Fridge winding down? Stock it smart

A lot of us stocked up on food during the past year, packing our fridges to the gills. “Unfortunately, this resulted in a wave of fridge failures, so much so that there’s still a backlog on ordering new units,” reveals appliance repair expert Scott Isacksen, of TCI Building Services. “If your fridge is packed too tightly, air can’t circulate, straining the motor.” The simple fix: Aim to stock your fridge or freezer to about 3⁄4 full, and leave the most free space at the top, where air is warmest and needs to circulate the most. An easy way to do this is to stash bigger items—like gallonsized milk containers or large Tupperware—on the bottom shelf and leave the top section for smaller items like yogurt, eggs and jam jars.