How Do I Clean the Inside of My Refrigerator?

Tips for Regular Cleaning & Maintenance

If your refrigerator is overcrowded, then it will have to work harder to keep all its contents cool, which will add to your energy cost. So first and foremost, you should keep an eye on the amount of food in your fridge. Increasing the amount of open space in your refrigerator will enable more air to flow through the fridge, which will save you money on your utility bill.

The shelves should be cleaned using a natural antibacterial surface cleaner on a regular basis. Chemicals with a strong aroma should be avoided since they might contaminate food. For stubborn stains, try a paste of baking soda and water, or a spray of white vinegar and water, both of which are natural options.

Your refrigerator's drainage hole is an often-ignored area that must be cleaned on a regular basis. If it becomes clogged, the fridge will not run efficiently. To unclog it, you can use a straw or drain-cleaning stick.

How To Clean the Inside of Your Refrigerator in Four Simple Steps

Whether you have a counter depth refrigerator, French door refrigerator, mini fridge, or top freezer refrigerator, the process for cleaning your refrigerator's interior is the same.

1. Remove all the food from the refrigerator and sort out the trash

The first step to cleaning your refrigerator is to empty it out. It is simpler if you clean your fridge just before your groceries arrive; similarly, you will want your freezer to be as close to completely empty as possible also before you start cleaning it up.

• Check the Use-by dates and throw out anything that is old.

• Before transferring the sticky bottles and jars, clean the underside of them with a damp cloth.

• Consider using freezer blocks to keep meat and dairy items cold in the fridge, particularly on warmer days.

2. Take out the covers and shelves

It is important to remove any shelves and drawers and clean them as well while cleaning out the refrigerator. It is important to be cautious to ensure you do not damage any shelves though.

How many instances have you broken a plastic shelf while attempting to remove it from the fridge? The plastic is less likely to split if the fridge is unplugged or switched off before you remove it from the appliance.

It is also possible that when you take glass and plastic shelves and drawers from a cold refrigerator and quickly immerse them in hot water, they may break. Let them reach room temperature while you work on the fridge inside, then place them in hot soapy water and let them soak.

3. Clean the inside of the refrigerator

Using Vinegar to clean the refrigerator:

1. To get rid of any dried-on gunk, remove the shelves & drawers from the fridge

2. Spray the inside of the fridge with a solution of vinegar and water.

3. Remove the shelves and let them soak for a few minutes.

4. Go back to the fridge & thoroughly clean it with a soft, moist cloth. The vinegar & water should be able to remove not just the sticky mess and bacteria, but the various odors from the refrigerator as well.

5. Before putting food back into the fridge, fully dry the appliance and all shelving.

Using baking soda to clean the refrigerator:

Using natural cleaning products such as baking soda instead of chemical cleaners is a much better option since they do not leave behind odors that may be absorbed by the food, as previously mentioned.

To clean a fridge that is not too soiled, just apply a paste composed of hot water & baking soda to the inside of the refrigerator using a soft, moist cloth, then rinse off with a clean cloth & dry with paper towel.

To remove caked-on food, apply the wet paste and let it sit for 10 minutes before wiping it away.

4. Clean the Drawers & Shelving

Cleaning fridge drawers is impossible unless they are removed from the appliance. You can remove your produce and wipe them out, but you will miss the dirt that accumulates in the corners. This is particularly true if you keep your produce in the drawers without keeping them in the bag.

Warm, soapy water should be used to clean the drawers. You can use an old toothbrush to really get in the corners.

By now you have already removed the shelves & let them cool down to room temperature before immersing them in hot, and soapy water. Using a scrubbing brush, run it along the shelf's joints, then wipe away any residue.