A refrigerator is an integral part of any kitchen.
You need one to keep drinks cold and preserve perishable foods for the next day.
The mere thought of the value a fridge brings in the kitchen can make you take all measures to keep it in good working conditions.
That’s why you could imagine a carpet or rug in front of it.
So, Should You Put A Rug In Front Of The Refrigerator?
Yes, but it’s going to depend on the location of the unit’s condenser coils. If the condenser coils are located at the rear of the fridge, you can install a rug in front of it without less worry. Fridges designed this way won’t be affected by the presence of a rug on their front. It’s actually beneficial to have a rug under the door.
Five Reasons Why You Should Utilize A Rug In Front Of The Fridge
1. Food Spills Management
Kitchen spills are unavoidable, especially if you have small children or pets at home.
The same applies to your day-to-day use of the fridge.
Things happen — yogurt slip from your hands right at the door of the refrigerator, glasses wobble in your hands, or a bowl of your leftover casseroles come off the fridge’s storage shelf.
It only takes one mishap to make a mess on the floor. That’s why you need a rug in front of the fridge. If you try to remove milk from the fridge but end up spilling it, you can count on the rug to reduce the amount of cleaning work you will need to do.
Whether you have kids or pets at home or not, the kitchen floor can be dangerous to walk on especially when wet from undiscovered spills from the fridge.
For that reason, incorporating the right kind of rug at the door of the fridge (the rug may be installed to extend a little distance beyond this point) can create sufficient friction for your slippery floor.
If the rug does not come with non-slip backings, put it over non-slip rug pads to reduce the chances of sliding around while you’re removing things from the fridge.
Equally important, your rug should not be the spongy type that might soak up any liquids that spill on it. The material the rug is made of can determine the ease of cleaning.
Sadly, some of these rugs will likely end up with a toss into the garbage bin because they can’t be safely washed without falling apart.
Some may destroy your dryer and washer.
Thus, it is recommendable you get a washable rug that will give you an easier time managing food spills and also not pose a dusty hazard to the coils.
2. Design and Illumination
If your fridge came with a rear condenser unit, you can easily add a rug at the door area either to improve the beauty of the area or improve the illumination, or both.
Incorporating a single rug or two anywhere in the kitchen – be it close to the fridge, the door area, or the whole kitchen floor – can be a thoughtful way to complement the design of your kitchen.
If your kitchen features those glossy dark cabinets with plated handles, a light-colored rug can easily brighten up the space. It can also add color and character to the home atmosphere.
If the condenser coils are at the bottom of the refrigerator, not the rear, never install a rug in front of the unit.
3. Dirt and Dust Problems
Condenser coils are traditionally located on the rear part of the refrigerator.
However, there are increasingly many models in the market today with these coils installed in the bottom section.
Remember, the job of these coils is to cool and condense your device’s refrigerant.
If these coils are blocked with dirt and dust, they won’t release the heat as efficiently as needed. That’s exactly why you should think twice before installing a rug in front of the fridge.
Never place a rug in front of the fridge if condenser coils are located at the bottom section. Once in a while, you might bring the rug too close to the coils unbeknown of the risks.
Chances are that your rug will collect dust and dirt depending on the level of cleanliness in your kitchen.
Let’s say you don’t sweep and mop your kitchen often – in that case, it will take about two weeks for your rug to collect enough dust and debris to require a lengthy scrubbing.
The problem here is that much of that dirt will most likely end up sucked into the condenser coils at the bottom of the fridge depending on how long the rug remains dirty.
There are two possible consequences to that:
- the lifespan of your fridge may reduce
- and you may find yourself contacting the fridge repairperson more often.
4. Accumulation of Moisture On the Rug
If you take a close look at any fridge with bottom-placed condenser coils, you will notice that the “breathing” vents are installed to face the front or door side of the unit.
This design can turn a beautiful rug installed in front of the unit into a problem.
As the fan blows air onto the condenser to keep it running, the bottom section of the fridge will get cold and moist with time.
If the fridge is leaky or already damaged or its condenser has accumulated so much dirt that it has started to overwork, the time taken to accumulate the moisture can be shorter. You don’t want this moisture to end up on your rug.
An accumulation of cold and moisture in your rug is regrettable bad news for a few reasons, but still avoidable.
For one thing, moisture plus rug fibers equal mildew, mold, and all the health hazards and bad odors that are associated with them.
And for another, moisture seeping into your rug can make it become discolored with time. While a leaky fridge is another issue on its own, it’s a problem that you should and can keep away from your rug.
It could end up damaging the refrigerator itself as well.
To remain cool, the refrigerator must be well-ventilated.
So, having the vents or other cooling aspects of the unit’s cooling systems obstructed by rugs can cause heat to build up and even lead to overheating, which won’t just lead to food spoilage, but can likewise lead to the aforementioned unfortunate leakage.
5. Condenser Coils
Basically, whether to place a rug in front of the fridge or not depends on one factor – the position of the condenser coils.
Most refrigerators use rear cooling coils to cool your food. If your unit is equipped with this kind of coils, you can go ahead to install any kind of rug you prefer in front of it.
Some refrigerators, however, comes with all their cooling coils and infrastructure at the front bottom of the appliance.
While bottom-placed coils have the advantage of posing near zero risks of fire, they could easily singe any carpet or rug placed in front of it. If your unit is designed to operate this way, you better not add a rug in front of it.
Another thing, seal the deal!
Remember to examine the doors for any holes that may cause leaks.
A leaking door may cause condensation to build up and leak on the rug, eventually leading to mildew growth.
With the door tightly closed, move your hand on and along the entire edge of the fridge and check for escaping air.
One or two leaks may mean you need to get yourself a new unit.
Related: Are Toilet Rugs Tacky?
In a nutshell
So, should you put a rug in front of the refrigerator? Yes, but it depends on the position of the condenser coils.
If the condenser coils are located at the rear of the fridge, you can install a rug in front of it without less worry. Fridges designed this way won’t be affected by the presence of a rug on their front.
It’s actually beneficial to have a rug under the door. Incorporating the right kind of rug at the door of the fridge (the rug may be installed to extend a little distance beyond this point) can create sufficient friction for your slippery floor.
If the rug does not come with non-slip backings, put it over non-slip rug pads to reduce the chances of sliding around while you’re removing things from the fridge.
If the condenser coils are at the bottom of the refrigerator, not the rear, never install a rug in front of the unit. Once in a while, you might bring the rug too close to the coils unbeknown of the risks.
Chances are that your rug will collect dust and dirt depending on the level of cleanliness in your kitchen.
Let’s say you don’t sweep and mop your kitchen often – in that case, it will take about two weeks for your rug to collect enough dust and debris to require a lengthy scrubbing.
The problem here is that much of that dirt will most likely end up sucked into the condenser coils at the bottom of the fridge depending on how long the rug remains dirty.
Related: Can You Put a Rug Under a Washer and Dryer?
