Cleaning Your Refrigerator: The Ultimate Guide 

   Cleaning Your Refrigerator: The Ultimate Guide 

When was the last time you bothered to clean out your refrigerator (and freezer) and gave it a really good scrub? Counters and stovetops get all the attention, while the refrigerator often gets neglected. Since your fridge holds everything from leftover Chinese takeout to the raw chicken you plan to prepare for dinner, it should be cleaned thoroughly – and a lot more often than you think. There’s also one very compelling scientific reason that your fridge deserves more than a little TLC:  Listeria monocytogenes, the most common foodborne pathogen.

Preventing Listeria (foodborne pathogen) 

Unlike most bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes can grow at refrigerator temperatures and lead to foodborne illness. Of course, cleaning up spills when they happen is the most critical thing, especially from deli meat, raw meat, poultry, or raw milk products, and is recommended by the USDA for food safety reasons. Any leaks from these items can cause bacteria to spread to other items in your fridge. Keeping fridge temperatures below 40ºF will help prevent food spoilage and microbial growth. In addition to cleaning up any spills right away to prevent the spread of bacteria, you should give your fridge a thorough deep clean about four times a year. 

Storing Food in the Fridge Properly

Avoid cleaning your fridge more often than necessary by making sure to store all of your food correctly. Storing food properly is the first step to keeping it as fresh and safe as possible for as long as possible. When food is not stored properly, spills or leaks can occur and the affected areas of your refrigerator will need to be cleaned. Proper food storage is especially important when you are dealing with raw meat or poultry products. If you notice that raw chicken or steak, for example, has leaked in your fridge, be sure to thoroughly clean the affected area with warm, soapy water right away. You should remove the shelf or drawer to complete the cleaning process.

When your fridge is due for a deep-clean 

How often you will need to deep-clean your fridge depends on whether you are staying on top of messes as they happen. Some recommend cleaning the fridge as often as once a month, but if you can do a weekly mini clean-out, you might be able to stretch it to every three or four months. No matter what, do it during your annual deep clean. Cleaning the refrigerator doesn’t have to be difficult.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to deep-clean one of the most important parts of your home – the fridge:

Start by taking out all food items and putting them on a clean surface. Dispose of any spoiled food. If you are not sure if it is still good, it’s best to toss it out than take a chance. Set a timer for two hours, which is the maximum amount of time that perishables should be left out at room temperature.

1. Next, remove everything that’s removable like the different deli trays, produce containers, shelves. Wash them by hand in the sink with hot water and soap, then rinse. Use a clean cloth or new sponge to avoid cross-contamination, making sure the cloth or sponge is non-abrasive to avoid damaging the surfaces.
2. Clean the interior. Wash all surfaces, including inside the shelves in the door and the  rubber seal, with hot, soapy water. Rinse the surfaces with water and a clean cloth or new sponge. 
3. Now it’s time to sanitize your fridge. Cleaning removes dirt, grime and debris, whereas sanitizing kills germs that can make people sick. The simplest and most effective sanitizers are chlorine bleach (5.25% to 8.25% sodium hypochlorite, diluted at a ratio of 1 teaspoon to 1 quart of water), hydrogen peroxide (3%) heated to 130ºF, or distilled white vinegar (5%) heated to 130ºF. Spray one of these solutions onto the surfaces and removable items in the fridge and let it sit for a minute or two to kill germs. 
4. After washing and rinsing and sanitizing everything, let it air-dry or dry it with a clean cloth or paper towel.
5. Deodorize. An open box of baking soda is classic fridge deodorizer. Activated charcoal or a bowl of fresh coffee grounds will work too.  Just be sure to replace the deodorizer whenever it starts to smell stale or at least every three months to keep odors at bay.
6. For the exterior doors, use a soft cloth and dish detergent, followed by a polish if you have a stainless-steel refrigerator. Refer to the manufacturer’s instruction for more specialized parts of the fridge like water and ice dispensers or touchscreens.  
7. For freezers, the environment is less favorable to pathogens because the temperature is so much lower (-20ºF to 0ºF). Maintaining the proper temperature and wiping out any food crumbs, and debris should suffice.
8. Check the drip pan. An oft-forgotten part of the refrigerator, the drip pan collects fridge condensation, and while it doesn’t require regular cleaning, it’s a good idea to empty it out and clean it every once in a while. On most fridges, the drip pan is located at the very bottom behind a kick panel. Remove the kick panel, then pour any water out of the pan and give it a good wipe-down before placing it back.

Let’s face it, no one likes to clean out the fridge, but it’s an important part of keeping your kitchen clean and hygienic. If you need help with cleaning your kitchen appliances, countertops, cupboards, floors, or any other areas of your home, Clean Nation Company is here to help. We have decades of experience helping busy homeowners just like you keep their living spaces clean and tidy. Our experienced cleaning PROS will give every inch of your home the detailed cleaning it deserves!

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