Fridge Cleaning Comprehensive Guide for An Odorless and Sparkling Freezer

The fridge cleaning is not just a customary affair but it is a necessity. There is a number of reasons that make the fridge cleaning procedure compulsory. A clean fridge can keep your food tastier, fresher, and also healthier. To avoid cross-contamination due to the moisture present in the refrigerator, fridge cleaning becomes highly essential. A packed up fridge can also lead to wastage of food as often you don’t have time to check the leftovers hidden in some corner. Cleaning your fridge not only makes it look good and smell fresh but also makes it work efficiently with good savings on your pocket. Let’s check out the steps on how to clean a fridge.

Unplugging for fridge cleaning

For a full deep fridge cleaning, you must unplug the refrigerator on the first hand. Unplugging the fridge can help in saving the energy. If you are just removing the spoiled leftover food or cleaning the spill, then this step can be ignored.

Remove items to empty the fridge

Remove every single item in the refrigerator while fridge cleaning procedure and place it on the countertop. It is not necessary to shift everything in another fridge, apart from ice cream, if you have one. Categorizing the items in various food groups can help you to keep your fridge organized. It also helps you to throw away the unwanted and expired food immediately in the trash bin.

Shelves and drawers removal for fridge cleaning

Take out the removable drawers and shelves of the refrigerator to clean it thoroughly. But, your sink space might not be enough for so many racks. So, you can remove all, keep in one place, and then take one shelf at a time to clean, and repeat till all the racks are washed. You may also clean all at once in a bathtub or somewhere outside in terrace or patio.

Washing the drawers and shelves

While fridge cleaning procedure, careful handling of the racks and drawers of the fridge is vital. You must use warm soapy water and sponge or soft cloth to clean these removable shelves of the refrigerator. The best thing to do is to sun dry the racks and shelves leaving it outside for some time.

Interior fridge cleaning

An all-purpose cleaner or home-based environment-friendly products like vinegar must be used in order to spray and clean every internal nook of the fridge. The use of bleach or any other disinfectants inside your fridge can cause serious chemical reactions if it comes in contact with any food item.  There are many parts of the fridge that are not reachable. Whether walls or seams or shelves, you may use an old toothbrush to reach the difficult areas inside the fridge.

Exterior fridge cleaning

Cleaning the external parts of the fridge must be done with a damp water soaked cloth. If your fridge is made up of stainless steel, you may use stainless steel cleaner. In order to avoid streaking or scratching, always rub the cloth towards the grain while fridge cleaning. If the dust piles up on the coils, the fridge’s functioning might hamper. So, cleaning the top, behind, and beneath the fridge is also recommended.

Set back the washed drawers and shelves

Once the fridge cleaning is done, carefully place the cleaned shelves and drawers after they are completely dry.

Place the food back into the fridge

This is the best time to check the jars and containers, clean it, before putting it back into the fridge. If you think the containers need replacement, then change it without a single thought. Other than that, if you think all the food is perfect and in place then place the food in the clean fridge.

Plug in after fridge cleaning

Without plugging in, your entire effort can be wasted. So never fail to plug in the refrigerator after cleaning it.

Conclusion

Other than the above nine steps for fridge cleaning, there are also many handy tips like removing stains by applying a mixture of water and baking soda on it, putting dates on the stuff, plastic wrapping on shelf lines, and much more. Even if you are not deep cleaning your refrigerator, stain and spill clean up and removal of expired food while weekly fridge cleaning is mandatory.

Acknowledgements:

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This article was originally published in 2018 on SPIC AND SPAN. Home & Office Cleaning blog