Even if you live in a one-person household, your refrigerator gets a lot of use and can quickly become dirty, smelly and unhygienic. However, currently, with lockdowns and restrictions upon movement in place, our refrigerators are getting a lot more use than usual. Food spills and stains can quickly make it look and smell grubby, but there are a few things you can do to keep your fridge hygienically clean and deodorized:
Clean your refrigerator properly:
To do this, it will probably require you to empty the refrigerator completely, so that you can get into every corner. This is also a good way of ensuring that any out of date or rotten food items get disposed of. You’ll need to remove every shelf and drawer and leave them to soak in hot, soapy water while you clean the interior.
Try baking soda:
This cheap and effective store cupboard essential is great for cleaning the interior of refrigerators, all you need to do is mix 2 tablespoons of it with a quart of hot water, and then use a cloth to apply it. The baking soda works fantastically well at deodorizing the refrigerator, and if you add some of the solution to stains and leave it there for a few minutes, it should help to shift them. You can also soak the shelves, drawers and other compartments in the same solution to help get them clean and smelling fresh.
Toothpaste is also good for helping shift stubborn stains in your refrigerator, and makes it smell minty and fresh afterwards. Following along on the same theme, you can use a toothbrush to help you clean any hard-to-reach areas, just be careful when you’re trying to shift stubborn stains that you don’t use anything that’s too abrasive and which might scratch your refrigerator.
Don’t cut corners:
It’s important that when you do take the time to clean your refrigerator, that you do it thoroughly, and don’t be tempted to take shortcuts. Cleaning it thoroughly at least every couple of months (and more often if you have a busy, or messy household and your refrigerator is getting more use than it normally would), will keep your food items hygienic and prevent germs and bacteria from spreading.
Now, more than ever before, it’s essential that our refrigerators are kept as clean as possible, and even if you can’t always keep the interior as clean as you would like, you should endeavour to regularly sanitize the handle and exterior.
