Refrigerator Cleaning – A dirty refrigerator can be the bane of your existence. In a perfect world, you would only need to clean it once or twice a year. However, in reality, how often you should deep-clean your fridge is entirely dependent on how much use it gets and how well you care for it.
If your fridge sits at room temperature all day every day and you don’t open it more than once a week, then cleaning it monthly is probably sufficient. But if you have kids who love raiding the fridge after school or work late into the night and don’t bother to put things back where they belong? That means weekly deep-cleaning sessions are necessary!
Cleaning your refrigerator can be a challenging exercise. First, how do you go about picking which part to tackle first? Next, how do you sanitize the inside without spreading bacteria all over the place? Should you use bleach or not?
If you are one of those people who dread going toe-to-toe with your refrigerator because it’s been neglected for months on end, don’t fret, this guide will give you the step by step instructions on how to deep-clean your fridge.
Your Fridge Deep Cleaning Kit
Ready to tackle the deep cleaning of your dirty fridge? First, you’ll need a fridge deep cleaning kit, you can get it from cleaning supplies you have in and around the house.
The following utensils and chemicals are great for tackling the built-up grime and food debris of your fridge, especially if the owners don’t clean it in some time. You’ll need:
- Cleaning soap
- Clean cloths or sponges
- Soap Wipes
- Rubber gloves
- Glass cleaner
- White vinegar
- Cold water
Once you’ve got your hands on the aforementioned items, it’s now time to begin the deep cleaning process.
The How-To Process of Refrigerator Cleaning
Before you begin, unplug the refrigerator. This is so that you aren’t shocked while you are cleaning inside of refrigerator. If your refrigerator also has a freezer attached, then you’ll need to empty your fridge and freezer and allow it to defrost, ideally outside.
Remove food items & place them into plastic containers
Empty your refrigerator by removing all the items, food, and condiments. We highly recommend using plastic food containers to store perishable goods. This will also allow you to simply just put them back in the fridge once cleaned. Making your fridge much more organized.
Wipe down the refrigerator interior
Next, you’re going to have to start wiping down the interior. With your food containers stored safely in an area where they can’t be knocked over, dip a clean cloth into your soapy water and start applying it to the top of the fridge and work downward. After you’ve wiped down the whole thing, use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe out the crevices and corners.
Wipe down the inside drawers
If there are any shelves that allow for storage or shelf spaces in the door that is exposed, then you should wipe it thoroughly as well. The same goes for any other areas of your fridge that are visible within its open space.
So how about those hard-to-reach places?
Those hard-to-reach spots, so what to use to clean the refrigerator? They can be really challenging to clean.
Use your nitrile gloves and soap wipes to tackle the hard-to-reach places inside of your refrigerator. This includes the walls where you can’t reach using a normal-sized sponge, as well as the bottom of the doors.
Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize – Refrigerator cleaning last step
The last step in the how-to process is how to sanitise your newly cleaned fridge. All you need to do is mix one tablespoon of white vinegar into a gallon of cold water and pour it over the entire interior surface. The vinegar will evaporate quickly and leave behind an odorless; natural antibacterial solution will kill any bacteria or yeast spores that are present. It’s important that you don’t use bleach! There have been reports of some people getting respiratory problems after coming in contact with bleach vapor.
Another way is using baking soda. How to clean fridge baking soda? Consider placing an open packet of baking soda in the back of your refrigerator periodically as this will also help control odours and reduce food spoilage rates.
Once the above is complete, it’s now time to wipe the entire appliance down with a microfiber cloth, allowing your now clean refrigerator to be aerated for at least an hour before starting to repack your food. This is the best way to clean a refrigerator.
Related: Deep Cleaning Your Home
How To Properly Pack Your Thing After Refrigerator Cleaning
The best way to organize your fridge is how you use it.
Now you have a blank slate, so you can use it for arranging food however suits your taste. If this isn’t how you use your refrigerator, then we would suggest just putting items where they seem like they’ll fit best at the moment.
The most important thing to remember when organizing your refrigerator is not how much space there is; but how often things are used or needed on a daily basis. Items such as milk and eggs should be within easy reach because you’ll be needing to use them at least once per day. Store these items in the door risers or on one of the shelves to help keep your fridge from getting cluttered with food that may not get used within a few days (or even weeks).
On the other hand, if you don’t use certain foods very often, you may want to move them to the bottom of the refrigerator. As this is the coldest place and will keep those foods preserved as long as possible. But, there are Certain vegetables that is better to store in a produce drawer (if your fridge came with one).
If an entire shelf or section has become cluttered with things that don’t move very often, you may want to consider removing it completely. This will free up some space for things that need more frequent access while still keeping all of your food organized and easily accessible.
There you have it, your fridge deep cleaning guide. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to hire professional cleaners to clean the fridge. You can give your refrigerator the love it deserves with a household cleaning kit you can make at home.