August is going to be full of more scorching temperatures. Please take some time to ensure your refrigerators and freezers are being monitored regularly for safe temperatures as hot weather can be challenging to temperature-controlled machinery. Check to ensure they are able to run at their optimal capacity by doing the following:

Clean the area around your unit. Pull the unit out and thoroughly clean the area under and behind. Vaccuum and dust the vents and coils to keep them free of dirt and grime.

Don’t push your unit against the wall. If you keep a few inches between the unit and the wall, there will be improved airflow.

Keep your unit full. The more food in your unit, the more efficiently it will run. If you do not have enough food to fill your unit, fill it with gallon jugs of water that will either freeze or keep chilled. This will trick your unit into running most efficiently!

Keep your doors closed. Of course, no one intends to leave the doors open on the units but if there is anything structural or temporarily blocking the door from closing completely, you will waste tons of energy and potentially waste food.

Check to ensure all your units are closing properly.

Write notes to neighbors and staff to double check if a unit is not consistently being closed.

Do not do any large organizing inside the unit during the heat of the day if possible. It takes energy to cool it back down and you put your food at risk of entering the “danger zone” for food temperature and safety.