How to Clean a Refrigerator

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Your refrigerator is one the most extensively used appliance in your house that does not even get a rest.

Furthermore, it is often tortured with various spills, odors, and piles of leftovers and useless moldy food bagged securely waiting to be thrown away.

Thus, it is essential to clean your refrigerator on a regular basis. However, it is not as quick and easy as cleaning your microwave.

Before proceeding to clean your refrigerator, though, make sure you check the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

How to Clean Your Refrigerator

Steps for cleaning

1. Unplug the refrigerator or turn the inside temperature control off (saves electricity).
   
2. Now, empty the refrigerator. For the time being, you can place the fragile foods such as dairy products and meats in a cooler with ice so that they do not get spoiled.
   
3. Remove all the removable shelves, drawers, and compartments.
   
4. Put all the metal and plastic parts in the sink and rinse them with a mixture of warm water and dish soap.
   
   As for the ones made of glass or ceramic, do not immerse them in warm water right away otherwise they may crack or break. Let them remain at room temperature for a while.
5. Clean the inside of the refrigerator and the interior door with a damp cloth/sponge/towel and a mild detergent. Detergents, however, can leave behind a smell that your food is likely to absorb. Thus, prefer to use a solution of equal parts of white vinegar and warm water or a mixture of two tablespoons of baking soda and a quart of warm water.
   
   For removing stubborn stains, consider using white toothpaste. Use a plastic non-abrasive scrubber to scrub the stains. Besides, you can place a warm wash cloth on stubborn stains and spills for a few minutes and then remove it to make it easier to wipe them off.
6. To remove grime from shelf seams and rubber seals, you may use an old toothbrush soaked in the cleaning solution.
   
   For cleaning gaskets on the fridge and freezer doors, you can use an all-purpose cleaner or simply white vinegar (it prevents mildew).
7. Locate the drip pan of the refrigerator. Pull it out carefully and clean it with warm soapy water or the half vinegar and half water solution. Let it dry completely before re-installing.
   
8. For cleaning the exterior of a stainless steel refrigerator, you can soak white vinegar in a microfiber cloth and rub it on the surface in the direction of the grain. To enhance the shine, you may put a few drops of olive oil on a clean piece of cloth and rub it on the exterior.
   
   Alternatively, you can simply use a commercial stainless steel spray. In case you have an enameled steel refrigerator, you may want to use a multipurpose cleaner. Wipe the areas around the handles, too.
9. Make sure you wipe dry the outside of the refrigerator after cleaning to prevent streaks.
   
10. Finally, plug in the refrigerator and put the shelves, drawers, etc. back in when they dry thoroughly. You can now store the food in your fridge.
    

The process of cleaning may take about 20-30 minutes or more, depending on the amount of cleaning your refrigerator is craving for! When dealing with a moldy fridge due to its not being in use for days or weeks, you may use a bleach formula prepared by mixing one part each of bleach and water.

Along with cleaning, it is essential to inspect all the foods and beverages stored in your refrigerator to discard the ones that are spoiled or have exceeded their expiry dates.