The very first thing you should do before cleaning your refrigerator is unplug it to save energy and prevent the motor from running while the door is open for extended periods. If you are cleaning a standalone freezer or a unit heavily stocked with perishable items that need to stay cold, you can skip unplugging it and simply turn the temperature control dial to "off."
Tips for Cleaning Your Fridge
There are a variety of household cleaning products that you can use to help refresh your refrigerator, including dishwashing soap, warm water and a vinegar solution.
After cleaning the refrigerator with hot, soapy water, use a solution of 1 tablespoon of liquid bleach in 1 gallon of water to sanitize your refrigerator. Put the shelves, drawers, and other removable parts back in the refrigerator, along with any items you took out.
The best and safest cleaner for the inside of a refrigerator is a simple DIY mix of warm water and mild dish soap or a 1:1 solution of white vinegar and water. These all-natural, food-safe options cut through grime and neutralize odors without leaving behind toxic chemical residues.
8 mistakes to avoid when deep cleaning your fridge
Some cleaning tips recommend you clean your refrigerator with vinegar and/or lemon juice, but these solutions lack the surfactants needed to help penetrate and loosen sticky spills and gunky spots. Bleach should never be used inside your fridge, as lingering chemical residue could come into contact with your food.
Refrigerating the wrong items can ruin their flavor, alter their texture, and cause them to spoil faster. Avoid keeping produce like tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and garlic in the fridge, as well as pantry staples like bread, coffee, and honey, to maintain optimal quality.
If you've eaten a food that's been recalled because of a listeria outbreak, watch for symptoms of illness. Call your healthcare professional if you have a fever, muscle aches, upset stomach or loose stools. The same goes for illness after eating foods that might be tainted.
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.
Dish soap has the ability to lubricate and break down the bonds of fats and grease. When poured into the toilet, dish soap helps lubricate the waste causing the clog, while also breaking down its structure, allowing it to easily flow down the drain.
Yes, you can use Clorox wipes inside your fridge. However, because the fridge stores food, it is important to take safety precautions to avoid chemical residue:
People put crumpled aluminum foil in the dishwasher primarily as a hack to make silver or stainless steel utensils and cutlery look shinier.
The 20-minute rule in cleaning (often combined with the 10-minute break as the 20/10 Rule) is a productivity method where you set a timer and clean as quickly and intensely as possible for 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, you immediately stop cleaning and take a mandatory 10-minute break.
Deep cleaning your refrigerator keeps it smelling fresh and prevents bacteria growth. Follow these essential steps: empty the fridge, remove and wash shelves/drawers, wipe down the interior walls, and clean the exterior.
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.
The best, safest, and most effective thing to use to clean the inside of your fridge is a simple DIY mixture of white vinegar and warm water (or baking soda for tough stains). These natural ingredients cut through grime, kill bacteria, and neutralize odors without leaving behind harsh, food-tainting chemical smells.
Yes, but proceed with extreme caution. Fabuloso is a multi-surface cleaner that can be used on plastic and acrylic, but its strong perfume easily absorbs into food. If you use it, you must heavily dilute it and wipe the fridge down thoroughly with clean water to prevent your food from tasting like chemicals.
Listeria symptoms usually show up 1 to 4 weeks after eating contaminated food, but can appear anywhere from 1 to 70 days later.
Early signs of a Salmonella infection usually start suddenly and appear within 6 hours to 6 days after exposure. Common symptoms include a fever, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), stomach (abdominal) cramps, nausea, vomiting, and headache.
While washing can reduce the amount of Listeria bacteria on the surface of fruits and vegetables, it cannot completely wash it off. Listeria is known to be quite resilient and can adhere to produce or hide in tiny crevices on the skin.
You can survive off of potatoes and whole milk. Together, these two foods contain nearly every essential nutrient your body needs to function—including carbohydrates, protein, fats, and essential vitamins and minerals.
The Amish generally use propane (gas) refrigerators, solar-powered appliances, or traditional iceboxes stocked with harvested pond ice. Because their Ordnung (community rules) forbid direct connection to the public electrical grid, they rely on alternative energy and low-tech cooling solutions to keep food fresh.
Fruits that should not be refrigerated include bananas, apples, melons, and berries. Keep in mind that many fruits will ripen more quickly when left at room temperature but will stay fresh longer if refrigerated once ripe.