How to Add Years of Life to Your Refrigerator's Door Seals

Here’s a simple trick that will most likely prevent your ever having to replace either of your refrigerator’s door seals.  It becomes even more valuable if you own one of the newer models whose seals are no longer attached with screws, but “glued” on (a really dumb idea there, manufacturers!) 

Once every year – make it a part of Spring housecleaning? – Anyone still DO Spring housecleaning? - wipe down the working surfaces of the seals with a damp cloth, and dry. Then apply a thin film of Petroleum Jelly to the HINGE side surface of both seals. (ONLY to the hinge side working surface that contacts the cabinet, NOT the whole seal!).  This allows the sliding face of the seal to, well, slide, across the hinge-side cabinet face, and prevent its twisting and tearing, the #1 cause of failure.

There was a time when new refrigerators arrived from the factory with this already done, but that was back in the late 70’s so I’m dating myself and we’ll drop that subject…