A Dollar Bill Is All You Need To Check Your Refrigerator Door Seal

On the list of potential fridge issues, a loose door seal can be a tricky one to diagnose — especially if everything looks fine on sight. Signs include a too-warm internal temperature, excess condensation, and the sounds of an over-functioning motor, but these symptoms can point to other more complicated refrigerator issues too. Before you start assessing internal functions or calling in a pro, there's an easy and straightforward test you can do to see if it's your fridge door seal, and all you need is a dollar bill.

The method is simple. You take your dollar bill (or any similarly sized piece of paper) and place it inside the door, with half hanging out the top or side, and tug. The goal is to see if the dollar bill stays firmly in place, indicating no issue, but you should try the test in a few spots around the door to confirm. If at any point the dollar easily slips back out, you have a problem. 

Also called the fridge's gasket, this seal is what keeps cold air inside, and if it's loose, dirty, or otherwise ineffective, your fridge can quickly become a money drain. An overworked and ineffective fridge means higher energy bills, fast-spoiling food, and a shorter lifespan for your appliance. But luckily, once you've confirmed the seal is the issue, it's an easy fix. 

Before opting for a whole new replacement, you should thoroughly clean your refrigerator gasket. Using a mix of warm water, dish soap, and a dry brush or old toothbrush, scrub in between all the cracks and crevices, working carefully but firmly to remove any build-up that's accumulated. While you should never use bleach or harsh chemicals to clean your fridge seal, you can add baking soda or diluted hydrogen peroxide to the mix if a deeper clean is needed. At the end, use a dry, microfiber towel to fully dry the gasket and, as an optional step, you can also apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to prevent future warping or cracking. 

Once you've finished cleaning and thoroughly drying everything, it's time to check the seal again. You can do another round of the dollar bill check, but if you're fairly confident the deep clean worked, you may want a faster method. In this case, switch things up with the refrigerator flashlight trick. All you need to do this time is flick on your flashlight, place it inside the fridge, and close the door. If light leaks out through any of the seams, the cleaning wasn't enough, and it's time for either a DIY gasket replacement or to call in a pro.