Cleaning your fridge should never be a chore. It’s something that needs to be done fairly often, though, as bacteria can grow and your food needs to stay safe so you stay healthy. If you find yourself unable to remove tough, caked marks or if you never seem to keep the fridge pristine, these tips are for you. Check out our 6 tips to clean your fridge!
Don’t Let Dirt Sit
First, you shouldn’t go a very long time without cleaning your fridge. If you take more than 6 months in between cleans, bacteria will grow, stains will become more difficult to get off, and the grime will build up. It’s important to be as consistent as possible with the cleaning schedule.
Of course, if a spill happens or if your fridge smells from something that spoiled or rotted, clean it straight away.
Deep Clean the Refrigerator Interior
Enrico Mantegazza on Unsplash.
The interior of your refrigerator should be cleaned with something simple like baking soda and hot water. You can also use white vinegar, but the odor may linger if you aren’t careful. Wipe everything down with a towel and use a sponge if you have to remove anything hard or caked on.
The shelves will also need to be cleaned, but if they’re glass, don’t use hot water directly on them. Remove them and let them warm up to room temperature to ensure they don’t break, or use cooler water. Make sure they dry before you reinsert them.
For any hard-to-reach areas, you can use a small toothbrush.
Don’t Forget the Seals
The seals of your fridge are what create the gasket to keep the cold inside and make sure your food stays fresh. If the seals are dirty, or if there is dirt and debris on them, the seal will have a gap in it. This will waste energy, as the fridge will need to work harder to keep the temperature low.
After you’ve cleaned the seals with hot water and dish soap, you can apply an oil to prevent grime from gathering. Vaseline is a good option!
Clean Your Coils
The coils on the fridge can gather a lot of dust, so you should clean them at least once a year. Make sure you unplug your fridge before you clean the coils, and brush the dust off or use a vacuum extension to get rid of the grime.
Sanitize Your Fridge
After a deep clean, you should sanitize your fridge to make sure every pesky bit of bacteria is gone. We recommend mixing a tablespoon of bleach with a gallon of water – a little bit of bleach is more than enough to cover the entire fridge. Use a dish towel to wipe everything down. Once you’ve finished, leave the door open for a little while to air it out. You don’t want the smell of bleach to be trapped inside the fridge and potentially overpower your food.
Keep Your Fridge Smelling Clean
All of the different items in your fridge give off different odors, and if something goes bad, it can ruin the scent of your fridge. However, other foods may simply have overpowering odors and actually end up being all you smell when you open the refrigerator.
To fix this, add a small cup of baking soda to the back of your refrigerator, or keep an open box of baking soda on the door. This will absorb odors and keep the fridge odor-free.
Need Cleaning Services?
3 Maids is your best choice in Los Angeles to keep your home and kitchen clean. Give us a call today and we’ll set up a time and date that works for you! We don’t stop until your house is pristine.
