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Keeping the house always clean and in order requires some care. And one of the most common questions is about how to clean refrigerator.
After all, what is the ideal periodicity for this type of cleaning? Are there any tricks that help to eliminate odors? And how to keep the refrigerator clean and organized?
Do you also share these (and many other) doubts? We’ve put together a complete set of tips and tricks for cleaning the refrigerator inside and out.
No matter if you have a stainless or white refrigerator, in this list you will find great tips to keep your appliance always clean. Check it out!
Oh and don’t miss it at the end of the page, because there’s a video of many tips and tricks for cleaning the refrigerator…simply and quickly.
1- Remove everything from inside the refrigerator
The first step to cleaning the refrigerator is to remove everything inside it.
Unplug the device and remove item by item, checking the expiration date and throwing away what needs to be discarded.
If you want to keep the items refrigerated, you can put them in a thermal bag until you finish cleaning.
2- Remove the shelves
After disposing of past due food, it’s time to start putting the “hand in the dough”.
To do this, remove the shelves and other removable items.
For example: bars, drawerslids, etc. Wash everything with water and neutral detergent.
3- Choose well the cleaning materials
When cleaning the refrigerator, it is very important to take care with the cleaning materials.
Avoid using products with very strong chemical ingredients or products that have a very prominent smell.
Choose specific products for cooking or make a mixture of 1 tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate diluted in 2 liters of warm water.
4- Clean all the corners
The mixture we talked about above can be used to clean the entire inside of your refrigerator.
Apply with a soft sponge or clean cloth – and clean all parts of the refrigerator.
Don’t forget the door and the sealing rubber. It usually collects a lot of dirt and can be a real bacteria nest.
5- Finish with a dry cloth
After cleaning all the inside of the refrigerator, it’s time to finish cleaning.
For this, use a clean dry cloth that does not leave lint.
And pass the cloth all over the inside where you cleaned it. Call back into the outlet and replace the food.
6- Clean the freezer
If your refrigerator is not frost free, to clean the freezer you will have to do the defrosting.
To do this, leave the appliance defrosting the night before and put all the food in a Styrofoam box or thermal bag.
Remove the ice with a cloth dampened with water (do not use knives or other sharp objects).
Clean thoroughly inside the freezer or freezer using a soft sponge moistened with water and sodium bicarbonate. Dry well and turn the food over.
7- Remove the removable parts from the freezer
If your freezer or freezer has removable parts, such as shelves, you must remove them for cleaning.
Do it after thawing. This is a very important step to keep your freezer always clean.
After removing the removable parts, wash them with water and neutral detergent in the same way you did with the internal parts of the refrigerator.
8- Clean the stainless steel refrigerator correctly
In addition to cleaning inside, it is also important to clean your refrigerator on the outside.
To do this, moisten a sponge or cloth in a water solution with neutral detergent.
Clean the doors, the sides and the top following the direction of the steel. Pass a clean damp cloth to remove the residue.
Finish by removing the moisture with a dry cloth, avoiding stains.
9- Care with cleaning the white refrigerator
The correct cleaning of the white refrigerator prevents it from turning yellow.
To do this, mix baking soda and water until a paste is formed.
Apply over the spots that appear in time and let the solution act for 30 minutes.
Rub a soft sponge and remove the product with a damp cloth.
10- Tip to take out the yellowish
Your white refrigerator, even though it is often cleaned, is suffering from the yellowish?
Rub with oxygenated water volume 10 and leave for 20 minutes, then remove with a clean cloth.
Some people use volume 40 oxygenated water – but it is quite aggressive.
Then do the test first with smaller volumes.
11- Avoid aggressive products
To clean the outside of the refrigerator, it is important not to use aggressive products.
Because they can stain your refrigerator, be it white or stainless steel.
Avoid: steel wool (because it scratches the enamel of the refrigerator), chemicals with alcohol, acid or other abrasive elements.
12- Organize the refrigerator
After you’ve left your fridge clean, how about you organize it better?
In the coldest part of the refrigerator (top) put meat, cold cuts, fruits and eggs.
On the first shelves, leave milk and dairy products and leftovers of food.
On the bottom shelves store fruit, liquids etc. and on the door put drinks, preserves and condiments.
13- More organization tips
It’s still hard to keep organization from the refrigerator? We have more tips!
For example: store leftover meals in transparent glass jars, prefer square or rectangular jars (which make better use of space) and never store open cans in the refrigerator (as this may contaminate the food).
Also, leave the larger drawers for fresh vegetables – always wash them before storing and put them in jars or plastic bags.
14- Cleaning periodicity
Complete cleaning of the refrigerator should be done when it is as empty as possible.
For example, before the purchase of the month, when you have few items inside the refrigerator.
In the case of the freezer, the ideal is to try to consume the food before thawing.
In general, this deeper cleaning can be done every 15 days or every month.
15- Keep your refrigerator clean longer
In order not to suffer with the cleaning of the refrigerator, try to do the maintenance, as: buying less items at a time, keeping the meats well packed and always cleaning the residues or liquids dropped inside the refrigerator.
If the idea is to prevent odours, keep food stored in closed containers or sealed with film paper.
You can also put an open pot with baking soda inside the refrigerator. Besides baking soda, use vinegar or charcoal pebbles.
See simple and practical tips on how to clean refrigerator!
Your life is racing and you have no time for almost anything? Then watch this video with tips and ideas for cleaning the refrigerator of were quick and easy.
Now you know how to clean refrigerator?
Enjoy and see 15 tips for cleaning the sofa!