How to Clean the Fridge

All of us are so much concerned about our hygiene that we avoid eating from the road side vends, have water purifiers at our home and throw away anything that shows the slightest sign of getting spoilt. However, most of us fail to maintain hygiene in our refrigerator and freezer. When was the last time you cleaned your fridge? I’m sure it must have been a long time back. If you want to maintain your good health, develop the habit of cleaning your fridge on a regular basis.

The best time for cleaning the refrigerator is when you have to do grocery shopping, since at that time, it is almost empty. Cleaning a fully stocked fridge is very cumbersome. Still feeling lazy to do the job? We have provided a number of simple steps below that will help you in cleaning the refrigerator and freezer in the easiest and quickest way. Waste no more time and start cleaning!

Refrigerator Cleaning Tips

Read the steps given below to know how to clean the fridge.

Items Required

Mild Dish Soap
Dishcloths
Kitchen Sponges
Vinegar
Baking Soda
Water

Procedure

First of all, turn off the refrigerator by taking out its plug from the socket.
Take each and every thing out of the refrigerator and empty it of all the food items.
Throw away the items that have become moldy or spoiled. At the same time, wipe all the jars and bottles.
The next thing you will have to do to clean your fridge will be to turn the temperature-control knob to ‘Off’.
Then, you will be required to remove the drip pan at the lower end of the fridge, if you have one, and clean it.
Now, take out each and every part of your fridge that is removable. All the shelves, wire racks and drawers should be removed.
Use the dishcloth to wipe any food matter from the shelves, wire racks and drawers.
Take water in a tub and fill it with water. Put mild dish soap in it to make the water soapy.
Wash the shelves, wire racks and drawers with the soapy water and then rinse them with lukewarm water.
Put the shelves, wire racks and drawers in the dish rack or on any other clean surface and let them dry.
Use the dishcloth to wipe out any food matter from the inside of the fridge.
Now, dip the kitchen sponge in the soapy water and wash the interiors of the refrigerator. Make sure to wipe the compartments and door racks also.
Rinse the inside of the fridge with lukewarm water. Make sure that no soap residue remains.
Your fridge is now clean. However, you will notice that the bad odor still remains.
To make your fridge odor free, make a solution of 2 tbsp baking soda and 1 quart warm water. You can also make a solution of 1 cup vinegar and 1 gallon warm water.
Dip the kitchen sponge in this solution and wipe each and every corner of the fridge with it.
To prevent the occurrence of odor, keep a box of baking soda in a corner of the refrigerator.
Use the soapy water to wash the outside of the fridge, along with its top and gasket (rubber molding around the door).
Now, rinse it with lukewarm water.
Vacuum the condenser coil, situated at the back.
Let the refrigerator dry.
Now, put all the shelves, wire racks and drawers back inside.
Turn the temperature control knob back to what it was initially.
Finally, put back all the food items inside the refrigerator.

Maintaining Your Freezer

For maintaining the freezer and keeping it sparkling and spotless, you have to clean it on a regular basis. For cleaning the freezer, follow the same steps recommended in the case of a refrigerator, except for the soda box.

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