No matter how house proud you are, there will be times when your refrigerator has gotten grotty due to spilled foods not being cleaned up right away, or leftovers oozing from containers stuffed into the last remaining space at the back of the fridge, and that had been forgotten about. It’s easy to let a fridge become dirty, but you know what, it’s even easier to clean it, it’s just a little time consuming. Problem is, time is a commodity nowadays and we don’t always have enough of it to keep our homes spotless and smelling fresh all year round.
That said, we either hire a professional cleaning team to make our refrigerator stop smelling like the garbage disposal, or we find the time to do it ourselves. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with paying someone else to get it clean, and you may have to if your schedule is chocka block, but if you are willing enough (and brave enough!) to get the job done yourself, here are 6 easy steps to get your refrigerator spick and span:
- Step 1:
Be sure to unplug the fridge before you do anything else; while you won’t be coming into direct contact with any electrical wires, you should still disconnect the power to be safe and sound. Then, fill your sink or a large bowl with warm, soapy water.
- Step 2:
Open the fridge and take out everything. Food items that have gone past their consumption date should be thrown away, as with any other items that have gone mouldy or smell bad. Simply do the same with the freezer section, too.
- Step 3:
Remove all the shelves, drawers and compartments and wash them in the soapy water that you prepared earlier. Spread out some dish towels over your countertops to lay out the pieces that you’ve washed, and they should air dry while you continue with the rest of the fridge.
- Step 4:
Unless you want to be walking backwards and forwards from the refrigerator to the sink, fill a bucket with 2 tablespoons of baking soda and around a gallon of warm water. Then get your cloth and soak it in the water before wiping the inside of the fridge. If the bottom of the fridge is especially grotty, you can sprinkle some of the water and baking soda over it to help soften and shift stubborn stains. Use a clean, dry towel to wipe it down and do the same with the freezer.
- Step 5:
Use another cloth to clean the exterior of the fridge, which hopefully won’t be as grotty as the inside might be. Wipe it dry with a clean, dry towel.
- Step 6:
If the shelves and drawers are still wet once you’ve finished cleaning the inside and outside of the fridge; dry them off and place them back. To prevent it from getting dirty again right away, try to wipe clean any pots, jars and containers that look sticky or stained, and pop them back in. Then, plug the power cord back in, and wait for your lovely clean and fresh smelling refrigerator to get chilly again!
If this all sounds like too much hard work for you, or it will take up too much of your time, then call up a professional cleaning service and let them tackle your grotty refrigerator for you.