How to deep clean a refrigerator — 5 stages using baking soda, vinegar, and more

 This is how to properly clean a refrigerator to remove odors and filth. To sterilize your refrigerator quickly and effectively, combine baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap

When the exterior isn't so terrible, it's easy to assume the refrigerator is clean on the inside... However, if you need to know how to clean a fridge, you may have seen jars stuck to the glass shelves, a slight odor, and other obvious symptoms that your fridge is dirty and in need of cleaning..

After all, you choose the finest refrigerator freezer to keep your family's food and beverages, so it should be one of the cleanest areas in the house. Spills, past-expiration dates, and strange scents are unavoidable, but no one wants to eat from such an atmosphere, therefore deep cleaning yours every now and again is essential.

WHAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO CLEAN THE INSIDE OF A FRIDGE?

Smeg, the specialists in household appliances, provided us with information on the finest cleaning products to use and how to clean a refrigerator. 'Straightforward hot soapy water will give your fridge a decent clean, but it's crucial to make sure the shelves are well dried,' they advise, as do many other professionals in the industry. Make sure the condensate channel on the rear wall of the fridge is also cleaned to give it a nice refresh. Cotton buds, drinking straws, and cocktail sticks are all excellent tools for this.'

You may clean and sanitize your fridge naturally with baking soda and vinegar, in addition to dish soap and water (as explained below). Strong cleaning chemicals should be avoided since you don't want any chemical particles or scents around your meals and drink.

5 STEPS FOR DEEP CLEANING A FRIDGE

'A crowded and messy fridge can make your appliance work harder to keep all of its contents cool, resulting in an increase in your energy cost,' cautions Matthew Harrison of PriceYourJob.

'First and foremost, keep an eye on how full your refrigerator is. Cleaning away rotting food can allow air to move more efficiently inside a congested fridge, which will require more electricity to keep cold.'

Wipe down the shelves with a natural antibacterial surface cleanser on a regular basis for basic maintenance. Avoid using strong chemicals since they often have a fragrance that can be transferred to food. A baking soda and water paste for stubborn stains or a simple white vinegar and water spray for general cleaning are also natural options.'

1. EDIT THE CONTENTS OF THE FRIDGE BY EMPTYING IT.

We'd like to say that simply emptying the contents of the refrigerator on to the kitchen countertops before cleaning is fine, but it's far better to a) check use-by dates and discard anything that has passed its expiration date, b) wipe the underside of sticky bottles and jars before transferring them, and c) put meat and dairy products in a cool bag with freezer blocks, especially if it's a hot day (bacteria will multiply speedily at room temperature). Melissa Maker, author of Clean My Space, prefers to be environmentally careful during this procedure, and instead of entirely disconnecting the fridge, she uses a power strip. 'What I actually did was switch off the cooling mechanism so that I wouldn't waste any power while cleaning.'

Cleaning your fridge before your grocery delivery will make your life simpler; similarly, if you're ready to defrost your freezer, you'll want it to be as empty as possible before you start cleaning.

2. REMOVE THE SHELVES AND FITTINGS... AND THEN WAIT.

How many times have you tried to remove a plastic shelf from the fridge only to fracture it? Simply said, it's less likely to split if you disconnect or turn off the fridge and allow the plastic to get to room temperature before removing it.

Furthermore, if you securely take glass or plastic shelves or drawers from the cold fridge and quickly immerse them in hot water, they may fracture in the bowl. Allowing them to come to room temperature (while you work on the interior of the fridge) before soaking them in hot soapy water is well worth the wait.

3. CLEAN THE FRIDGE FROM THE INSIDE

Cleaning a refrigerator with vinegar

Spray the interior of the fridge with a solution of distilled vinegar and water while the shelves and drawers are removed, focusing on any places with dried-on crud. While you wash the shelves you removed earlier, let it to soak. Return to the refrigerator and wipe it clean with a gentle, wet cloth (rinse and squeeze it out regularly). The vinegar and water should remove not just sticky messes and bacteria, but also odors from the refrigerator (more on that later).

Cleaning a refrigerator using baking soda

As previously stated, chemical cleaning products can leave behind odors that will be absorbed by your food, making natural cleaning products like baking or bicarbonate of soda a far better alternative – especially because cleaning with baking soda can also eliminate unpleasant fridge odors.

Simply wash the interior of the fridge with a soft, moist cloth to remove a paste composed of hot water and bicarbonate of soda, then rinse with a clean cloth and dry with kitchen roll.

Allow the wet paste to soak in for 10 minutes or so for caked-on food, then wipe it away after it has softened.

4. CLEAN THE DRAIN HOLE IN YOUR FRIDGE

Even if your fridge is in good functioning order and there are no pools of water (see below), you should still clean it as part of your deep clean. Remove the vegetable drawers from the fridge first, then clear the obstruction using a drain hole cleaning equipment (it's like a little plumbing snake).

If whatever was blocking the hole has been there for a long, there's probably mold and mildew at the back of the fridge, which you can get rid of by pouring a little quantity of vinegar and water down the drain hole using a basting syringe.

After you've removed as much muck as possible with the drain hole cleaning gadget, massage the vinegar/water solution around the hole with a cotton wool swab to remove any leftover residues.

Before replacing the vegetable drawers, clean the bottom of the fridge with vinegar and water. Maintain the drain cleaning gadget available (on the top shelf of the refrigerator) so you can clear out the drain hole every couple of months and keep the fridge functioning smoothly.

Do you have mold in other parts of your house? Read our recommendations for removing mold and mildew.

5. CLEAN THE DRAWERS IN THE FRIDGE

You won't be able to clean fridge drawers adequately until you remove them fully. Pulling them out and cleaning them won't get rid of the filth that gathers in the corners, and grime will accumulate in the corners, especially if you keep veggies without packing.

Remove the drawers and empty them, then soak them in warm soapy water. Use a bottle brush or an old toothbrush to scrub the insides. Replace after rinsing and patting dry. Wash, dry, and replace one basket or drawer at a time if you're running out of counter space or worry about forgetting where everything belongs in your refrigerator — it's simple.

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