A Dang Good Fridge Cleaning
Deep Fridge Cleaning Guidelines.
The Ultimate Refrigerator Clean Out.
Why you should Clean your Fridge.
Your Refrigerator is likely one of the most used appliances in your home, yet it can often be the most neglected. Sadly it doesn’t always get the attention it deserves, resulting in muckiness, stickiness or smelliness.
When to do a Fridge Cleaning?
Start by deciding to make fridge cleaning a routine part of your cleaning schedule. By committing to a monthly fridge cleaning, you’ll keep odours down, prevent spoilage and can get things into the freezer (if applicable) if you aren’t going to consume them before their due date. Also, you can avoid disappointments. For example, let’s say you were planning on having ketchup on your burger, only to discover one of the kids put the empty bottle back in, hiding it behind the mustard and mayo. A routine fridge cleaning will prevent this culinary catastrophe.
Consider refrigerator cleaning before each major grocery haul. It will help you keep a better list of needed items while making room for fresh food. When cleaned regularly, the task is not so daunting. However, if you have not cleaned your fridge in some time, why not clean it on November 15th? – Clean Out Your Fridge Day. See further below for details.
Don’t worry; you don’t have to go it alone. We are here to give you a step-by-step guide on being successful in your fridge cleaning.
Steps to a Deep Fridge Cleaning.
Cleaning and Sorting the Inside of your Fridge.
Below are the steps to Fridge Cleaning:
- Empty the Fridge of its Contents
- Remove all fresh, packaged and bottled food entirely.
- Sort through the items removed
- Check due dates: Toss anything past its date, anything that has mould, and anything that has an unpleasant odour. You may be surprised by how many things are past their use-by date, especially condiments.
- The counter is fine for most condiments and fruit/veg, but if the job is likely to take time, transfer meat and dairy you are keeping to a cooler.
- Remove and Dismantle all the Shelving and Drawers
- It is best to let these parts warm to room temperature before giving them a soapy soak and rinse.
- Use hot water and dish soap on fridge compartments, then rinse well with warm water, following the advice above.
- Wipe the insides of the Refrigerator
- You could use a multipurpose cleaner, but many prefer something less scented as commercial cleaners can transfer odours unless designated for fridge cleaning.
- Instead, try one of these options. Both solutions will deodorize the fridge as you clean it.
- Option 1 – clean with one part baking soda and seven parts water. It will help with deodorization too.
- Option 2 – Mix vinegar and water in a spray bottle
- Stubborn stains and Odors – Sometimes, despite our best intentions, food drips behind something or gets in the rubber runners of the shelves and grows a spot of mould. For dried-on food, mould, or stubborn odours or simply for extra sanitization, try:
- Mix a tablespoon of bleach with a Gallon of Water
- Wipe Clean the Insides of the Refrigerator.
- Rinse well – bleach should never touch food.
More Fridge Cleaning Tips.
- Work from the top down.
- Don’t use abrasive cleaners – stubborn stuck on food will release if you soak it under a cloth then use a gentle scraper, like a spatula.
Tackling the Fridge Exterior.
It’s not just the inside of the fridge you need to worry about. The outside needs attention too.
- Pull the fridge away from the wall, unplug it, and use the vacuum to clean the dust off the coils.
- Clean the door seals (aka gaskets). Use a toothbrush to get in there!
- Wipe down the door and handles.
- Once cleaned, you can remove smudges and smears from Stainless steel Refrigerators with Window Cleaner and a microfiber rag.
Putting the Fridge back together.
Now it’s time to finish the job.
- Ensure the fridge and floor are dry.
- Dry the fridge components
- Plug the fridge in and slide it back into place.
- Start adding back the shelves and drawers. Make sure they are dry.
- Look over all your jars and packages. Wipe down any containers that are sticky or have gunk under the lids or you will be back to square one in no time.
- Add back the food and other contents.
- This would be a great time to rearrange the compartments of your fridge if you want to. Organize the fridge in a way that makes it easy to see and grab what you need.
That’s it! You’re done your refrigerator cleaning!
A Fridge Freshener Hack or two!
- Now that your Fridge smells clean, let’s help keep it that way. Check out this Easy Way to Make a Homemade Fridge Freshener
- You may also like this blog post on Kitchen Freshener Hacks.
Other Reasons you might need to Clean your Fridge.
Sometimes you may have bought something that subsequently becomes a food recall. When that happens, it is crucial to remove the offending substance and remove any other food substance in the fridge that may have been contaminated as a result. An excellent site to bookmark is the CDC’s recommendation for cleaning a refrigerator after a food recall; the site displays a fridge cleaning infographic which is helpful in these situations.
National Clean out Your Refrigerator Day.
Did you know that every November 15th is National Clean Out Your Fridge Day? It is fitting; this kitchen appliance should get a designated national day. After all, it is the unsung hero in your kitchen. Yet, day after day, it toils in silence. Day after day, we say, “we’ll clean it out tomorrow….” as spoilage and outdated food piles up. Well, no more! Take charge of the situation and use this day to clean out that fridge!
While its origin is unclear, many believe that this day was deliberately chosen as a reminder to clean your refrigerator in time for the holiday season. However, if you do not have time to do a full clean outlined above, how about celebrating the day as follows:
- Check for expired and spoiled food, drinks and condiments
- Consolidate when you have two or more of the same thing to make more room.
- If you have something still useable yet not likely to be used anytime soon, consider donating it.
- Dress up your fridge door with some fun fridge magnets, photos or to-do lists.
Other Dang Good Cleaning Suggestions.
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