During a deep cleaning of your home, do you stop to consider your refrigerator? It’s easy to remember to clean the surfaces that we see when standing in a room, but how often do you take the time to open your refrigerator door and inspect the cleanliness within?
It’s important to know how to clean a refrigerator and to conduct regular cleanings to prevent mold from growing, odors from arising, and a dirty mess from forming. Although we might not think about our refrigerators when cleaning the house, it’s a place that can get quite messy.
Food crumbs, leaks, and spills are all common inside a refrigerator. Today, we’re going to tackle cleaning a refrigerator like a pro! Continue reading below to learn some of the best refrigerator cleaning tips!
Remove Everything
Cleaning a refrigerator is like cleaning a closet or bathroom cabinet. You can’t get a full deep clean unless you start by removing everything. That’s right, everything inside the refrigerator must come out before you begin the cleaning process.
For this reason, it’s ideal to plan your refrigerator cleaning right before you’re due to head out to the grocery store again. If you have a cooler, then place your food items in there while cleaning. Don’t forget to remove the shelves and drawers as well.
Hand Wash Drawers and Shelves
After removing the drawers and shelves, you can place them in your sink to hand wash them. Use hot water and mild soap to do so. If the drawers or shelves are made of glass, then allow them to reach room temperature first before placing them in hot water.
This will prevent cracking. If you find hard-to-remove food stains, then place a warm cloth on top of the stains for several minutes. This will help loosen up the stain.
You can then remove it with a nonabrasive cloth or sponge. Pat them dry and then leave them out to finish air-drying.
Clean Interior With Mild Cleaners
Now you can focus on cleaning the inside of the refrigerator. When starting this next step, do be sure to use a mild cleaning product. Food will absorb odors and can absorb the scent of cleaning products used.
For this reason, it’s best to use a mixture of one quart of hot water and two tablespoons of baking soda. The mixture will create a paste you can then use to clean the inside of the refrigerator with.
When done, take a cloth dipped in warm water and rinse. Dry with a towel. You can use this same cleaning solution on the drawers and shelves if desired.
Wipe Down the Door Seal
One section of the refrigerator that usually gets forgotten about is the seal around the door. After cleaning the inside of the refrigerator, turn to the door seal and make sure to wipe that down as well.
It’s important to clean it regularly for it to hold a tight seal. You can use warm water and mild dish soap or your baking soda solution to clean the seal as well. You may need to use a small amount of bleach if you find mold or mildew.
Once done, rinse it thoroughly and use a towel to wipe it dry. You can give the seal a thin coating of petroleum jelly to reduce the risk of it drying out and cracking.
Fill a Bowl With Dry Baking Soda
If you notice your refrigerator is smelly often, then you might want to consider placing a small bowl of dry baking soda inside of it. Baking soda helps deodorize the refrigerator and can be kept on the bottom shelf and out of the way.
The baking soda does this by absorbing odors. Before you begin to put all of your food back inside, make sure to go through everything first. Check expiration dates and toss out anything that’s expired or is no longer good.
Clean the Water Dispenser
Some refrigerators have water dispensers. These will need to be cleaned regularly as well. Consult with the owner’s manual before starting the cleaning process. All systems are different, so you want to be sure you clean it following the instructions to ensure a proper clean without damaging the system.
You’ll need to replace the filter regularly also. You should be able to find information about this in the owner’s manual too. If the tray has water spots or stains on it, then you can wipe it down with a white vinegar cleaner, dry it, and replace it.
If it’s removable, then be sure to clean under the tray also.
Unplug It and Clean the Coils
The coils on your refrigerator can quickly build up dust. To clean them, you should start by unplugging the refrigerator. Then, use a vacuum or a coil brush to remove any debris on the coils.
This should be done at least twice a year. If you have pets in your home, then you may need to clean them more often.
Don’t Forget the Exterior
Once you’re done cleaning the interior and the coils, don’t forget to clean the exterior. You can wipe down the exterior using warm water and mild dish soap. Focus on the door handles, since these are touched the most.
If it’s made of stainless steel, then you’ll need to use a cleaner made specifically for stainless steel. Spray it on and wipe in the direction of the grains to reduce streak marks.
Do You Know How to Clean a Refrigerator?
After reading through this guide, we hope you now know how to clean a refrigerator the correct way. Use all of these helpful tips and tricks to conducting a thorough deep cleaning of your refrigerator.
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