According to the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Services (USDA), homeowners don’t need to scrub their refrigerator every day. However, you should aim to remove spoiled or old food on a weekly basis, which helps avoid unwanted odors and bacteria. Then, when it comes to a thorough cleaning, you should be doing this at least once every 3 to 4 months.
Refrigerator cleaning is important for your health and helps maintain your appliance, in turn, maximizing its lifespan. If you don’t clean your refrigerator, bacteria like Listeria can potentially contaminate the food that you store inside. This is particularly scary, especially for business owners in the food services industry since the last thing you’d want is to make customers sick!
The good news is that cleaning your refrigerator doesn’t have to be a time-consuming chore. And if you plan it right and stay on top of maintenance, you should be able to get the job done in no time. Not sure how to clean your fridge properly? Keep reading and we’ll go over 5 quick refrigerator cleaning tips to help you stay healthy and keep your food as fresh as can be.
Empty Out the Refridgerator
Why make things harder than necessary and clean around items when you can simply remove them? From Sunday night leftovers to that jar of jam that’s been in there for what seems like forever, make sure to remove everything from your refrigerator before you start cleaning. Emptying out your refrigerator contents also helps you determine what’s good to keep and what’s good for the trash. So make sure to use this opportunity to toss out any expired items or spoiled food. To make cleaning quick and easy, choose a day before you do your groceries when your refrigerator’s almost empty.
Use The Right Cleaning Products
In other words, you won’t need any fancy products to help deal with stubborn stains or sticky messes. In fact, the USDA recommends using nothing but simple cleaning supplies like a cloth or sponge, and hot soapy water. If you’re tackling smelly odors or sticky messes, use a solution of equal parts vinegar and hot water. And, you can also disinfect surfaces with baking soda and hot water as well. Just try to stay away from using strongly scented cleaning solutions. Your food can absorb these scents, which won’t make for a very appetizing meal.
Also, make sure to occasionally clean the exterior of your refrigerator with a mild detergent or alternative cleanser. And don’t forget to check the front grill for dust and lint. You should vacuum these areas at least once a year, which will help your appliance run more efficiently.
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Clean Removable Parts First
Removing interior drawers and other parts helps you to clean every nook and cranny of your refrigerator. This is important for getting rid of all unwanted bacteria that can fester, leading to small and potentially contaminated food.
So make sure to tackle your deli drawers, crisper, and other removable parts first, giving them a soak in hot, soapy water before washing, rinsing, and drying them.
Let The Refrigerator Cool Down
Cleaning out your refrigerator requires hot water, and having the door open for a while. This means that by cleaning it, you’ll be raising the internal temperature of your fridge. Before placing your perishable items, especially your meats and dairy products, back into your refrigerator, let the appliance cool down first to keep food from spoiling.
This shouldn’t take very long, maybe 30 mins at most. So I’ve you’ve planned things properly, and cleaned before doing groceries, by the time you make it to the store and back, your fridge should be cold and ready to store your perishables.
Check for Spills, Leaks & Odors
Take a bit of time, every few weeks or so, to check for odors, leaks, or spills in your refrigerator. Wipe up any spills or leaks you find right away, which will help minimize the risk of harmful bacteria growth and also making it easier to remove stubborn messes on deep clean days. To help with bad odors, purchase a box of baking soda from your local grocery store. Baking soda absorbs unwanted smells from making their way into your food. Set the box on a shelf and replace it every month.
Keeping Up With Refrigerator Maintenance
The best thing you can do to keep your refrigerator in good working order and your food fresh is to stay on top of its maintenance, by cleaning and servicing your appliance at regular intervals. This includes immediately wiping up messes, cleaning out old food and spoiled condiments every week, staying on top of baking soda swap-outs at least once a month, and giving the unit’s interior a deep cleaning every 2 to 3 months.
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