We preserve foods in the refrigerator to keep them fresh for longer. It is very important to keep the refrigerator and freezer clean as both cooked and non-cooked foods are stored in the refrigerator. Otherwise, a dirty refrigerator may cause food contaminated diseases. In this article, I will discuss my process of deep cleaning my refrigerator.
How Frequently Should You Clean Your Fridge
A clean refrigerator keeps the stored food edible for longer and prevents any food contamination. It also prevents the build-up of any bad smell inside the refrigerator. It is very important to keep the refrigerator clean. there is no hard and fast rule about the frequency of cleaning your refrigerator. It generally depends on the condition of your refrigerator. But I would recommend you to deep clean your refrigerator once every 2 to 3 months.
If your appliance is a frost fridge, it would be better if you deep clean your refrigerator during defrosting. You can read this article to know about how to defrost your refrigerator and freezer easily and quickly.
Preparing Your Fridge for Deep Clean
It is better if you plan to clean your fridge one week earlier. Within that time try to consume all the preserved foods from your refrigerator. Then you won’t have to worry about preserving those foods anywhere else when cleaning your fridge and no food gets spoiled.
On the day of cleaning your refrigerator, move all the foods to a cold place to empty the fridge. Turn off the fridge and remove all the shelves, crispers, drawers, trays and all the loose parts of the refrigerator. Keep the doors open of the switched-off refrigerator for some time. It will help the ice melt if there is any frosted ice inside the cabin. If your appliance is a frost refrigerator, then you will require to defrost it first. Read my article about how to defrost your refrigerator by clicking here if you need any guidelines about it. However, ice can also frost in a no-frost model as well and keeping the doors open for some time will melt those ice and your refrigerator will be ready to be cleaned.
Some fridges have draining hoes at the bottom of the backside of it. If yours has one, put the end of the hoes in a bucket. The extra water from the melting of ice will then go to the bucket through it.
Items Required to Deep Clean Your Fridge
It would be easier for you to perform the task if you have all the things required for cleaning the fridge at your arms reach. So, check and take all the items with you before starting the process. Following are the items you will require for cleaning your fridge.
- Baking soda
- Lemon
- Dishwasher
- Sponge (to soak water out)
- Some old towel
- Kitchen sponge (for cleaning)
Step by Step Process to Deep Clean the Fridge
- First, use a clean towel to soak all the excess water from the refrigerator and make it dry for cleaning. Wipe all the corners carefully so that there is no water anywhere and the inside cabin is completely dry. It will also clean all the dirt and other particles if any.
- After the refrigerator and freezer are dry, make to cleanser for cleaning the fridge. Take 2 to 3 tablespoons of baking soda in a cup. Extract the juice from half of the lemon and mix it with the baking soda. This is a good cleanser for the fridge. It will kill the germs and also remove bad odors from the fridge.
- Use the skin of the lemon from which you have extracted the juice for cleaning. Apply the cleanser in all parts inside the fridge by rubbing with lemon skin. Keep it like that for some time.
- By the time, clean all the shelves, crispers, drawers, tray and all the parts you removed from the fridge before cleaning. Use dishwasher and kitchen sponge for cleaning. After cleaning, wipe them with a clean towel to soak water from them and left them in the air to dry completely.
- Get back to your fridge and clean the surface using a sponge. Dip the sponge in water and mop the cabin. You can also pour water for cleaning where necessary. But be aware while doing that. Do not pour water near or in the temperature setting regulator. Also, avoid all the switches and cabin lights. Use the sponge to soak excess water out of the cabin as well.
- Wipe the refrigerator cabin with a clean towel and make it dry.
- Clean the outer side of the fridge by using any cleaning spray and rubbing pad.
- Put all the parts in place that you removed earlier for cleaning.
- Turn on the refrigerator.
Following this procedure, you can clean your refrigerator. It will remove germs and bad odor from your refrigerator and your foods will be healthy to eat for a longer period.
Nonetheless, try to keep the refrigerator clean while using it. Preserving food correctly is very necessary for the environment of the fridge to be clean and odor-free. You can read the guide for storing foods properly in a fridge by clicking here. Always wipe off any spill on the shelve. Use separate containers to store different food items. Use wrapper or airtight bags to store frozen items in the freezer. Check if the refrigerator cabin is smelling bad or not. Plan to consume the item first that you purchased earlier. Do not keep any item preserved for too long. Keep track of the expiration date of the frozen foods. Any contamination from the spoiled food in your refrigerator will be the last thing you would want.