No appliance can collect dirt as unobtrusively as the fridge. The white interiors trick you that everything is excellent and perfect. Most of the time, you don’t notice the small spills at the back, the marks on shelves from curry containers, the cracked and leaking egg, etc . This is why knowing how to clean your fridge the right way is essential. Alternatively, you can always call for professional kitchen deep cleaners like Sil All Services if you decide that job is too much for you.
The stains from the bottles at the bottom of the bottle sprays are signs that your fridge is far from being immaculate. If you look deeper, you will notice the greyish marks from the dirt around the vents, crumbs and pieces from fruits and vegetables, the small spills from the curries, etc.
Why should you clean your fridge regularly?
When your fridge is overstuffed, it will need more energy to stay cool, increasing your electricity bill. Too much food means that your fridge can’t give the ideal temperature, and your food spoils faster. Spills are the number one cause of germs and bacteria, so a clean fridge is good for your health.
Additionally, a dirty fridge costs you money because you waste groceries and pay more for the energy. For most, this is all the convincing we need to manage a full-to-the-brim fridge. You don’t want to spend too much time cleaning the fridge nor having to unplug it first. Keep reading to find out the best tricks about how to clean your fridge to save both time and money!
1. Remove everything from the fridge
As you don't want to unplug the fridge, you want to work as fast as possible so you need to close the door while sorting the food. You don’t want to lose all the cold air inside. Start by throwing away all expired items. We don’t even know how much outdated and old food is in your fridge most of the time.
An excellent tip to try is to make two piles of food: one pile of food you keep and another that has to go away. It’s the best way to make sure that only good food goes back in the fridge.
Also, make sure the sort your items by type: condiments, produce, dairy, etc. It’s an efficient way to organize your food inside.
2. Start from the top
Regardless of the cleaning method you’re using or how much time you have on your hands, you should start from the top and work your way down. This way, you always have a clean surface and reduce the risk of spills on the spots you've already cleaned.
3. Vacuum
You will save an impressive amount of time by vacuuming the fridge instead of using towels or else. Plug your vacuum and use the crevice tool to reach every single corner faster and more effectively.
4. Remove crisper drawers
If it’s possible to remove all door shelves and drawers, do it so that you can clean inside and under them effortlessly.
How to clean the fridge drawers:
- Remove the drawers and place them in the sink
- Fill the bottom of every drawer with ½” warm and soapy water
- Let it soak for 5 minutes
- Use paper towels to scrub, rinse, and wipe them dry
Look for paper towels that are highly absorbent so that you finish your job faster. Also, make sure that you have enough of them before cleaning the fridge. High-quality paper towels are durable and withstand harsh scrubbing when cleaning the refrigerator.
5. Wipe down the shelves
Now that everything is outside your fridge, it’s not complicated to clean the fridge shelves. Use a food-safe cleaning spray or a homemade solution made with baking soda and vinegar. Wipe clean with the paper towels and let them dry before putting everything back in the fridge.
Clean shelves and drawers in the dishwasher
If you have a dishwasher, the easiest and fastest way to clean the shelves and drawers is to wash them on a hot cycle in your dishwasher. You save time and effort, and they will be all spotless and hygienic.
6. Scrub out the inside
Now that your drawers, shelves, and inserts are clean and dry, you need to get into the fridge and scrub it clean. Microfiber cloths work best.
More and more consumers switch from chemical solutions to cleaning solutions made with natural ingredients. You can make your cleaning solution with water and vinegar or use an all-purpose cleaner.
Many natural ingredients give excellent results, and toothpaste is one. It’s incredible on tough stains and spots. Don’t forget about baking soda that you can use to scrub away grease spots inside the fridge. As for the nooks and crannies of the fridge, turn to an old toothbrush damped in soapy water.
New fridges also need cleaning!
It may sound surprising to some, but the new fridge also requires cleaning before use. There are germs and grime inside even new refrigerators. You won't spend as much time cleaning a new fridge as when you clean an old one, but you need to do it anyway.
7. Clean the seal of the fridge
The rubber seal attached to the fridge’s door is essential for your fridge’s performance. The seal of the refrigerator keeps the cool air inside and needs cleaning as well. You have to clean the seal on a regular basis and even replace it when damaged.
Use soapy water to clean the seal and allow it to dry. The freezer seal also collects an impressive amount of food and crumbs, so don’t skip it when cleaning the fridge.
8. Deodorizing your refrigerator
A lingering odour may still be present in the fridge after you’ve cleaned it. You can try a straightforward trick if all the cleaning and scrubbing doesn't eliminate the foul smell. Simply put in the fridge an open container of baking soda. For best results, place it on the bottom shelf.
Leave the baking soda container in the fridge while you put it back in the food. If that's not enough for you and you want a subtle and pleasant odour, you may drop a tiny amount of vanilla extract into the dish of baking soda.
When you think that the foul odour comes from the crisper drawers, you can crumple a paper bag and put it into the drawer. It's a fantastic trick to deodorize the crisper drawers.
9. Line shelves and drawers with paper towels
Most of us tend to keep a lot of fresh produce on hand—typically, it's more than our crisper drawers can take. The bottom shelf is also designed for such products, even though we're not comfortable with simply tossing some salads on the bare shelf.
You can place a protective lining of paper towels on the produce shelf. You can decide the amount you want to use for every shelf and drawer. It’s a great trick to reduce the risk of moisture buildup on the shelf, and your produce remain clean for a long time.
10. Cleaning the exterior of the fridge
You cannot say you’re done with cleaning the fridge until you also manage the exterior. Since it's such a massive appliance, the refrigerator collects a lot of dirt and germs, so you should always clean its surface as well.
Start by removing everything from the fridge. This means paperwork, magnets, and other foodstuffs that could be on the refrigerator.
Use some warm water and soap to clean your fridge’s exterior. Use a cleaning solution safe for your fridge for stubborn stains. Vinegar based cleaners are adequate for the interior, but not so much for the exterior. Check out the manufacturer’s instructions on which cleaning solutions are safe for your fridge exterior.
If the fridge is made with stainless steel, you can remove smudges and fingerprints with products made for stainless steel. Also, make sure to clean in the direction of the grain for a spotless finish.
Last but not least
Now that everything is excellent and immaculate, place everything back inside the fridge. Wipe the jars, food recipients, etc., before placing them inside back in the refrigerator.
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