While it might seem impossible to get to the stage where your fridge isn’t full, leaving it with as few items in as possible makes deep cleaning it far easier. With so many opportunities to make us sick – from poorly stored food products to bacteria growing in nooks and crannies – a hygienically clean refrigerator is essential, and by following these 5 simple steps, you could help keep your entire household healthy:
- Plan to wind down what you keep in your refrigerator
With a little forward planning, it’s possible to gradually decrease what you keep in your fridge, and when it comes to cleaning it, you’ll find this makes it so much easier. Toss out anything past its used by date, and when ready to clean, store any leftover items in a pre-chilled cool bag.
- Thoroughly wash all shelves and drawers
Take every shelf and drawer out of the fridge and wash them thoroughly with dish soap and hot water. For food residue that may have gotten trapped in the corners or joins, use a Q Tip or toothpick. Then, leave to dry naturally or wipe down with a clean dish towel.
- Wipe the interior
Using your favorite disinfecting cleaning solution mixed with cold water, wipe down the inside of the fridge. Check all grooves, edges and corners and again, use a Q Tip or toothpick to scrape out any leftover debris and grime from awkward areas. Be sure to check and clean the drip hole at the back of the fridge, and dry the entire interior off with paper towels or a clean dish towel.
- Clean all exterior surfaces
The handle and door of a refrigerator can attract and retain all manner or germs, grime and bacteria, and as such, should be cleaned often with an antibacterial solution. Check the grooves in the seal of the door, too, and use Q tips to get into those folds that are too large for a sponge or cloth.
- Wait before replacing food items
It’s important to wait until your fridge is cool enough again before you replace any food items that you took out of it. If your fridge has a thermometer, wait until the temperature falls to 5 degrees Celsius or below, or if it has a fast-cool function, use this to speed up the cooling process.
Of course, if this all sounds like too much effort or you simply don’t have the time to devote to keeping your fridge hygienically clean, you can simply have a professional cleaner do it as part of their duties.
