If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the refrigerator is the heart of the kitchen, beating nonstop and keeping food fresh and safe to eat. A clean and healthy refrigerator maintains efficiency and doesn't accumulate odors.
To thoroughly clean the inside of a refrigerator, the first step is to remove everything in it: food, containers, shelves and bins. When removing food, throw away anything past its expiration date and anything that hasn't been used in the last six months. Set the shelves and bins aside for now.
Liberally spray the empty fridge with your favorite all-purpose cleaner and sprinkle any stains with baking soda. Let the spray and the soda sit while washing the shelves and bins; use hot water and soap with a non-scratch sponge or microfiber cloth. Rinse with hot water and let air dry.
Wipe away the all-purpose cleaner and baking soda from the inside of the refrigerator and scrub any remaining stains or spills with an old toothbrush. Start from the top and work your way down; see the Clean My Space video below for a demonstration. Give the inside a final wipe with a damp cloth to remove any remaining cleaning product.
Thoroughly wipe down every item that will go back into the refrigerator. This means cleaning the bottoms, sides and tops of every sticky jelly jar and drippy ketchup bottle. A cloth dampened with hot water makes this job much easier.
Return the dry shelves to their proper locations, then return the clean food and containers. Line the bins with paper towels before replacing them and filling with produce. Fresh paper towels every week will prevent sticky build-up from old vegetables.
To prevent future odors in the fridge, store an opened box of baking soda or clean sock full of activated charcoal in the back; replace with a fresh box or sock every 2-3 months. If you like a fresh smell to your fridge, soak a few cotton balls in vanilla or orange extract and put them on a shallow dish.
To get rid of temporary odors,
Martha Stewart recommends spreading unscented chlorophyll cat litter or fresh coffee grounds in a shallow pan and placing it in the refrigerator until the odor is absorbed. Odors in the vegetable bin will be absorbed by a crumpled brown paper bag left in the bin for 48 hours.
If you've tried all of the above and can't identify the source of a foul odor from the refrigerator, check for a drip tray underneath, says
HGTV. The tray collects condensation from the fridge and can develop a nasty smell. Check your owner's manual for specific instructions for locating, removing and cleaning your refrigerator's drip tray.
A thorough cleaning and deodorizing of your refrigerator every six months or so will help keep the heart of your kitchen beating efficiently and smelling fresh.
