Your regular home cleaning efforts may include thoroughly cleaning the kitchen counters and floors as well as the range and microwave. However, most people only clean the fridge every few months or less. While this is a seemingly small space compared to the rest of your home, thoroughly cleaning all of the surface area can be time-consuming and messy. Your refrigerator can become filthy over time with food particles, drink spills and more. Deep cleaning it periodically will remove the grime as well as unpleasant odors that may confront you each time you open the fridge door. This refrigerator cleaning guide can help you to complete this important task with minimal hassle and stress.
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Gather the Supplies
You may initially think that the best way to remove stains and odors from your refrigerator’s interior is to scrub the appliance with a bleach-based cleaning product or another cleaning product that may be equally as harsh. However, the fumes may linger in the fridge and be absorbed by some of your food. With this in mind, gather natural cleaning products that are not toxic. For example, baking soda can be used as an abrasive cleaning agent inside the refrigerator. You may also purchase some natural cleaning products at local stores.
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Remove All Contents
One of the most important kitchen cleaning tips related to the refrigerator is to remove all contents before you start scrubbing. This may seem like an unnecessary extra step, but it will help you to remove all visible and hidden grime in this appliance. A detailed kitchen cleaning guide may tell you that this is the perfect time to toss out expired foods that may have gotten pushed to the back of the refrigerator. Because your frozen and refrigerated foods cannot sit out on the counter for a long period of time without going bad, you will need to work quickly as you proceed through the next few steps.
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Disassemble Interior Components
Once your refrigerator is empty, carefully remove all shelves, drawers and other components inside your refrigerator. By doing so, you will be left with a large empty space in your refrigerator and your freezer. If your freezer is caked with ice, you will need to unplug the appliance or otherwise turn off the freezer so that the ice can thaw out and be removed easily. Place all of these interior fridge components on a counter so that you can return to them soon.
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Clean All Surface Areas
As you walk through kitchen cleaning tips for the refrigerator, your next step is to scrub down all interior surfaces in the fridge. Remove all grime so that the refrigerator takes on a like-new appearance. Wipe away all standing moisture. Then, you can begin cleaning out the components that you previously removed. Smaller features may be cleaned with warm, soapy water in the sink. Larger components may need to be cleaned using the same process that you used with the fridge. Lay down a towel on the kitchen floor to complete this process more easily. As you clean each item and thoroughly dry it, you can return it to its place in the fridge. Once the entire refrigerator is clean, simply return the food to the refrigerator.
Start the Countdown
While cleaning out this appliance using this refrigerator cleaning guide is a big project, you can benefit from the results for months to come. To prevent your fridge from becoming quite so filthy in the future, periodically wipe down the shelving and drawers as part of your regular home cleaning process.