Clean your fridge using a tiered schedule to keep it sanitary and energy-efficient:
How Often Should You Clean Out Your Fridge? You should always clean refrigerator spills and leaks as they occur and aim to deep clean your fridge every three to four months. After all, your fridge is one of your home's most important and useful appliances. Cleaning it regularly helps ensure it functions well.
No matter how tidy your fridge is, there's probably something in there that should be thrown out. Examples include condiments that have been opened for over 12 months, leftovers older than 4 days, and fresh meat and seafood past their prime.
8 mistakes to avoid when deep cleaning your fridge
The best and safest way to clean the inside of your fridge is using a simple mix of distilled white vinegar, warm water, and a drop of mild dish soap. This DIY solution cuts through grime, neutralizes food odors, and is 100% food-safe.
While white vinegar is an excellent natural cleaner, its acidity means it can damage certain surfaces, strip finishes, or cause rust. You should generally avoid using it on:
Tip: Avoid bleach
Unfortunately, this is not a recommended cleaning solution for refrigerators. Not only can it harm materials in the fridge, but you also risk contaminating your food.
Samsung and LG are the refrigerator brands with the highest volume of consumer complaints. Repair technicians and major consumer databases frequently flag these models due to specific, recurring design flaws.
The compressor, coils and control board are the most expensive repairs. Your fridge's brand, model and size, plus your location, will impact repair costs. If your refrigerator is more than 6 years old and it will cost you more than half its original price to repair it, consider replacing it instead.
Tips for Cleaning Your Fridge
Never taste food to know if it is safe to eat. When in doubt, throw it out. Throw out perishable food in your refrigerator (meat, fish, cut fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk, and leftovers) after 4 hours without power or without a cold source like ice. Throw out any food with an unusual smell, color, or texture.
Keep produce that is ripening, cold-sensitive items, and foods prone to textural damage out of the refrigerator. The cold causes starches to convert to sugar, alters flavor profiles, and destroys moisture content. Store these items on a counter or in a cool, dark, and dry pantry.
Bleach should never be used inside your fridge, as lingering chemical residue could come into contact with your food. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner's formula powers out grime, cuts through grease and oils, and removes difficult stains without bleach.
A standard deep clean takes about 1 to 2 hours. This includes completely emptying the fridge, checking expiration dates, removing and washing shelves/drawers in the sink, scrubbing the interior, and wiping down the exterior.
Start by turning off the fridge and freezer.
Either switch off or unplug the fridge and freezer. This is especially important for the freezer, since cleaning it while it is running could damage the unit and turning it off will give it a chance to defrost.
The Amish keep food cold using a variety of off-grid methods, tailored to the strictness of their local church district. Common practices include:
There is no single "number one" refrigerator brand, as the best option depends on your priorities. However, industry experts and consumer testing currently highlight three top brands:
Bottom-freezer refrigerators should be repaired within seven years and considered for replacement after that. Top-freezer refrigerators should be repaired within three years, considered for repair within three to six years, and replaced if older than seven years.
Whirlpool and Bosch are widely rated as the most reliable, longest-lasting mainstream refrigerator brands, often lasting 15 to 20 years with minimal repairs. For ultra-premium luxury, Sub-Zero is the undisputed leader, engineered to last 20+ years.
Choosing between GE and LG depends on whether you value long-term reliability or advanced technology.
Step 1: Let It Settle
If you power it up too soon, that oil may not have returned to its correct place, which could impact performance, or worse, damage the appliance. At Hotpoint our recommendation is to wait 2 hours before plugging in your new fridge freezer.
No, neither ketchup nor mustard strictly needs to be refrigerated to remain safe to eat. Both are naturally high in acidity and vinegar, which acts as a preservative against bacteria and mold. However, manufacturers recommend refrigeration to maintain the best flavor, color, and texture.
If the time out of fridge is between two and four hours, the food is suitable for use or sale, but cannot be put back in a refrigerator. If the time out of fridge is more than four hours, the food cannot be used and must be discarded.