How to Clean Your Refrigerator, Refrigerator Coils & More

It is important for you to keep your kitchen appliances clean if you want them to keep working properly.

This is especially important for your refrigerator. After all, it’s where you keep all of your fresh foods. It is easy to let refrigerator get dirty – sometimes food spoils, drinks and sauces could spill from time to time, and there’s a lot of people in and out all day long.

In order to keep your fridge clean, it is critical for you to clean these spills quickly and properly if you want to protect your refrigerator and the food you have in it. There’s a level of cleanliness you need to maintain day to day.

But when its time to give your refrigerator a deep cleaning, there’s a right and wrong way to go about it. The sections below tell you how to go about it the right way.

Tools and Ingredients You Need to Clean a Refrigerator

Before you start the cleaning process, you need to make sure you’ve got the right tools and supplies (we often call this “step 0”).

Typically – as with any household cleaning project – you need some basic supplies: a natural or appliance-approved cleaning solution, a scrubbing tool, and a cloth to wipe down your surfaces.

At Maid Zen, we love recommending distilled white vinegar. It’s inexpensive, its acidic which means its good neutralizing bacteria, and its odorless so it doesn’t leave any scent behind. Distilled, white vinegar can handle just about anything in your refrigerator.

That being said, there are also natural, refrigerator-safe cleaners you can use that will also do the job. Be sure to read your labels and make sure it’s a food-safe product.

What You Need to Properly Clean a Refrigerator

  • Cleaning solution (we recommend vinegar)
  • Wipe-down cloth, preferably microfiber
  • Paper towels
  • Warm water
  • Scrubbing pads

A Step By Step Guide to Properly Cleaning Your Refrigerator

Follow the steps below for a proper, deep clean of your fridge.

Step 1: Remove all items from your refrigerator trays and shelves.

By clearing out your fridge, it makes it so much easier to completely clean it from top to bottom.

Step 2: Make your cleaning solution.

If you’re working with vinegar, create a solution with warm/hot water. We recommend a 1:2 ratio of vinegar to water. The best way to do this is to pour it all into an empty spray bottle and shake it up by hand.

If you’re going to be going to with a pre-made cleaning solution, get that ready.

Step 3: Spray down all shelves and door trays.

Make sure that you get into those hard to reach places. You’ll want the cleaning solution to site for a few minutes.

Step 4: Remove produce and crisping drawers and clean them out in the sink.

As you’re letting your cleaning solution soak in, remove your veggie and fruit trays (often located at the bottom half of your fridge). Spray them out in a sink and set them aside to dry.

Step 5: Wipe down the inside of your refrigerator with a microfiber cloth.

Now that your cleaning solution has had some time to do its job, you can start to wipe down the inside of your refrigerator. Depending on how dirty your fridge was to begin with, this may take a couple run throughs and require more than one single cloth.

Step 6: Once your refrigerator is completely wiped down, replace your vegetable and fruit trays and replace all of the food

That’s it!

Should You use a Specific Refrigerator Cleaner?

If you’re going to go with a non-natural cleaning solution, and want to go with a store bought brand, you should take a look at your refrigerator manual or take a look online of what is recommended and food safe.

In general, vinegar and water will work well; however, if there is a specific item recommended in the manual, you might want to give it a try. Keep in mind that these items can be more costly than our homemade solution.

Additional Refrigerator Cleaning Questions

Now that you know how to clean your fridge like a pro, let’s look at some additional considerations when it comes to cleaning your fridge.

How to Clean Refrigerator Coils

A lot of times, people will want to clean out their refrigerator coils while they’re giving the inside the old one-two.

Cleaning the coils is a completely different process and involves some additional cleaning tools. You will likely need a vacuum cleaner with a brush and crevice attachment. You will also need a small brush and a rag.

  1. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall, unplug it, and locate the coils.
  2. Then, use the brush to knock off any debris and vacuum the coils and floor.
  3. Make sure to put the refrigerator back when you are done.

Cleaning Tips for Stainless Steel Refrigerators

When it comes to stainless steel refrigerators, people are often asking about cleaning the exterior of the fridge, as there aren’t really any stainless steel interior refrigerators.

The best way to keep your stainless steel fridge clean is to use a microfiber cloth and a dedicated stainless steel cleaning solution. You can typically find those in any home good store. If stainless steel cleaner isn’t available, a glass cleaner will also work pretty good. The most important thing here is the microfiber cloth. Simply spray down the exterior and wipe it down.

Get Professional Help Cleaning Your Refrigerator

Even though it is easy for your refrigerator to get dirty, there are professionals who are willing to lend a helping hand. Kitchen cleaning is part of our overall house cleaning service offering for residents of Northeast Houston.

Get in touch with us today for a free quote on your next cleaning project!

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