Does Freezing Batteries Extend Their Life?

There are countless tips and tricks for everything imaginable posted on the internet and discussed around office water coolers, most of them too obscure to believe. Keep dust and dirt off of your home's curtains by applying several coats of hairspray to them. Place three drops of vinegar on your tongue to cure the hiccups. Store your household batteries in the refrigerator to make them last longer. Speedy Subzero may not know much about curtains or the hiccups – but we know refrigerators – which is why we are going to take a closer look at the last tip to see if it is true or not.

According to GreenBatteries.com, standard alkaline batteries stored at a normal room temperature self discharge their energy at a rate of 2% per year. Raise the temperature to 85° F and the rate increases to about 5% per year. Increase it again to about 100° F and the rate skyrockets to 25% per year! With this knowledge, it is easy to understand why people advocate storing your batteries in the fridge.

The truth is that you should not store batteries in the refrigerator, especially if you do not live in an extremely hot climate. The best case scenario is that you increase their lifespan by an insignificant margin. On the other hand, refrigerating your batteries can lead to condensation, which can actually corrode and damage them. In fact, both Energizer and Duracell advise against this method, instead saying to store their products in a dry, room-temperature climate for optimal performance.

For over 60 years Speedy Subzero has been repairing refrigerators so that everything in them stays fresh, even batteries. Our “warehouse on wheels” storage approach allows us to provide one hour service to New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. We are open 24/7, even on holidays, so give us a call at 866-782-9376.

How to Quickly Clean Your Refrigerator

Neglecting to clean your refrigerator can have many negative consequences. Besides it becoming unorganized, cluttered, and stuffed with a lot of expired items, a dirty refrigerator can become a breeding ground for bacteria. Uncleaned spills and spoiled foods can leave behind tough residue and a nasty smell in the fridge that is near impossible to remove, so take twenty minutes every week to prevent that from happening by properly cleaning your refrigerator. Use the steps below to give your refrigerator a complete cleaning in twenty minutes or less!

1. Remove all items from the refrigerator

Before you get started, it is important to have an empty refrigerator so that you have access to every inch of it. Remove all of the food in it and put it on the counter while you clean. If you want to be cautious, you can store food that is prone to spoiling (such as dairy items and raw meat) in a cooler.

2. Clean shelves and drawers

After the food is all out, take out any removable shelves and drawers that you may have. You can clean these in the kitchen sink under warm, running water with a sponge and your dish detergent of preference. Most of these should be a quick rinse, but if there is any sticky residue from a leak or spill, get it out with some elbow grease. You want your shelves to be as clean as new. After washing, place these items in your drying rack so they can air dry while you continue cleaning.

3. Clean the interior

Everything that can be removed from your refrigerator should now be out, leaving just the bare interior. Take a paper towel and a cleaning agent or a sponge with soap and clean these surfaces. This should be a quick wipe-down, but look out for any stains or residue that you may have to scrub off.

4. Dry and replace shelves

If the interior is still a little wet due to the cleaning supplies, dry it off with a clean rag or paper towel. The same goes for the shelves and drawers that you washed in the sink earlier. If they have not dried completely yet, wipe them dry with a towel before replacing them in your refrigerator.

5. Organize and filter through your food

While your food is all laid out in front of you, take advantage of the opportunity to organize it. Go through each item, throw away anything that has expired, and make a mental note of what items will expire soon. You can also wipe down anything that may cause a mess at some point if left uncleaned (such as a sticky jelly bottle). Group all of your meats, dairy, condiments, fruits, and vegetables together while you are at it- it will save you time when restocking the fridge

6. Restock your fridge the smart way

Now that your food is organized, put it back in the refrigerator where it belongs.

• The door: keep condiments, juices, and water on the door. Avoid keeping milk here because the temperature of this area fluctuates more than any other space in the fridge, which can cause it to spoil prematurely.
• Upper shelves: Keep your leftovers, ready-to-eat foods, and drinks on the upper shelves of your refrigerator.
• Lower shelves: Store your milk, eggs, raw meat, and other foods that spoil quickly down here. As you may know, warm air rises, so the bottom of your fridge is naturally the coldest and will keep your food preserved for the longest possible time.
• Crisper drawers: This is where your fruits and vegetables go. Make sure you keep them separated and use the proper humidity settings for each.

You have now cleaned your refrigerator from top to bottom, properly washed everything, got rid of expired items, and organized your food in the same amount of time it takes to watch an episode of your favorite TV show on Netflix. If you find your refrigerator is not working properly for any reason and you live in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut, give Speedy Subzero a call at 866-782-9376. We provide fast, reliable service to the tri-state area, 24/7! You can also like us on Facebook for more kitchen-related advice and tips.

5 Foods You Think Are Supposed to be Kept in the Refrigerator But Aren't

Growing up, everybody had their household rules about what gets kept in the refrigerator and what is supposed to go in the pantry. “Everyone knows you're supposed to keep the maple syrup in the fridge!” “Ketchup should go in the cabinet, who in their right mind puts it in the refrigerator?” The truth is, there are some foods that can be stored in any climate, but there are some foods that should never go in the fridge. Below are five foods that are currently sitting in millions of refrigerators around the world, even though they really shouldn't be.

Tomatoes

The general thought process behind this is, “If I put these in the refrigerator, it will make them last longer.” The truth is that putting tomatoes in the refrigerator stops the ripening process, causing them to lose their flavor. It also changes the texture of tomatoes, making them soft and mushy. Simply store tomatoes on your counter-top in a plastic bag for best results.

Potatoes

Refrigerating potatoes is the worst way to store them. The cool temperature affects the starch in potatoes, turning it into sugar. This causes the potatoes to have a sweet taste when you cook them, and not in the good way. Store potatoes in a paper bag in a cool (not cold), dry place.

Honey

Many people do not know this, but honey is a naturally preserved food. If stored in a tightly-sealed container, honey will taste the same years after it was made. Putting it in the refrigerator causes the sugars in the honey to crystallize – a process called granulation. This results in the honey turning from a thick liquid into a solid which makes it almost impossible to get out of the jar. For best results, just stick the jar in your pantry and don't worry about it for the next couple of decades.

Coffee

Whether they are whole beans or grounds, don't store coffee in the refrigerator. The primary reason for this is because the coffee will actually begin to absorb the scents from other foods in the refrigerator, causing its taste to alter. Once this happens, it is impossible to get its original flavor back. Instead of the refrigerator, store your coffee in an airtight container in the pantry.

Hot Sauce

This is something that many people don't know, but most hot sauces should not be refrigerated. Cold temperatures can affect the flavor and consistency of the hot sauce. Depending on the brand, hot sauce can safely be stored in the pantry for up to three years. Frank's, a large hot sauce producer of over half a dozen different flavors, only requires one of them to be refrigerated. In order to be sure, it is best to check the label on the bottle.

If your refrigerator is not working like it used to (regardless of what food is in it) and you live in the tri-state area, call Speedy Subzero today. We offer one-hour service to New York City, Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey so call us today at 866-782-9376. You can also like us on Facebook to keep up to date with our company blog.