading ranges from 2 to 3 degrees Celsius is considered healthy.

Control the temperature with the temperature dial

The temperature control dial is usually located at the top of the refrigerator, and you can also find it near the refrigerator light bulb in some cases. All dials work in the same way even if the dial is different from one refrigerator to another.

The higher the number, the higher the degree of coldness, that is, if the numbers of your refrigerator dial range from 1 to 5, then 5 degrees is the coldest and 1 is the lowest, but if your dial has slots without numbers, the dial is rotated clockwise to cool the refrigerator, Usually the best score is in the middle, that is, if the dial numbers are from 1 to 5, the best score is 3, and if it is from 1 to 9, it is better to set the dial to 4.

Means for maintaining refrigerator temperature

Maintaining the temperature of your refrigerator means preserving your food, so you must know some points:

1 - The temperature is not constant in all parts and compartments of the refrigerator, some areas are cooler than others, such as the area directly above the vegetable drawer.

2 - The internal temperature of the refrigerator is completely affected by several factors, including: the ambient temperature, the amount of food stored inside the refrigerator and the number of times the door is opened, so the door must be closed well when you finish using the refrigerator and not leave it open for a long time, otherwise this will cause the internal temperature of the refrigerator to rise and lower cold.

3 - Setting the temperature to the “maximum” option in some refrigerators cools the refrigerator quickly and lowers the internal temperature quickly. This option can be used on hot days or when you need quick cooling.

4 - If you ensure that the refrigerator door is not opened regularly, the “minimum” option in some refrigerators is an ideal option, and it can also be set in the colder months, as this option helps to save energy.

5 - Frequently opening and closing the refrigerator door removes most of the cold air from the refrigerator and replaces it with warmer air, which must then be cooled again, which means increased electricity consumption.

Food storage places in the refrigerator

-- upper and middle shelf

Cooked foods should be stored away from raw foods in the refrigerator to ensure that bacteria do not transfer from raw food to cooked food, so the top shelf and middle shelf are the ideal place to store cooked foods, ready-to-eat salads, dairy products, and canned foods, with emphasis on keeping food wrapped Good for preventing it from contaminating or contaminating the refrigerator.

-- bottom shelf

Raw meat, poultry and fish are stored carefully wrapped away from cooked foods, to prevent cross-contamination and to prevent the spread of food odors and their effect on other foods in the refrigerator.

-- vegetable drawer

Vegetables and fruits are washed and dried well before storing in the fridge drawer, and wrapped in paper towels or perforated plastic bags to keep them fresher for longer.

Tips for keeping foods in the fridge

1 - To ensure that foods do not spoil, perishable products should be refrigerated and frozen immediately and not left at room temperature.

2 - Not stacking foods in the refrigerator in a way that obstructs the movement of cold air in it, which affects the cooling of foods.

3 - Ready-to-eat foods and refrigerated meats are prone to spoilage faster as disease-causing bacteria can grow in them, so they should be consumed as soon as possible.

4 - Foods that need to be seasoned are soaked in a special seasoning and kept in the refrigerator and not outside, and it is dangerous to use the seasoning after soaking unless it has been boiled well to ensure that any bacteria in it are killed.

5 - It is important to clean the refrigerator regularly and wipe the shelves well, which limits the spread and multiplication of bacteria in it.

6 - Check the expiration dates of foods frequently and make sure to consume the oldest food first.

7 - Do not store foods that require low cooling in the refrigerator door.