How To Clean Your Fridge – The Proper Way

Cleaning out the fridge is one job we often put off. Because your fridge is always in use, it can be hard to find a good time to clean it out and give it the attention it deserves. But this hard-working appliance should be getting a regular clean out to keep it in top working condition. In today’s blog we’ll take you through everything you need to know, step by step to deep clean your fridge.  

Why Should You Clean your Fridge?  

The fridge is arguably one of the most hard-working appliances in your home. It is always there humming away in the background keeping your food fresh. If you don’t clean the fridge out regularly you run the risk of contaminated food, rotting vegetables and unpleasant odours. Cleaning your fridge is also essential to extend the life of the appliance and keep it running in tip top shape. An overstuffed fridge can result in lower energy efficacy over time.  

How Often Do You Need To Clean Your Fridge? 

While there are no fast and hard rules on how often you need to clean your fridge, there are few things that will impact it. What are you storing in the fridge? How are you storing it? Providing you are removing expired food and storing opened food in airtight containers, a general rule of thumb is to clean your fridge every three months or so.  

When You Should Do It  

The best time to get in there and clear out the fridge is at the end of your shopping cycle when you are due to do your next grocery shop. This way there will be less in your fridge making it easier to empty it and do a full clean.  

Tools You’ll Need 

• A PH Neutral Cleaner like Morning Fresh Detergent  

• A Container to mix a solution of soapy water  

• Two mircofibre cloths  

• Bicarb soda 

• An old toothbrush 

Step by Step  

Step 1 – Remove everything  

You can’t clean a fridge that’s full of food, remove everything, fresh food, leftovers, sauce bottles, everything you have in there. You can stack this on the kitchen counter or if you have anything you’re concerned about leaving out for half an hour you can store it in an Esky.  

Step 2 – Go through everything and throw out expired food  

Even the most organised person probably has something in their fridge that is expired. Go through all the food and containers, throw out anything that is off and review the open bottles that are supposed to be used within a certain number of days. Take this opportunity to wipe down all containers and sauce bottles so they will be clean when they go back in.  

Step 3 – Remove all shelves and drawers 

Take out all removable shelves and drawers in the fridge, including door shelving and set them aside ready to wash them in the sink.  

Step 4 – Mix up your cleaning solution  

You have two options for your cleaning solution. You can either create a solution of bicarb soda and water or you can mix a soapy solution of a ph neutral cleaner dishwashing liquid like Morning fresh and water.  

Bicarb soda solution 

• 2 tablespoons of bicarb soda  

• Half a cup of water  

• Mix  

Soapy water solution 

• A few drops of Morning fresh detergent  

• A cup of warm water  

Step 5 – Clean the inside of the fridge  

Take your cleaning solution and one of your mircofibre cloths and wipe down walls and inside of the fridge, make sure you clean any spills or sticky spots.  

Step 6 – Clean the seals  

Using your cleaning solution and an old toothbrush get between the rubber seals and give them a gentle scrub with the toothbrush. It’s common for little bits of food to get trapped in there and for mould to breed, so don’t skip this essential step. Finally, dry the inside of the fridge and the seals with a clean microfibre cloth.  

Step 7 – Wash up the shelves  

Now it’s time to take those removeable shelves and drawers and wash them up in the sink with dishing washing liquid. You can either let those air dry or dry them with a clean dry mircofibre cloth.  

Step 8 – Put everything back in  

Replace your freshly cleaned shelves and put everything back in the fridge. Now is a great time to organise the fridge in a way that makes sense to you. Be intentional with how you restock your fridge and take a moment to put together your next shopping list.  

Tips to keep it clean  

Now you’ve gotten everything clean and organised let’s talk about how you can keep it that way.  

• Clean up any spills as they happen 

• Before every weekly shop go through and throw out your expired foods 

• Store an open container of bicarb soda in the fridge to absorb food odours, this will need replacing every three months as it absorbs odours.  

Need a little help with the cleaning?  

Everyone could use a little help to stay on top of the cleaning. At Absolute Domestics we recruit and train cleaners all over Australia and New Zealand. Learn more about how we can help you manage your household chores.  

Need a visual aid?  

We have a video tutorial on how to clean your fridge, watch it below.