Have you ever wondered how many times your refrigerator is opened and closed in a single day? And not just by one person, but by pretty much every household member. Food items are pulled out and put in several times over the course of the day; and in all of this fridge activity, one thing is inevitable; food spills. Whether it’s a little juice, some gravy or cake crumbs; all kinds of food spills lead to a dirty, unhygienic fridge.
What’s worse is when these spills are allowed to sit, they harden over time and create rotting food gunk that’s sitting comfortably amongst your healthy, fresh foods. Yes, it’s gross and an absolute health no-no! For the sake of the whole family, you need to get into the habit of cleaning your fridge regularly. It’s fairly easy and the more often you do it, the easier it gets! Just have a look at our super simple fridge cleaning guide.
Step 1: Safety First (Yours and Your Fridge’s)
Everyone knows that the refrigerator door should not be left opened for long periods while the fridge is on as it hampers the cooling system; therefore, turn it off or unplug it before you begin. If you’re planning on cleaning between the coils behind the fridge, unplugging it is a must; not just to move the unit around, but for safety reasons as well. Wait about half an hour from the time you put the fridge off to the time you start the cleaning process (you’ll find out why in a bit).
Step 2: Bid Adieu to Expired Products
When emptying the fridge, this is the best time to rid it of those expired products that have been hibernating in the back of your shelves or drawers. It’s not uncommon to have a few items in your fridge that haven’t been used in months or longer; so be sure to check the expiry date of each packaged food item and dispose of the ones past their user time. It’s also a good idea to throw away any stale leftovers in containers that have been lying there for days.
Step 3: Let the Cleaning Begin!
Now that your fridge has been emptied out and all those nasty food spills have been exposed, it’s time to begin the cleaning process. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Warm water
- Bucket
- Liquid soap (dish soap will do)
- Non-abrasive sponge
- Kitchen cloths (microfibre cloths are great)
- Cleaning brush (with medium-hard bristles)
- Old tooth brush (if needed)
- All-purpose cleaner (if needed)
- Coil brush (for cleaning behind the fridge)
Firstly, remove racks/shelves and drawers and keep them soaking in a solution of warm water and liquid soap. If you don’t have anything large enough to soak them in, use an all-purpose cleaner to spray the racks and drawers and leave aside while you clean the rest of the fridge.
Next, make a sudsy cleaning solution consisting of warm water and liquid soap in a bucket. The reason why we keep a 30-minute gap between switching the fridge off and cleaning the interiors, is because applying direct heat to cold surfaces inside the fridge can cause damage to the cooling system. Using the non-abrasive sponge dipped in the cleaning solution, wipe the inside walls and door of the fridge thoroughly, scrubbing at any stuck-on gunk. If you have trouble removing hardened food spills, use a cleaning brush to scrub. Spraying the gunk with an all-purpose cleaner (if needed) can help loosen the stubborn spills. Once you’re happy with the stain-free interiors, take a clean, damp kitchen cloth and re-wipe the insides to remove the soapy residue.
Step 4: Back to the Racks
While your freshly cleaned fridge is airing out, turn your attention back to the racks and drawers. Having had some time to sit, the soaking or all-purpose cleaner will have made your job ten times easier by now. Use a regular sponge or cleaning brush to scrub the racks and drawers. You can use an old tooth brush for deeper cleaning of corners or between racks. Rinse them with running water and leave to dry (wipe dry with a kitchen cloth or towel if you’re in a hurry to switch the fridge back on).
Step 5: Let the Cleaning Conclude!
Finish off your fridge cleaning by cleaning the exteriors. If you want to clean the back of the fridge, use a coil brush to remove dust between the condenser coils. Be gentle when doing this, you don’t want to damage the coils or electrics. For the sides, door and handle, use the same cleaning solution and method as you did for the insides. If your fridge has stainless steel exteriors, consider using glass cleaner as this cleans the surface better than liquid soap and breathes new life into the steel.
You can find many more cleaning tips at Simple Maid that make household cleaning easier and quicker. You can get your cleaning done even faster and more proficiently if you book a cleaning with us today! We like to make things quick and convenient for our customers, that’s why it takes less than a minute to submit an online booking before we get back to you in a jiffy. For more information, we have a dedicated page of our services and rates for you to check out.
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