How to Deep Clean & Organize Your Fridge: An Easy Guide
A fridge is a gathering place for a lot of family moments. We have all seen fridges covered with kids’ drawings, vacation plans, to-do lists, and family memories! Your fridge is not only a useful appliance, but also an improvised family album. Typically, a fridge should be deep cleaned basically every 3-6 months. And, we don’t mean just throwing away all those mysterious jars and foods. What’s more, there is actually a pretty solid technique for how to properly deep clean your fridge in 5 easy steps! In this article, we will show you all the steps of this process, so you can easily take care of your refrigerator every time it needs it! Without further ado, let’s get into the cleaning process:
It is time to get your picture-perfect fridge
Prepare for the cleaning
Start preparing to clean your fridge by emptying it of food. Remove all products from the fridge and, if possible, put at least all of the dairy products and meat in a freezer bag. Some refrigerators are sold with cooling blocks. You can put them in a bag and arrange the fresh produce between them. Throw away any food that is expired and any suspicious-looking jars. Important: Don’t forget to arrange to clean the fridge on the day when it has the least fresh produce in it.
And, if you want to deep clean your entire home, make sure to check our list of simple hacks for spring cleaning!
A messy fridge contributes to a messy life
Let’s make your fridge as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside!
Wash the removable refrigerator parts
Remove drawers and any removable shelves. If you do not know how to remove them, check the instruction manual. Then wash the shelves thoroughly with dishwashing detergent and hot water, or run them through the dishwasher. Clean where the moving parts slip using a toothpick. Use a toothpick to remove food debris that has been collected at the joint between the shelf surface and the shelf frame. Rinse the shelves with clean water, then allow them to dry naturally on the drainer, or dry them with a clean towel and place them to one side if your drainer is not large enough. Caution: If the removable parts are glass, leave them at room temperature for a bit first to prevent them from cracking from the hot water.
Clean your fridge and leave an open baking soda box to remove the smell
Clean the inside of the fridge
Now turn your attention to the inside of the refrigerator itself. Avoid using hot water at this point; it can raise the temperature of the fridge, and this will slow down how quickly you can get perishable food back. Instead, prepare a solution of Milton Sterilizing Fluid with cold water and use this to wipe down the inside. Pay special attention to the grooves on the sides of the inside of the refrigerator where the shelves are located, as they can be filled with dirt. Cotton earplugs are handy for this purpose. Earplugs are also useful for hard-to-reach places, such as the condensation hole at the back, which can easily get clogged. Dry the inside of the refrigerator thoroughly with paper towels, or a clean cloth. If you want to be more sustainable, use this eco cleaning guide for making natural, safe, nontoxic cleaning solutions for every room in your home!
Making your own cleaning solutions is easy, affordable, and safe!
How to clean your fridge with soda bicarbonate
Baking soda is also very effective when it comes to cleaning a refrigerator. Aggressive cleaners very often leave behind an unpleasant smell that is absorbed by food products. With the use of soda bicarbonate, this problem disappears. If the inside is not very dirty, simply wipe it with a cloth soaked in the solution and dry. If there are stubborn stains, wet them and let them stand for a few minutes. Soda bicarbonate has so many uses! In the ultimate list of baking soda cleaning hacks, you will find some interesting ideas.
How to remove unpleasant smells from the fridge
If you detect an unpleasant smell, first check to see if there is any spoiled food left. Clean it thoroughly, including the drain pipes. If the smell remains, try the following tricks:
- Ground coffee left in an open tray will absorb unpleasant smells, and give an amazing coffee aroma. Activated charcoal or dissolved oatmeal left open does the same job.
- Cotton wool soaked in vanilla will impart a sweet vanilla aroma.
- Cut a lemon in half and leave it face down to smell citrusy. You’ll get the same result with orange or grapefruit.
- Leave an open jar of soda bicarbonate in your fridge, and it will absorb all the nasty smells! Add some essential oils if you want to add a nice aroma, as well!
- Use airtight food containers that don’t allow the smells to mix.
Using jars and containers eliminates the smell in your fridge
Clean the outside of the refrigerator
Don’t neglect the outside of the fridge, such as the handle and door, where germs can build up with frequent hand contact. If you have a fridge with a freezer in the bottom, use the crevice nozzle on your vacuum cleaner to remove crumbs that have collected in the creases of the door seal. Alternatively, use a stiff scrub brush to dislodge them. Run a corner of damp linen, or cotton cloth to clean the door seals of your refrigerator and use a new corner of the cloth to dry the door seal afterward.
Make sure you are not using an abrasive cleaning solution that might damage the surface
Time for finishing touches
Return dry shelves and drawers. If you have a fridge thermometer, wait until the fridge temperature drops to 5 °C or lower before returning food to your fridge. If your fridge has a quick cool function, use this to speed up the cooling process. You can line the drawer with kitchen paper. This will make it easier to clean next time. You can keep your fridge fresh by simply placing a cup of baking soda inside.
Use this organization to ensure that your food is placed in the proper temperature
And here is how your freezer should look on the inside
If you have a small kitchen, check out our small kitchen cabinet storage solutions! Watch this YouTube video if you need some aesthetically pleasing kitchen organization motivation!
If you have a small kitchen, our cabinet storage solutions and ideas might come in handy
Organizing your home is like organizing your life
Advice for storing food in your fridge
Food containers
Never store fruit, vegetables, and meat in the same container. Contamination leads to food spoilage and loss.
Refrigerator door
Do not store perishable foods on the refrigerator door, as the temperature fluctuates there.
Storing meat
Raw meat is best stored on top of fruit and vegetable containers. Be sure to put it in a container because it can stain the refrigerator.
Storing cheese
Place all types of cheese in a container so that when someone in the family picks them up, they can get them all out at once. Do this to keep them getting stagnant in the fridge, as most men take the one in the front and don’t think to look at what’s in the back until it’s finished.
Storing eggs
Always peel the expiration date label off the egg carton and place it with the eggs. That way, you will always know how long you can use them.
Storing fresh produce
If you want to keep your produce fresh for longer, watch this YouTube video for some valuable advice! Each type of fruit or vegetable has a special way of storing them!
Make sure to use many containers to keep the food fresh and your fridge smell-free
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I clean my refrigerator?
You should deep clean your refrigerator every 3 to 6 months.
What cleaning products can I use to clean the fridge?
To make sure you don’t damage your fridge, only use a regular dish detergent to clean it.
How should I clean the freezer?
Empty the freezer and place a dry cloth at the bottom to absorb any residual water. Leave the freezer door open, defrost it completely, keeping the products in the freezer bag during this time. Clean thoroughly with a solution of water and vinegar and pat dry. Regular removal of newly formed ice in the freezer improves its performance and prevents the frequent need to defrost.
What type of cloth should I use to clean the fridge?
Using a suitable cloth. This will help us achieve greater durability of the stainless steel refrigerator. Pay special attention to the type of cloth or material you use for cleaning. If you need to remove handprints on the refrigerator, it is advisable to use a microfiber cloth that leaves no residue due to the type of fabric of the cloth. You can then use kitchen paper or cloth to carry out thorough cleaning.
Now your fridge looks beautiful on the outside…
And on the inside!
