CARE AND CLEANING
Outside
The door handles can be cleaned with a cloth
dampened with a solution of mild liquid dishwashing
detergent and water. Dry with a soft cloth. Don’t use
wax on the door handles.
Keep the finish clean. Wipe with a clean cloth lightly
dampened with kitchen appliance detergent. Dry and
polish with a clean, soft cloth. Do not wipe the
refrigerator with a soiled dishwashing cloth or wet
towel. These may leave a residue that can erode the
paint. Do not use scouring pads, powdered cleaners,
bleach or cleaners containing bleach because these
products can scratch and weaken the paint finish.
Protect the paint finish. The finish on the outside of
the refrigerator is a high quality, baked-on paint finish.
With proper care, it will stay new-looking and rust-free
for years. Apply a coat of kitchen/appliance wax when
the refrigerator is new and then at least twice a year.
Appliance Polish Wax & Cleaner is available from GE
Appliance Service and Parts Centers.
Inside
Inside the fresh food and freezer compartments
should be cleaned at least once a year. Unplug the
refrigerator before cleaning. If this is not practical,
wring excess moisture out of sponge or cloth when
cleaning around switches, lights or controls.
Use warm water and baking soda solution—about a
tablespoon of baking soda to a quart of water. This
both cleans and neutralizes odors. Rinse thoroughly
with water and wipe dry.
Other parts of the refrigerator‚ including door gasket,
vegetable drawer, ice trays and all plastic parts, can be
cleaned the same way. Do not use cleansing powders
or other abrasive cleaners.
To help prevent odors, leave an open box of baking
soda in the rear of the refrigerator, on the top shelf.
Change the box every three months. An open box of
baking soda in the freezer will absorb stale freezer odors.
Do not wash any plastic parts from your refrigerator
in your automatic dishwasher.
Defrosting
Fresh Food Compartment
Defrosting of the fresh food compartment takes place
automatically every time the refrigerator turns off.
Melted frost water drains from the cooling plate into a
trough below the plate, out the back of the refrigerator,
and down into a pan near the bottom of the refrigerator
(see Defrost Water Pan section) where it evaporates.
NOTE: If heavy frost forms on the cooling plate,
adjust temperature control to a lower setting. Be sure
bowls or similar objects are not touching the cooling
plate. If they are, frost may form on them and drip
into fresh food compartment during defrosting.
Defrosting
Freezer Compartment
• Defrost freezer compartment when frost becomes
1⁄4
″
to 1⁄2
″
thick in any area of the freezer.
• It may be necessary to defrost the freezer
compartment frequently if the freezer is used
often and/or there is high humidity.
• Do not use any electrical device or sharp
instrument in defrosting your freezer compartment.
To defrost freezer compartment:
1. Turn the temperature control to “7” several hours
before defrosting.
2. Remove contents from freezer compartment and turn
temperature control to the “STOP” position.
Temperature control must remain at the “STOP”
position and freezer compartment door must stay open.
To reduce the amount of thawing of frozen food
while defrosting the freezer compartment, store the
food in a picnic cooler or other insulated container.
3. Use a plastic scraper to loosen and remove frost
from the ceiling and walls of the freezer
compartment as the frost begins to thaw. Do not use
a sharp or pointed instrument to remove frost—its
use may result in damage to the refrigerator system.
To speed frost removal, place pans of hot tap water
in the freezer compartment.
4. Sponge up defrost water as it collects in bottom
of freezer compartment. Place a large folded bath
towel at the front of the freezer compartment to
soak up water and prevent it from running down
the front of the refrigerator.
5. After defrosting is completed, turn temperature
control to desired setting and return food to freezer
compartment.
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