THE BIG CHILL
How to clean your refrigerator and what to do to keep it that way
Cleaning the fridge can be a chore, but you'll be taking a step toward ensuring food safety in your home and it looks nice, too.
Here's how to tackle the job. The interior: “Wipe drips and puddles when you see them,” says Carolyn Forte, director of the home appliances and cleaning products lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Store food in airtight, leakproof containers. Remove spoiled food as soon as possible. Try to incorporate cleaning into your routine by cleaning before you put away each week's groceries.
Spills and spoiled food can leave behind mould spores or encourage the growth of bacteria, making other food go bad. Sadler says that odours can also invade the freezer.
Sadler recommends a deep clean of the refrigerator every six months. Ideally, this involves emptying out the refrigerator and unplugging it or turning it off at the circuit breaker. Have a cooler ready, though your freezer should be OK for a while as long as you don't open it, similar to if you experience a power outage. Remove as many shelves and drawers as you can and let them come to room temperature, as washing cool materials with warm water can cause them to crack.
If you can't turn off the fridge or remove the bins and shelves, use cool water to wash them, Forte says. Wash with a mild detergent and water, rinse thoroughly and wipe dry. For stuck-on messes, Forte says to cover them with a warm, damp dish towel to soften them pre-scrubbing.
The USDA recommends against cleaning with solvent cleaning agents or abrasives, which can “allow chemical fumes/tastes into your food and ice cubes and make them unsafe to eat.” Moreover, Sadler says, such cleaners can damage surfaces. She says even baking soda may prove too abrasive. In the event of a big mess, such as leaking meat juices, or a food recall, you may wish to sanitize with a diluted bleach solution after soap and water. The USDA says to combine 1 tablespoon bleach (15 ml), with 1 gallon (4 L), water, then wipe down the surfaces. After, leave the door open for 15 minutes to allow air circulation.
The exterior: Simple soap and water is fine. If your refrigerator is stainless steel, you can use a product specially formulated for appliances. Forte says stainless steel cleaners intended for sinks and cookware can damage appliances. If you have the newer fingerprint-resistant stainless, avoid using stainless appliance cleaner, as it can harm the coating. Use sudsy water or even just a damp microfibre cloth. Forte says non-stainless surfaces can be treated with sudsy water, too, or an all-purpose spray cleaner. Forte says it can be easy to overlook handles and the rubber gaskets on the doors, the latter of which are notorious for trapping crumbs you don't even know the source of (guilty!). Simply wipe the gaskets out to remove any debris, or use a vacuum attachment or hand vac, and then go for that trusty detergent and water. Soap and water solution is also good for touch screens, Sadler says, if you have a smart refrigerator. No Windex, please. Underneath/behind: The space under the fridge is a black hole for dried beans, grains of rice, dog food and anything small that can slide under, not to mention dust. Paying attention to these spots at least once a year will lead to better appliance efficiency, good for your electric bill and the environment. Sadler suggests dusting at least once a month, which is sufficient enough so that you don't have to worry about getting behind the fridge. (Whirlpool does not recommend consumers move the appliances to clean.) Use a vacuum hose with an attachment or a duster. Air (i.e. odours): First, if you're not sure where the smell is coming from, check for spoiled food. If you find any, get rid of it. Otherwise, here are a few other suggestions.
Wiping the interior with an equal mix of water and vinegar can destroy mildew. You can place some fresh coffee grounds or baking soda in a shallow container at the bottom of the refrigerator (and freezer,).
Vanilla is another handy air freshener. The USDA suggests soaking a cotton swab to place in the refrigerator and freezer, though I've also had success with some poured onto a small, shallow plate. If you have a really pervasive problem, stuff the refrigerator and freezer with rolled newspapers, letting them sit for a few days and then doing the water-vinegar wash.
Filters: Most refrigerators have at least a water filter, and some have separate filters for ice and water. Generally those need to be replaced every six months. Your refrigerator may have an indicator when it's time to change a filter.