Can you guess which appliance is dirtier than your kitchen counter? A refrigerator!
A recent study found that more harmful bacteria were on the fridge than anywhere else in the kitchen.
There are ways to tackle this problem. You can’t just store your food in open containers as the Romans did. You’ll want to use your fridge’s shelf space as efficiently as possible without losing sight of the bigger picture.
When was the last time you cleaned your kitchen appliances? If it’s been a while, you’re not alone. Most people don’t clean out their fridge regularly, let alone their oven or dishwasher. But these appliances can harbour gross bacteria and “food debris,” which can put your health at risk.
Below are some fridge cleaning tips to get you started!
Start by Emptying the Fridge
Remove all food, condiments and other items from the refrigerator and place them in a cooler with ice packs while you’re cleaning.
Then wipe down the fridge’s inside with vinegar diluted into water (1 part vinegar to 3 parts water). A 1:3 ratio is ideal because it has enough acidity to sanitise but isn’t so strong that it will damage your refrigerator. The vinegar solution is excellent for cleaning stainless steel appliances and countertops.
- For stubborn stains outside your fridge (from food splatter), use baking soda and water to create a smooth paste. Apply the paste to the colour, leave for several minutes and wipe it off. Baking soda is also great for removing odours.
- Olive oil is excellent for removing grime from dirty fridge seals around the door. Apply some olive oil to a paper towel and rub away at the seal until it’s squeaky clean. This will also help make it easier for the door to close once you’ve finished cleaning.
- Eliminate the odour with baking soda. Place a box of baking soda on each shelf in your fridge to absorb odours. Replace it every three months for optimum freshness.
- Don’t forget to dust around the coils at the bottom (or back) of your fridge and vacuum them once a year; it will help your fridge run more efficiently.
Clean up Spills Immediately
After transferring leftovers to Tupperware or other containers, wipe up any spills with soapy water and a sponge or paper towel. If you let food sit in your fridge for too long, it will dry out and stick like glue (or worse).
Clean the shelves, drawers, and bins right where they are. Remove each shelf and drawer one by one, wipe them down with warm water and dish soap (or all-purpose cleaner), and let them air dry before putting them back into the fridge. You can also use this opportunity to clean any jars or containers in the drawers.
Wipe down the walls. Use an all-purpose cleaner to wipe down the walls of the fridge, including any doors or handles. You can use a toothbrush to get into small crevices or corners where food might have gotten wedged.
Never Store Open Packages of Food in the Fridge
Only put food in storage containers or resealable plastic bags after being opened. If you’re worried about the cost, consider that cheap sandwich bags are much less expensive than cleaning out your entire fridge every time food spills all over the place.
Make sure raw meat is kept separate from everything else. When you bring home chicken or fish, transfer it to an airtight container before entering the fridge. Don’t reuse containers that previously held raw meat unless thoroughly sanitised.
Get Rid of Old Food
Once a month, take all of the items out of your refrigerator, wiping down the shelves and drawers as you go along. Check expiration dates and toss anything that is expired. Some of the worst offenders are condiments, which hideout on door shelves.
Start by tossing any expired products, such as condiments that have turned mouldy or foods that have gone bad. Be mindful of expiration dates, and don’t let potentially hazardous foods go beyond their “use by” date. To avoid wasting food, check the expiration dates every time you’re in the grocery store. Make a note of what’s already in your fridge so you don’t buy duplicates.
Rearrange Your Food
Put your most-used items within easy reach — like lunch meats, cheeses, condiments, and water bottles — on the top shelf or in the door compartments. Place leftovers at eye level so they get eaten before they spoil. Keep drinks like juices, sodas, and water on the bottom shelf since it’s usually easier to access for kids and guests.
Organise your food into groups based on their expiration dates so that it will be easier for you to see which items need to be used up first when putting them back inside later on in this process.
Pull things from the shelves and sides of the fridge, then restock them into groups. Milk, breakfast items, snacks, and leftovers can be grouped on separate shelves or bins. You can quickly grab what you need without moving everything out of the way first.
Focus on Keeping the Fridge Clean
Humidity, dirt and mould can start to grow on the inner walls of your refrigerator. To help prevent this build-up, wipe down the walls and shelves with soapy water every couple of weeks (more often if you like to snack right out of the fridge).
If you want to cut down on your health risks and be safe from multiple diseases, you need to clean your refrigerator regularly. You don’t want to do this once every couple of months or years. You need to do this once a month, at least.
Overall, there is no one size fits all when cleaning your fridge. To have a clean and healthy refrigerator that you can open at your convenience, take some time out to clean it regularly. Once you get in the habit of doing this and know how to clean your fridge, it’ll be simple to handle your dirty dishes and messes.
Always remember, no matter how clean your fridge looks, it’s not staying that way unless you continue to clean it. As with most habits, the challenge is consistency. The best time to clean your fridge is right now! Check out the HomeLane blogs for more easy yet effective cleaning hacks.
