Keeping your refrigerator clean and fresh

Although there aren’t too many refrigerators that require manual defrosting anymore, it’s important to keep your fridge clean so it stays as cool as possible. And even if you have a big frost monster, cleaning it up isn’t a long job – 15 minutes max. While cleaning the refrigerator, the high temperature of having the door open should cause the ice clumps to melt. If not, loosen them with a spoon. Don’t wear anything sharp (I’ve done this before, bad idea). Take a look at the drip tray at the back of the refrigerator, it can collect dirt and slime and cause ice to form.

It may be a good idea to wear gloves, these will keep your hands warm if you need to touch ice and will keep your hands clean from any spills.

OK, let’s start cleaning making it easier for you. Empty one shelf at a time, this way you don’t need to have a large space to store all your food. Just get yourself a tray or container and place the food from a shelf on top. You are now ready to clean. Of course, doing it this way means you have to be more careful inside the fridge. But it’s okay to leave milk and other perishables exposed to hot air, as they stay out longer when you eat.

So, starting from the top shelf, take out the food and wipe the shelf with a damp cloth. Are the shelves stained? If so, take them out and wash them in the sink.

Dirt can build up in meat and veggie drawers if you don’t regularly toss out a ripe lettuce or orange.

For stuck foods, scrape with a plastic spatula.

To keep your refrigerator smelling fresh by taking a tablespoon of baking soda in an old lid from a coffee jar left on a shelf, it absorbs odors for up to two weeks.

The exterior of your refrigerator can get quite dirty in a short time, so wipe it every week with a damp cloth and then dry it thoroughly.

And finally, once a year, you need to take out the freestanding coolers and use the crevice attachment to vacuum the coils at the back.

With just a little care and maintenance, you can have a clean refrigerator that works well and lasts for a long time.