Are you willing to learn how to clean the refrigerator? If that is so, I will guide you on how to keep your refrigerator clean and organized. The biggest appliance in your kitchen is typically your refrigerator. Still, unless something spills on it, you can probably clean it as you do the countertops and other surfaces. But make the effort at least once a year since a clean fridge uses less energy and will last longer. Since cleaning this enormous equipment might be frightening, I’ve included the most often-asked questions regarding handling it properly. Keep reading to learn more.
What To Do Before the Cleaning
Let’s take care of the following items first before getting down to serious cleaning.
➧Plan an Appropriate Time to Clean Your Refrigerator
Cleaning out your refrigerator just before your weekly or daily grocery delivery will be simpler. If your refrigerator has a freezer, you should start the cleanup with the freezer as empty as possible.
➧Prepare an Area for Storing Food Temporarily
We must empty the fridge before cleaning and set aside adequate space for short-term food storage. Consider deep cleaning out the kitchen sink.
➧Collect the Refrigerator Cleaning Supplies You’ll Need
The list of cleaning materials you will need is as follows:
▪Baking Soda or Vinegar
▪Spray bottle: The container for our hot water/vinegar/baking soda cleanser that is safe to use around food.
▪Abrasive Sponge or Fabric
▪A large microfiber cloth to cover the bottom of the refrigerator with, in case there are any water droplets there.
▪Place the recycling container close by since you could throw away outdated goods.
➧Turn Off and Empty Your Refrigerator
Then, switch off your refrigerator and wait until the plastic shelves have warmed up to room temperature before continuing with the following step to remove them. While your refrigerator is still cold, attempting to remove plastic shelves might result in unintended fractures or other problems.
Remember, as you move everything from your refrigerator to the kitchen counters or any other surface:
▪Look for use-by dates and discard anything that has already gone bad.
▪Clean sticky jar or bottle bottoms.
▪If you intend to clean thoroughly, you may want to consider placing your perishables in a cooler.
Steps on How to Clean Your Refrigerator
Remove and Soak the Drawers and Shelves
Remove all the drawers and shelves from the refrigerator and soak them into the kitchen sink once the inside must have reached room temperature. If they won’t fit in your sink, spray them with hot water and dish soap. While we proceed to the fridge to work on the inside, leave them there.
Get the Collected Gunk Inside The Refrigerator to Soften
Apply the homemade vinegar solution you described all over your refrigerator’s inside. Focus on the greasy parts. In addition to eliminating sticky microorganisms, vinegar and water effectively eliminate odors from refrigerators. Allow the inside of the refrigerator to soak while you return to the earlier-disassembled shelves and drawers.
Wash the Drawers and Shelves
By now, the grime in the drawers and on the shelves ought to have loosened—time to wash them down and deep clean them with water and dish soap. While you wash the interior of your refrigerator’s interior, let them dry when you return.
Clean the Interior of Your Refrigerator.
Clean any filth from the fridge walls by giving them a preliminary scrub. After that, thoroughly wipe the internal surfaces of the refrigerator with a gentle, moist microfiber cloth. Make sure to get it cleaned and squeezed out frequently.
Reassemble and Dry All Washed Parts
You may begin having the dismantled pieces put back together after they have all dried fully from the early procedures.
Before Reusing Them, Clean The Bottles and Jars
Refilling a properly cleaned refrigerator with grimy bottles and jam jars would only be useful. Most of the work has already been done if you cleaned the bottoms of those containers in the first stages of cleaning out your refrigerator. However, sometimes debris has gathered around the seal or cap edges, so you may want to remove the lid and wash it in the sink before replacing it with the rest of the containers in the fridge.
Clean the Exterior of Your Refrigerator
Spray the solution of vinegar all over the exterior of your spotlessly clean refrigerator after everything is inside. Use a gentle, clean microfiber towel to wash it away after that. Don’t forget to thoroughly clean the knobs, edges, and seals of the refrigerator.
How to Get Rid of Fridge Odor
Unless you take the proper precautions, your refrigerator may provide the perfect setting for unpleasant smells. Fortunately, you don’t need to use any abrasive chemical cleansers to get rid of bad refrigerator odors. Fill an open container using dry baking soda and place it on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator to deodorize it after you’ve cleaned and dried all the surfaces. When you replenish your fridge, leave this in place to absorb any scents that could otherwise stay close to your food.
Restock your refrigerator after cleaning and deodorizing it. Additionally, now is an excellent time to organize and clear your fridge. Throw away any rotten or outdated food, put like goods together, and think about utilizing bins & containers to organize your belongings.
Cleaning the Coils on a Refrigerator
Even the hidden components of the refrigerator, such as the coils, need periodic cleaning. Even if cleaning refrigerator coils is a little more difficult, finishing it will improve and extend the performance of your refrigerator. If you follow these instructions for cleaning refrigerator coils, you may confidently cross this chore off your list of household maintenance duties.
Check the owner’s manual for detailed instructions before you start. Look online if you need help locating it. You may locate yours by looking for the model number online, where most appliance makers keep their manuals posted.
No matter what brand or model you have, disconnecting the refrigerator is always the first step in coil cleaning. Then, find the coils (some are located on the bottom, and others are on the backside of the refrigerator). Pull the refrigerator gently away from the wall if yours are on the refrigerator’s back. To clean in and around the coils, use a coil brush, a long, slender brush akin to a bottle cleaning brush. Clean up any clutter on the floor using a broom or vacuum before relocating and plugging in the refrigerator.
Remove the grill part on the front of the refrigerator for models containing coils on the appliance’s bottom. To thoroughly clean in and around the coils, use a coil brush. Clean up any dirt using a vacuum or sweeper, then replace a grill before re-plugging the device.
How to Clean a Water Dispenser in a Refrigerator
Give the water dispenser a thorough cleaning from time to time to maintain the fresh, filtered water that comes from your refrigerator. Refer to the owner’s handbook before cleaning, just as with refrigerator coils. Systems differ across models, so a manual is sometimes a useful place to look for detailed instructions and information on fixing serious water dispenser issues. See the handbook for information on how often to change the filters in your ice maker and water dispenser. The dispenser & ice maker will function more effectively if the filter is replaced as advised.
Water stains and streaks are easily picked up on the water dispenser tray. Use a cleanser containing vinegar as its main ingredient to clean the tray, then dry it. Remove the tray and wash it in the sink if it is detachable. Make care to wipe the tray’s underside as well. A gentle toothbrush might help you reach any crevices or vents.
Cleaning Mold Out of a Refrigerator
Mold may grow in refrigerators due to their cool, sometimes wet atmosphere. Avoid using abrasive or bleach-based cleansers to remove mold inside your refrigerator. Choose baking soda instead, and combine one tablespoon with 1 quart of warm water. Clean the moldy area with a damp cloth, and then dry it completely.
Removing a small amount of mold from a spill or an empty refrigerator is easy. However, more thorough cleaning may be required in larger disasters like a flood or a protracted power outage in a refrigerator holding food. In these cases, get advice from a qualified appliance repair technician who can examine your refrigerator thoroughly and provide suggestions. If mold is developing within the refrigerator, an easy cleaning won’t be enough to bring it back to its former glory; instead, you may need to think about taking more drastic actions, like recycling the refrigerator and buying a new one.
Why Should You Clean Your Refrigerator?
You should regularly clean your refrigerator for various reasons—including to assure food safety, maintain its effectiveness, and encourage a healthy living environment. Here are some of the main reasons for frequent refrigerator cleaning.
✔️Improve Your Cooking
When you have a broad understanding of the food products you have on hand, you are more likely to plan, prepare, and consume healthier meals. Additionally, being completely aware of the contents of your refrigerator enables you to mix components in novel and perhaps delightful ways. Additionally, when cleaning out your refrigerator, you could discover some still edible jewels that you can include in your next recipes.
✔️Clean Fridge is Peace Mind
There is a reason why Zen gardens only include some available plants, rocks, and sculptures. It is nice for the eyes and the mind to have space between items because it enables us to observe each one. Cleaning the refrigerator entails removing food that has gone bad and expired products. As a result, you’ll have more room to organize your belongings in a way that looks nicer and makes them simpler to discover.
✔️Save Your Money
You’ll be more likely to consume the food you already have and waste less food if you take the time to clean out & inventory your refrigerator. Your weekly shopping spend might be reduced if you purchase fewer items you don’t use up because they spoil before you do. Examining and improving your purchasing practices may also be done while cleaning your refrigerator.
✔️It Will Help You Feel in Calm and Control
Your refrigerator is a little universe over which you do have control. You may get a feeling of serenity and order you have been lacking after trying to clean out and organize your refrigerator, which may then spread to other parts of your life.
✔️It’s Better For Your Family’s Health
Salmonella, E. coli, listeria, and other pathogens may grow and spread in filthy refrigerators. Your food will stay fresher longer, and there will be less chance of food-related diseases if your refrigerator is clean. Additionally, removing expired things can help make more room and improve the airflow between objects for a healthier environment.
✔️It Benefits the Environment
Every year, the typical American wastes more than 200 pounds of food. A large portion of this is made up of uneaten leftovers & food that goes bad before it can be consumed. Food that has yet to be consumed still needs resources to be produced, such as farmland, fresh water, fertilizer, and landfills. You may waste less food & leave a little less carbon impact by keeping your refrigerator clean and tidy.
✔️Enhance Harmony in the Household
Clean, orderly rooms promote the serenity of your home, and your refrigerator is no exception. For the whole family, a messy, crowded refrigerator may be a silent cause of stress. Finding what you’re seeking fast might help you avoid wasting time and lessen stress.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to clean a refrigerator freezer?
Wipe the interior of the empty freezer using hot, soapy water, then rinse with clean water. Remember to clean inside the freezer doors & any non-removable drawers. Using a clean towel, dry everything. Mix one tablespoon of liquid bleach into one gallon of water to sterilize.
What is the significance of cleaning the refrigerator?
Bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli, listeria, and other pathogens may thrive in dirty refrigerators. A clean refrigerator helps keep your food fresher for longer and lowers your risk of food poisoning. Expired things will also help provide more room and better, healthier air circulation between objects.
When cleaning, should I switch off the refrigerator?
You don’t want the doors to be open and all the lights to be on while you clean your fridge. If your fridge requires a thorough cleaning and the shelves aren’t detachable, disconnect it to avoid wasting electricity while cleaning.
Why is it necessary to maintain freezer rooms clean?
When it comes to producing and storing food or medication, hygiene is critical. A well-organized, well-maintained, and clean cool room is very effective for guaranteeing that your product is safe to ingest or administer.
Is it OK to shut off the refrigerator every evening?
How to clean fridge without turning it off? Many people also criticize the device for its loudness; thus, turning it off would improve sleep. But there are several reasons not to switch off your refrigerator at night. When the refrigerator is turned off, the temperature inside and the likelihood of growing hazardous germs increases.
Final Thoughts
I must admit, until lately, I had no idea how crucial it was to clean a refrigerator. Maintaining our food storage’s safety, freshness, and effectiveness requires regular refrigerator cleaning. We can maintain a sanitary atmosphere inside the refrigerator and stop the formation of dangerous germs and smells by following a systematic and frequent cleaning practice. Thanks to this simple but crucial chore, every family benefits from a healthier and more delightful cooking experience.
