It can be all too easy to neglect cleaning your refrigerator; it’s always full and so the task can seem daunting, or you may not even think it necessary. However, since you’re storing food items in it, it should be hygienically clean at all times, which usually involves cleaning it at least once a month depending on its condition.
Below are some tips and guidance for keeping your refrigerator as spotless as possible, so that you don’t have to empty it and deep clean it so often:
Wipe up spills immediately:
This is probably the most efficient way of preventing you from having to regularly clean your refrigerator, and usually takes a matter of seconds to complete. Wipe up spillages as soon as they occur to prevent them from turning sticky and smelly, and of course, to prevent cross- contamination. You can use a cloth moistened with a food-safe anti-bacterial spray.
If placing items such as raw meat in your refrigerator, be sure to pop it in a sealed container or wrap it securely in a storage bag so that it doesn’t leak.
Try to have a weekly purge:
Sorting through your refrigerator every week and getting rid of food items that are out of date, can help to minimize the spread of mold spores; some of which can even be toxic.
With every season, carry out a deep clean:
If you’re not a fan of cleaning your refrigerator every week, at least try to give it a deep clean at the beginning of each new season. Here are some simple steps for thoroughly cleaning your refrigerator:
- Take everything out and store anything that might perish, into an ice filled cooler.
- Discard any items that are past their ‘used by’ date
- Take all the drawers and shelves out and leave them to soak in a sink or bathtub full of warm, soapy water.
- Wipe down the interior of the fridge while the shelves and drawers soak – not forgetting the panels and seals – with a cleaning solution you can easily make by combining 2 tablespoons of baking soda and a liter of hot water.
- Rinse the interior with a wet, clean cloth
- Rinse off the shelves and drawers and dry them thoroughly before returning them to the refrigerator.
The water filter should be changed every six months:
While not all refrigerators have a water filter, if yours does (and this will likely be if you have an ice maker), check the manual to see how often you should replace it; usually it’s recommended to do so every six months.
If you wipe up spills quickly and get rid of spoiled food promptly, you should be able to limit cleaning your refrigerator to a few times a year; for grubbier ones that have a lot of hands going in and out of them, you might need to do it more often! If your refrigerator smells, it probably needs cleaning.
If you hate this task, and any others, you should consider hiring a professional cleaning company to do it for you.
