If you’ve ever had to face The Puddle of Shame in the base of your fridge, you’ve probably wondered how to get rid of it for good.
After all, it feels like no matter how clean you keep the unit, the water always comes back.
Turns out there’s a surprisingly simple solution to the issue, though ― as TikToker The Simple Mum pointed out in a video.
“I can’t be the only person that didn’t know you had to clean this hole in the fridge,” she said, pointing to a small opening in the back of the appliance above the crisper drawer section.
Why would that help?
The hole is actually a condensation drain which helps water to escape the appliance.
If you don’t clean it, you’ll get puddles of water as the drain becomes blocked.
“I thought the seal or something was on its way out,” the TikToker said in her video.
It’s not just a social media thing either ― appliance company Beko says “If your fridge is leaking water it may be that the condensation water drainage channel is blocked. You can locate this on the bottom of your fridge’s interior.”
How do I clean it?
You can get specially designed long, thin, flexible wire brushes for the task ― these sometimes come with the fridge.
Wriggle their brush end down into the hole and remove it along with any dirt until it runs blockage-free down the drain.
Appliance company Miele also suggests you can use pipe cleaners, though these may not go deep enough for further down blockages.
Beko advises you dry the area before using the pipe cleaner or drain cleaner, and perform the task regularly to avoid future puddles.
Commenters were shocked to learn the information
“I’m 56 years old and just found this out a couple of weeks ago,” one commenter said.
“I push a Q-Tip [cotton earbud] in, works a treat, gets all the muck out,” another revealed.
Another shared that they use a brush that’s designed to clean metal straws and it works brilliantly.
The more you know...