CDA Buying Advice – Wine Cooler Care & Maintenance
How long should a wine cooler last?
You’ve brought a wine cooler but you need to know how to take care of it. If you look after it, clean it regularly and carry out regular checks, it should increase the longevity of your wine cooler. Below are a few steps that you can take to ensure your wine cooler lasts:Installation
After you have found a suitable location to place your wine cooler you should then look at installing your wine cooler. Make sure you read the manual first, checking all guide lines and specifications that your wine cooler requires. If the cooler is not installed properly then it can affect the running and efficiency of your wine cooler.One of the more crucial elements of installation is ensuring there is enough space for the wine cooler to ventilate properly. Every wine cooler requires effective ventilation to be able to cool down, if this is blocked it can damage the efficiency and could cause the cooler to overheat, thus damaging it.
If you have purchased a built in wine cooler then you must follow the instructions on how to install it ensuring that the attachments you make are secure and hold the cabinet fully in place. Ensure that there is enough space to open the door fully, to avoid damaging the door and becoming a nuisance.
Maintenance
The upkeep of maintenance for your wine cooler will ensure everything is working as it should be and any problems found can be resolved quickly before further damage is done. Our wine coolers are built to last, but consumable parts such as interior lighting and seals may need cleaning or changing every now and again.You should also ensure that the water in the drip tray is emptied and cleaned as frequently as you can to avoid any mould or overflowing occurring. If the water is left to sit it could begin to smell. Cleaning your wine cooler will also help with the daily running of your wine cooler.
Cleaning
Regular cleaning of your wine cooler will ensure that your wine appliance is running at full efficiency and that no blockages or build-up of substances are affecting the running of the appliance.When cleaning your wine cooler remember to turn it off before starting as this will prevent any injuries occurring. Removing the bottles from the cooler will also make it easier to clean as you won’t have to try and work around them.
Non-abrasive cleaning items are going to be the best for the job as they will ensure that you don’t scratch or damage the inside of the appliance. Be careful when wiping around the mechanisms and the shelving itself as if these are damaged it will affect the way you store wine.
A useful tip when cleaning is to let the cooler air out for a while before turning it back on and placing the bottles back inside.
Useful Tips
Here are some useful tips to ensure that your wine cooler lasts as long as possible.When you first purchase your wine cooler, once set up and installed let the machine air out for a while before plugging it in and loading it with wine. Airing out your wine cooler cabinet before use will remove any unwanted smells that may affect your wine.
On average you should clean out your wine cooler once or twice a year, but if any repairs are needed or a bottle breaks inside then we recommend cleaning out the whole appliance. You should never leave any wine leakages or breakages, they need to be dealt with as soon as possible. If a leakage is left for a long period of time then it will become a bigger issue to tackle and it may damage the inside of the cabinet and could possibly seep in to the mechanics.
Keeping on top of wine cooler maintenance is very simple as long as you carry out regular checks.
Why is my wine cooler leaking water?
Your wine cooler is leaking water, but don’t panic! There are simple solutions to fix this problem. Condensation forms inside your wine cooler which is why you may find your wine cooler whether it is built-in or integrated, leaking water.What is condensation? Condensation is formed when water vapour transforms from a gas back to a liquid. No matter how dry the air is there will always be a degree of water vapour in the air. There is air in your wine cooler cabinet and when the cabinet cools down the molecules in the air move closer together. The saturation density will decrease and the humidity will then rise.
If the temperature falls for example the door is left open for a long period of time, the vapour density within the cabinet will drop to zero causing the humidity to rise to 100%. The temperature at which this happens is known as dew point, when the vapour molecules turn to water droplets. To put it in simple terms, when the warm air hits the cold it creates water droplets, these are known as condensation. You will often see this on the shower screen or on mirrors in bathrooms when you are showering.
When you open the door of your wine cooler warm air is let into the cold cabinet, thus making the wine cooler work harder to cool the cabinet down again. If the warm air let into the cabinet is humid, it will contain water molecules that will turn to condensation. This is when you may see water leaking from your wine cooler.
How to clean mould from a wine cooler?
To grow, mould requires water, food, darkness and a stable temperature. Most of which you can find inside your wine cooler cabinet. If you’re wondering how mould is in your wine cooler in the first place, it happens when you remove and store bottles of wine. If the humidity levels are right for the mould then it will hold onto the sides and the wooden shelves and continue to grow and multiply as humidity helps them to spread.Unfortunately wine coolers require certain levels of humidity to ensure the corks remain tightly sealed to prevent letting in any smells. If you are finding that mould is constantly growing in your cooler, then it is most likely due to the high humidity levels. We suggest using moisture absorbers to soak up excess humidity and moisture. Using substances such as baking soda or chalk, you can soak up excess moisture that will help to stop mould from growing. If the mould continues to grow then you may need to change the way you clean your cooler.
Cleaning your wine cooler using bleach
Before cleaning your wine cooler you must remove all wine bottles and store your wine in cold dark conditions if possible. You must turn off the cooler before cleaning as well to avoid any injuries or accidents. The best way to use bleach to kill mould in your wine cooler is to either apply it directly onto the mould using a soft sponge or non-abrasive rag or by putting it into a spray bottle and spraying it directly onto the area. Bleach saturates the mould making it easy to wipe away. But don’t just wipe the mould away, ensure you sanitise all areas inside the wine cooler to prevent any pesky mould returning.Once you have wiped down all surfaces with bleach and ensured that all mould sources have been removed, take some clean warm water and wash the sides down again removing any remaining bleach. A handy tip is that if you can still smell the bleach inside the cooler, you need to wash it down again.
Cleaning your wine cooler using vinegar
Just like cleaning with bleach, make sure that you remove all wine bottles and turn off the cooler before cleaning. The most effective way to kill mould with vinegar is to use white distilled vinegar. You can either pour some into a spray bottle or apply it onto a non-abrasive cloth/rag and wipe over the mould directly. As with bleach, don’t just wipe over the mould, ensure that you wipe down all surfaces to prevent it from returning. Let the vinegar sit for around an hour to give it time to kill all the bacteria present.Afterwards take some warm clean water and wipe over all surfaces to remove any excess product as you don’t want your wine cooler smelling of vinegar and you certainly don’t want your wine to taste of it.
Cleaning your wine cooler with baking soda
Like all other methods of cleaning, remove all bottles and turn off the wine cooler to ensure it is safe to clean. Cleaning with baking soda requires a little more care and attention than using bleach or vinegar. You must first create a solution that involves mixing 50% baking soda with 50% water, this will form a paste that you can spread over the inside of your cabinet. Leave it to dry and let it work its magic removing that horrible bacteria from your wine cooler. After it has dried take a small stiff brush and scrub it away. After it’s all removed and wiped away, mix 1-2 tablespoons of baking soda with a cup of water to clean all infected areas again, to ensure thorough cleaning. Again wait for it to dry and then wipe clean.Baking soda is handy for absorbing smells so leaving a small/thin layer in your cooler will not harm the cooler itself and will ensure that harmful odours do not enter your cooler affecting the taste of your wine.
Other substances that can be used to clean mould away from your wine cooler include ammonia, borax and vinegar with borax.