By DoItYourself.com Staff
Cleaning the Fridge - Cleaning a Gas Stove - Cleaning the Sink - Cleaning the Washer - Cleaning Small Appliances
Cleaning the refrigerator helps keep the food you store inside fresh. By keeping science experiments and spills to a minimum, the food that is stored in your refrigerator will not take on the scent or flavor of other foods.In order to properly clean your refrigerator, follow these simple steps.
- Turn the temperature control knob to the off position. Your fridge will be open for a while, so there is no sense in having your fridge run and waste electricity.
- If you have a drip pan underneath your fridge, remove it.
- Take everything out of the refrigerator and put it on the counter nearby.
- Throw away spoiled food, anything that is moldy, expired or hasn't been used in more than a month or two.
- Take the shelves, wire racks and drawers out of the refrigerator.
- Wash the shelves and wire racks in warm soapy water, using regular dish soap and a sponge or cloth. Use a soft scrub brush if there is caked or dried on food or spills. Let the shelves and wire racks dry on newspaper or in a dish rack.
- Empty out the drawers and dump out any residue or food matter from the bottom. Wash the drawers by hand with warm soapy water and a dish cloth or sponge. Let the drawers air dry on newspaper, towels or in a dish rack.
- Wipe away any food matter from the bottom of the refrigerator with a wash cloth or paper towel.
- Fill a bucket with warm, soapy water (mild dish detergent is fine). Wash the inside walls of the fridge using a dish cloth or sponge and the warm soapy water. Wash inside all the compartments and inside the door racks. Use a soft scrubbing sponge for caked or dried on food or spills.
- Rinse the inside of the fridge with a clean sponge or dish cloth and clean warm water.
- Replace all the shelves, wire racks and drawers.
- As you are putting food back into your fridge, using your warm, soapy wash cloth, wipe off to clean and dry any sticky or messy jars, canisters, etc. You can now put all your food back into the fridge. Turn the temperature knob back to the "on" position at the recommending temperature setting.
- Wash the outside of the refrigerator and the rubber molding around the fridge door with warm soapy water. Rinse with a clean cloth and wipe dry with paper towel or a dish towel.
If you need to control odor in your refrigerator, use 2 tablespoons of baking soda in one quart of warm water to wash the inside of the fridge. Subsequently, you can also use one cup of vinegar in a quart of water and wash the inside of the fridge. Remember to rinse when you are finished though. Placing a fresh, open box of baking soda in your fridge will also cut down on odors.
A few times a year, you should pull your refrigerator out and vacuum the condenser coils at the back. They have a tendency to get dusty and could cause a fire if there happened to be a spark.
You should never use harsh abrasives, scouring pads or harsh cleaners in your refrigerator. Abrasives, scouring pads and harsh cleaners can damage the finish inside your refrigerator and compromise the integrity of the lining which could cost you more in energy to keep the refrigerator cool.
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