You may not realize it but one of the most highly trafficked areas of your home and office is the refrigerator. While you may not see other family members or co-workers on a regular schedule because everyone is busy and coming and going, they are all hitting the fridge at one point or another. From foraging for food to storing drinks and lunches, your cool pal may be seeing a lot of excitement but not a lot of care and consideration.
Use these Pro tips to help keep your refrigerator filth-free and smelling great!
Pre-Clean
Wipe down jam jars, ketchup bottles, salad dressing containers, etc. BEFORE you put it back in the fridge. This helps keep the mess in check before it has a chance to drip onto shelves.
Rotten Towards The Front
Keep all foods that have a tendancy to go bad right away, such as lettuce and fruit, where you can see it. If you can, devote a shelf to those perishable items so you know to eat those things first or rotate out. This will help eliminate those blind searches for rotten food that is giving off a bad stench.
Speaking Of Stench
It’s almost unavoidable. At one point or another you will likely encounter a food gone bad or some causing funky odors to take up residence in your refrigerator. Having a box of opened baking soda hanging out in the back of your fridge works wonders but sometimes it just can’t handle a monster odor. In this case, combine baking soda and coffee grounds in a bowl and leave it in the middle of your fridge. Once the coffee smell dissipates, you will notice a pleasant odor has returned to your chilly friend.
Date Your Fridge
Okay, I’m not talking chocolates and white wine here. Spend a few minutes after shopping trips dating food that will go bad. Either keep a notebook and pen nearby or use a writing pad with a magnet on the back so you can stick it right on the fridge. Mark down the date all of these wonderful things entered your fridge so you can best gauge which item is about to go foul and save your nose from a putrid odor.
Elbow Grease
When you clean your fridge you already know to clean the shelves, walls and door compartments but what about underneath the crisper drawers and along the door seals? It may not seem obvious but those areas accumulate a bunch of gunk. Pull out those bottom crisper drawers and clean the empty space. Also, the seams along the doors and on top of door compartments hold a lot of gross build up. Hit these at least every two weeks (or once a month if you have no pets, no kids and are fanatically clean) for maximum clean. Don’t forget to clean the exterior of your fridge as well. Those handles can get pretty filthy!
Drips And Coils
Probably the least known parts on your fridge, the coils and the drip pan should be on your cleaning checklist at least once every few months. On the back of your fridge are coils – don’t pull on them or try to dislodge them. Instead, take the hose extension of your vacuum and gently clean them. Your drip pan may be a little trickier because you may not actually have one. Not every fridge comes equipped with one. If you have one, remove the grill from the bottom of your fridge and peer inside using a flashlight. They are supposed to be yanked out and cleaned so don’t be afraid to remove it. Drip pans can get quite grotesque so use gloves and hit it with bleach. Light cleaners just won’t do the trick.
Cleaning Solutions
The best way to clean your fridge – outside and in – is to use a green solution. Your food goes in there so bleach and harsh chemicals are not the best idea. Use distilled white vinegar and hot water to scrub mold and mildew out of your refrigerator. You can also mix together two tablespoons of baking soda and one quart of hot water. Make sure you use clean rags and don’t be afraid to use several. Dry the inside with paper towels or clean, dry rags before you put items back into your fridge.
Lazy 101
While there is no alternative to a truly clean and great smelling fridge, if you are running short of time that week or are just looking to breeze through, there is a easier way of keeping things somewhat neat. Line your shelves with plastic wrap, a.k.a. cling wrap, and when they start to get mucked up, simply pull that layer off and lay a fresh one down. It isn’t a long-term solution but it will do in a pinch.
By following these simple tips you can keep your refrigerator sparkling clean and smelling like a new appliance. Not only will your fridge love you, your nose and the noses of those around you will as well. Happy Cleaning!
Isn’t it time to see the difference between clean and Industrial Clean? Call DM Industrial Janitorial Service today to find out just how we can help you!
