Known for their fresh innovations and technologies, Electrolux fridges have been designed to keep your food in optimal conditions for longer. What this means is that you can enjoy all your favourite foods for extended periods of time, way after they’ve been bought or delivered home from the local supermarket, greengrocer or market. And of course, one of the most effective ways to ensure fresh food is to store them properly in a clean fridge.
Cleaning your fridge offers a myriad of benefits that is beyond hygiene and pleasing looks. For instance, a thorough clean of the fridge can assist in creating more space to cool your food and reduce food waste.
How Often Should I Clean My Fridge?
The fridge should be given a deep clean every three to four months.
Can I Clean My Fridge Without Chemicals?
You can naturally clean the fridge without the use of chemicals by making your own solution with some baking soda/vinegar and water. See step 3 below how to create the DIY solution.
A common misconception is that cleaning out a fridge can be time-consuming and laborious, however this doesn’t have to be the case with our step-by-step guide:
1. Schedule a Time
The ideal time to clean a fridge and freezer is just before a big grocery shop when it’s likely that your fridge is almost empty.
2. Prepare a Storage Space
Items from your fridge and freezer will need somewhere to go once they’re removed from your fridge. Clearing your kitchen bench is recommended for this purpose and having an empty ice box or cooler on hand is great for storing cold items such as milk bottles, cheese, ice cream tubs, etc.
3. Have the Right Equipment
Equip yourself with a range of items to make cleaning easier, these include:
- Rubber gloves.
- A sponge or cloth.
- Food-safe DIY cleaning solution: Mix 1 part vinegar and 3 parts hot water. If using baking soda, mix two tablespoons of baking soda with 1 cup hoy water. Double the solution quantity if you think you need more.
- Spray bottle to hold the food-safe container.
- A large microfiber towel to place at the bottom of your fridge to absorb any water drops and spills.
- A recycling bin: put it somewhere nearby as you might be tossing expired, recyclable goods and packaging.
4. Switch off and Empty the Fridge
Power off and start emptying out your fridge and freezer. This is a good time to categorise items together on your temporary storage area to make it easier to re-stock your fridge later. Also use this time to check for expired and spoiled food to throw away. Wipe down any sticky jars and bottles and store perishables and easy melt items in a portable cooler or ice box if you intend to clean your fridge thoroughly.
5. Remove and soak
This includes the fridge and freezer’s shelves, drawers and door pockets. It’s vital to do this step once the inside of the fridge comes to room temperature as moving them when they’re cold may cause cracks and other damages. Soak items in the kitchen sink with soapy hot water. Items too big for the sink can be wiped down with some dish soap and hot water.
6. Spray the inside of the fridge
Use the DIY cleaning solution made earlier (see step 3) and spray it all over the interior of the fridge and freezer. Focus on areas with hard-on spills and stickiness. The solution will tackle the mess and also help deodorise the fridge. After you’ve sprayed, leave it to soak.
7. Wash the shelves and drawers
Mess on the soaked shelves and drawers should be loosened and now is the perfect time to wipe them down. Clean them with some dish soap before rinsing with water. Let them dry as you return to the fridge’s interior.
8. Clean the fridge’s interior
Wipe down all interior surfaces with a soft sponge or microfibre cloth. Ensure to rinse and squeeze out the cleaning cloth regularly to ensure clean surfaces.
9. Put back shelves and drawers
Once all washed shelves, drawers and door compartments are dried, you can place them back into your fridge and freezer. Use this time to move all your food back into their place and clean bottles and jars before you place them back. Don’t forget to turn the fridge back on!
10. Clean the outside of your Fridge
When everything is back in its place in the fridge and freezer, spray your DIY cleaning solution all over the exterior of the fridge including the handles, edges, and seals. Then use a soft and clean microfibre cloth to wipe it off.
Hot tip: have a fridge with a water dispenser? Use the time you clean the fridge as the time to replace your water filter so that you can manage both tasks at the same time, every time. Water filters should be replaced every 4-6 months for maximum effectiveness.