Cleaning and organizing your fridge can feel like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! By following a few refrigerator cleaning tips from our how to clean a fridge guide, you can transform your fridge from cluttered and chaotic to sparkling clean and well-organized.
How to Clean a Fridge And Organize It Properly
Let’s start with learning how to clean a fridge and once it’s clean we’ll move on to organizing.
Cleaning a Refrigerator
- Start by removing everything from the fridge. This includes all the food, as well as any shelves or bins that can be taken out. If you have a lot of items, consider dividing them into piles by type (e.g. produce, leftovers, condiments, etc.) to make the process more manageable.
- Once everything is out of the fridge, it’s time to start cleaning. Begin by wiping down all the surfaces with mild soap and water. Pay extra attention to areas that tend to get dirty, such as the door seals and the corners of the shelves. If you have any tough stains or stuck-on food, use a soft-bristled brush or toothbrush to gently scrub them away.
- If your shelves are removable, you can also put them in the sink and rinse them off with warm water and soap. Just make sure to dry them thoroughly before putting them back in the fridge.
- For harder stains that won’t come off of your shelves or fridge, you can use our method for how to clean a fridge with baking soda. Just mix ½ cup of baking soda with 1 quart of warm water in a bowl. Dip a sponge or cloth into the solution and rub it over the stained area. You can leave it for 10 minutes for harder stains, and then caked-on food should easily wipe off. Next, wipe off any residue with a damp clean cloth.
Cleaning the Outside of the Refrigerator
Once you’ve finished cleaning the inside of the fridge, move on to the exterior.
- Use a mild cleaner and a soft cloth to wipe down the door, handle, and any other visible surfaces. If your fridge has a water and ice dispenser, make sure to clean those as well.
- While you’re cleaning the outside of the fridge, take the opportunity to check and replace the water filter if necessary. This is important to ensure that your water and ice taste fresh and clean.
- Next, we would recommend cleaning your refrigerator coils with a soft vacuum brush, to help your fridge work more efficiently and avoid issues like a refrigerator not cooling properly. Check out our blog for our full refrigerator coil cleaning guide as well as our favorite refrigerator hacks.
Organizing Your Fridge
Once everything is clean and dry, it’s time to start organizing the food with our refrigerator organization tricks.
- Begin by putting all the items that need to be stored in the fridge door (such as condiments, dressings, and butter) in the door bins. This will free up space on the shelves for larger items.
- Next, arrange the items on the shelves according to how often you use them. For example, you might want to put the items you use most often at eye level, so they’re easy to see and reach. It’s also a good idea to store similar items together (e.g. all produce in one area, all the leftovers in another).
- If you have a lot of small items (such as bags of herbs or packages of cheese), consider using bins or containers to keep them organized. This will help prevent them from getting lost in the back of the fridge, and it will make it easier to see what you have when you’re trying to plan meals or make a shopping list.
- Once you’ve finished organizing the food, take a look at your fridge’s temperature settings. Make sure that the fridge is set to a cold enough temperature to keep your food fresh and safe to eat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below for the main compartment of your fridge.
- Finally, take a few minutes to label your food with the date it was purchased or opened. This will help you keep track of what needs to be used up first, and it will prevent you from accidentally eating something that’s past its expiration date.
Cleaning and organizing your fridge may seem like a big task, but learning how to clean a fridge is worth the effort. A clean, organized fridge will not only make it easier to find what you need, but it will also help your food last longer and stay fresher. Plus, it’s a great way to make sure you’re eating healthy and staying on top of your food waste. So take some time to tidy up your fridge this week, and enjoy the benefits of a well-maintained fridge all year round. For any other issues, don’t forget our refrigerator repair team is always here to help.
