The refrigerator is often the center of the entire household, or at least in mine it is. It’s the first place we go toward when we get home from work or school, the last place we are at night before bed, and in between for every meal. But with all of the food, drinks, condiments, leftovers, spills, and smells, the refrigerator can often be the dirtiest place in your home.
Before you start
There’s no reason to clean out your fridge the day after a big supermarket trip. Pick a day just before you go shopping, when your fridge is relatively empty.
For safety reasons, it’s a good idea to unplug your fridge before you start cleaning it.
Gather your supplies:
small bucket, small cleaning brush, terrycloth towel, large sponge, and a new box of baking soda.
Get to it
Take food from the fridge and place it on the table or counter. As you do this, check expiration dates and toss anything that’s no longer edible.
Fill the bucket with warm water, and add a half cup of baking soda. (Save the rest of the baking soda — you can put the box in the fridge later to neutralize odors.) Use this solution to wipe down the empty shelves and interior with a sponge, starting from the top and working your way down.
Use a brush to clean around brackets and gaskets and to dislodge any dried food. Wipe the interior dry with a terrycloth towel.
Before you put the food back in the fridge, take a moment to group similar foods together. This will help you find items easier. Separate ethylene-sensitive produce (e.g., apples, broccoli) from produce that releases ethylene gas (e.g., bananas, pears) to prevent premature decay. Make sure that all containers are sealed properly and that anything wrapped is covered completely. Airtight storage will help prevent spills and spoilage.
As you begin to put items back in the fridge, be careful to space food out to allow a free flow of air. Keep eggs, poultry, meat and seafood separate from all other items to help limit the spread of bacteria. For more food safety tips, visit foodsafety.gov. And if you’ve unplugged your fridge, don’t forget to plug it back in!
Be sure to check out the information on storage times for refrigerator and freezer when you visit foodsafety.gov. The short but safe time limits for home-refrigerated foods will keep them from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat. The guidelines for freezer storage are for quality only. Frozen foods remain safe indefinitely.
A final note: A basic cleanout like this is no substitute for a thorough cleaning, which your fridge and freezer require periodically. To do that, you’ll need to remove and clean shelves, vacuum coils and wipe down the exterior. Consult manufacturer’s instructions for details.
After you've cleaned your fridge, here are some other things to remember:
•Clean all spills inside your refrigerator IMMEDIATELY. I say this with urgency because as we all know too well, the longer a mystery substance stays in the refrigerator, the harder it is to get mystery substance out with just a simple scrub. You’ll thank yourself later. Trust me.
•Make sure everything in your refrigerator is extremely clean. Wipe off all the ketchup bottles, mayonnaise jars, jelly jars, etc. You don’t want anything sticky or icky that you have to clean.
•About once a week, check for food that’s spoiled and throw it away. A good rule to live by is to keep fresh fruits, vegetables, and anything else with a shelf life of less than a week towards the front of the refrigerator. That way, when you’re searching for something and end up in the back, you don’t reach and find a surprise.
•Also wipe down your refrigerator about once a week. Soak a dishcloth with warm, soapy water and wipe down the top, sides, front door, and door surfaces to get rid of dust, dirt, and anything else. If you have a stainless steel refrigerator, obviously use the manufacturer’s cleaning solution and scrub with the grain.
•Keep all your leftovers in airtight compartments. Foul odors will always find a way to your refrigerator, but if you do the best you can, you can prevent most of them. For the odors that you can’t prevent, try sticking a rimmed plate with a liberal amount of baking soda on top of it. Leave the plate in for a few hours and you should have a noticeable difference in the smell.
Good luck with your project and remember safe food handling is important. Your life could depend on it.
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