The main goal of a refrigerator is to keep your food fresh and hygienic for several days from the day you purchased the items. Everything in this world becomes dirty when you do not care for it frequently. So is the refrigerator. A refrigerator if not monitored properly can attract different microbes and instead of keeping your food hygienic, they might get different set of microbes spoiling your food. Sometimes, you do not even know it. Also, different types of odors start to build up inside the fridge as it is a closed structure due to food or the cool air. So, regular maintenance and cleaning of your refrigerator is mandatory to keep your fridge for long years and also to protect your food. In this article, we will detail you on how to clean your fridge. Read through and follow the steps.
=> The first step in cleaning your refrigerator is to empty your refrigerator. You need to take all the food items that you stored inside the fridge including smaller food items. Before emptying your fridge make sure that they do not get spoiled if you keep them outside for an hour. It is advisable to clean your fridge when you have less items inside.
=> If you aren’t using any item from so long and while cleaning you spotted the item, check if it is still usable by noticing the expiry date. If you are sure that you no longer want to use that item, dump them away. This is important because there is no point in storing an item after cleaning your fridge that you aren’t going to use.
=> The refrigerator usually has removable shelves or crispers, which are much easier to clean when taken out separately. Remove and place them near the sink so that it is easier for you to clean them. Now, wash the removed shelves and other surfaces with some dish soap. Do it with a smooth sponge or brush to get a good clean without getting scratches. Remember that the shelves you removed from the fridge might be still cold and if you use hot water to clean them, it might break the glass. It is always safe to use cold water or to bring the shelves to room temperature before cleaning. If you have tough stains on the shelves, you can take a mixture of ammonia and hot water and soak the shelves in it. Once washing is done, they need to be dried completely before replacing them.
=> Once the removable items are done, start cleaning the inside of the refrigerator with a smooth cloth and a cleaning solution. If you want to use natural cleaners, you can take mixture of 1 quart of hot water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda or use mixture of apple cider and hot water. If you still have stains that do not go away with normal cleaning, just use toothpaste and dab the area with it. Do not forget to clean the inside of the refrigerator door which also have shelves.
=> Once this cleaning is done, make sure to dry the inside and the removable shelves with dry cloth. The gasket also needs to be cleaned with a mixture of vinegar and water. Once the gasket is cleaned, dry it and apply lemon oil or mineral oil to it to keep the gasket in good shape. Then you can place your items back in the fridge.
=> After the interior cleaning is done, you need to clean the exterior of your refrigerator too. Move the fridge to the convenient level and start wiping the surfaces in all directions.
=> The back of few refrigerators contain condenser coils which help to release heat back to the ambient air. If any dust is present, the heat cannot be released back properly and the strain on compressor increases. These coils need to be cleaned at least every six months. For that, you need to locate your model’s coils. Some have them on the refrigerator back, some in the front.
=> To clean these coils, you need to first remove the refrigerator from power. Later start using coil brush to remove dirt gently. Do not use any solutions to clean. The fan blade also needs to be cleaned using coil brush and a rag.
=> Once coil and fan are cleaned, vacuum your floor as the dirt is accumulated on the floor. Plug in your refrigerator back to power.
=> The water filter inside the refrigerator needs to be replaced every 6 months.
=> Maintaining your refrigerator is also important once you clean them. To prevent unpleasant odors from spoiled food or any other odors, you can use some ingredients which act as homemade air fresheners like coffee powder, charcoal, etc.,
These are the steps that you need to follow for keeping your refrigerator clean. Follow all the steps to make your refrigerator long lasting and the food also stays hygienic.
Santosh Kumar is a Professional SEO and Blogger, With the help of this blog he is trying to share top 10 lists, facts, entertainment news from India and all around the world.