How To Clean a Refrigerator

Cleaning a refrigerator may seem like a pretty simple task but to really deep clean it you need to follow 34 steps.  Yes, there really are 34 steps!  By following these 34 steps you will have a sparkling clean refrigerator in about an hour, maybe an hour and a half at most.  Once your refrigerator is clean, daily and weekly maintenance will keep it that way.

How to clean a refrigerator in 34 steps:

Start with good music or audio book (not an official step but I like to start this way 🙂 )

Supplies:

• Empty trash can and bag
• Gloves
• All-purpose cleaner or disinfectant
• Sponge with scrubby
• Wash clothes
• Paper towels
• Old toothbrush
• Bucket with water

Directions: 

1. Start with refrigerator almost empty.
2. Remove each item, check expiration date, toss if expired.
3. If the item is not expired, wipe each item down.
4. Set off to the side.
5. Remove shelves, drawers, guard rails from doors (if applicable), set off to the side.
6. Now that the refrigerator is empty spray the entire thing down with disinfectant spray and let sit.
7. Take shelves, drawers, etc to bathroom.
8. Place in tub and spray down.  (If shelves are really dirty let sit few minutes).
9. Get your sponge, using the scrubby side scrub shelves, drawers, etc down.
10. If you have a handheld showerhead, rinse with cold water using the sponge or washcloth wipe shelves down making sure all the dirty, yuckiness is gone they are clean and shiny.
11. Leave shelves, drawers, and guardrails in tub to dry.
12. Return to kitchen.
13. Spray door gaskets down too.
14. Scrub door gaskets gently with an old toothbrush.
15. Wipe away grime with damp cloth.
16. Carefully, pull gaskets open to make sure all gunk and cleaner is removed.
17. Wipe clean and free of residue.
18. Starting at the top scrub the entire refrigerator down with scrubby side of sponge.
19. If you have stubborn stuck on gunk you might need a hard bristle scrub brush and/or more elbow grease.
20. Don’t forget to scrub the door shelves too.
21. Take a damp cloth and wipe all the loosened gunk into a pile and either wipe into your gloved hand or into a paper towel and throw away.
22. Wipe everything down again with a clean damp cloth.
23. Rinsing the cloth as often as needed in a bucket of cold water.
24. Wipe the entire refrigerator down again with clean cloths making sure all cleaner residue is removed.
25. A spray bottle of water or vinegar is good to have so you can spray the refrigerator with water/vinegar and wipe away.
26. Use clean kitchen towels to dry the fridge.
27. Dry everything off.
28. Go get removable parts and dry with towels.
29. Put them back in the fridge.  Placing them correctly is always a challenge!
30. Put food and condiments away.  Great time to reorganize!
31. Remove everything from the front of the fridge door.
32. Spray outside of refrigerator with disinfectant.
33. Wipe the fridge door down with damp cloth.
34. Dry the door off with clean towels. 

Now that you have a sparkling clean refrigerator, you need to maintain it.  Maintaining the cleanness of your fridge is super simple. 

1. When thawing meat or anything else that might leak, place it in a shallow pan.  When you remove the meat, remove the pan and clean it so that it will be ready for the next time.
2. As soon as you see a spill wipe it up.
3. This step relates to the step above, wipe down containers BEFORE returning to the fridge.
4. When checking the contents of the fridge for your next grocery trip, wipe down the shelves and drawers.
5. Every night, wipe the door handle and front of the fridge off when cleaning the kitchen up for the evening.

Have a blessed day!

Brandi

 

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