Now more than ever, we are becoming more aware of how important it is to keep everything clean, especially our living area. Every item and appliance in your home can, and should, be cleaned and that includes your fridge.
As the appliance that houses the food we consume, the fridge should be given tons of attention. If you want to keep your fridge clean and fresh, here are the steps that you should follow.
Jump to:
Take Everything Out of the Fridge
In order to get your fridge really clean, you need to make sure that nothing is in your way so before you start wiping and scrubbing, take every single item out of your fridge.
You can also prep space for you to place all the items that you have taken out. Just empty out the dining table or move everything off the kitchen counters to give you some space for the items.
Taking everything out of your fridge also gives you the opportunity to clear out expired food that has been in your fridge for way too long. You will be surprised at what you might find sitting at the bottom corner of your produce drawer.
When taking the items out, you can also place them in groups so you know what item will go where when you place everything back into the fridge.
Prepare Your Cleaning Supplies and Utensils
Deep cleaning the fridge means getting rid of every trace of dirt and grime from all parts of the fridge, so you need to make sure that you have the right products for the job.
However, you are dealing with an appliance that will come in contact with the food that you will consume. Therefore, this means that the supplies you use have to be food safe. Make sure to read the labels of the cleaning agent and check to see if it is suitable to clean the fridge.
If you do not trust chemical cleaning agents, you can use a vinegar-water mixture to clean your fridge. It works great to break down the grease and the grime and it is food safe.
You will also need to prepare some clean sponges and towels so you can scrub and wipe the grease and the gunk.
Clean by Layers
If cleaning is not your forte, you might find it difficult to even begin the process, but cleaning can be a lot easier when you do things slowly and go bit by bit. This will also ensure that you can clean more deeply and efficiently.
Instead of cleaning everything at once, start with cleaning just one shelf or one compartment. Focus on cleaning that area first before moving on to the next.
Taking the shelves off and out of the fridge would make it easier for you to clean them because you can now reach the end of the shelf layer. This will also give you more space to clean the back wall of the fridge.
Once everything is clean, wipe down the shelves and drawers and make sure they are dry before placing them back into the fridge.
Wipe Down the Doors and Drawers
Now that you have wiped the inside of the fridge, it is time to wipe the outside. A simple wipe with a clean cloth will do but remember to scrub out the stains and any traces of grease.
Since the outside part of the fridge will rarely come in direct contact with food, you can use any sort of surface cleaner, but the vinegar-water mixture will still work perfectly for this job.
There will also be a lot of dust that has accumulated on the top of the fridge so remember to wipe that part of the appliance as well. If you are not keen on wiping the dust off with a cloth, you can just use a vacuum to suck the dust off the top of the fridge.
Make sure that everything is clean and dry at the end, and you are done with this part of the process.
Do Not Forget the Condenser Coils
When we say clean your fridge, we mean every part of it so that means cleaning the part that almost everyone will forget – the condenser coils. This part of the fridge is located either at the back or the bottom and is generally forgotten by most people because we do not see it.
However, it is important to clean and maintain the condenser coils because this is what helps to release the heat from the appliance.
Cleaning the condenser coils is pretty easy and all you need to do is turn the fridge off, let it cool down for a moment, and then just vacuum the dust off the coils. You do not have to do this every time you clean your fridge but remember to clean and unclog the coils at least once a year.
If you remember to do this, you can save tons of money, both on electricity bills and repair fees.
Let The Fridge Chill Before Placing Everything Back
Once you have cleaned the inside of the fridge and placed back the drawers and shelves, it is time to let the fridge cool down before placing back the food. Switch on the power, close the doors and just leave your fridge running for at least 10 minutes.
This will ensure that the fridge has fully cooled down and will instantly chill the food that you leave sitting out.
If you want to speed up the process, you can use the fast-cool function of your fridge, if it has one. While waiting for the fridge to cool down, you can use this time to gather up your food items and arrange them so it will be easier for you to place them back into the fridge.
It should not take long for the fridge to cool down, but it is always good to use your time wisely.
Organize and Label for Future Use
What is a clean fridge if it is not organised? You probably have seen those fridge organization videos on social media and it surely satisfying to see everything in order and in its own place.
Organising your fridge is not as hard as it seems, and you do not even need those small storage containers. Although they will be very helpful if you are not that organized to begin with.
All you need to do is start by grouping the foods that you have and make sure everything has a place. Vegetables and fruits should go in the produce drawer where they will remain fresh and cool. Condiments and sauces can be placed on one of the door shelves so it will be easy to access whenever you need to.
You can also label different areas of the fridge so you know what goes where and will always remember it in the future.
Keep Your Fridge Smelling Fresh
So now that you have cleaned and organized your fridge, the last thing to do is to make sure that it stays that way. Make it a habit to place your food items at the right place and try to keep everything nice and clean.
Always wipe down the bottles and jars after using and before putting them back into the fridge.
Another thing you want to do is to keep any funky smells out of your fridge so use a fridge deodorizer to keep it fresh. This will absorb any odour left behind by the food items so that it does not linger in the fridge.
You can also just leave out a small bowl of bicarbonate of soda, also known as baking soda, if you want to do a more natural route of neutralising odours.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, consistently keeping our fridge clean is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Keep in mind the steps above and periodically conduct them to ensure your fridge remain hygienic and fresh.
Leave a Reply