It's Refrigerator Cleaning Time - Home

Often times, when we've competeted our Toronto house cleaning services, our satisfied customers are most impressed by the job we've done with their refrigerator. "It looks new!", they'll exclaim. "How did you guys do that?", they'll ask.

Well, although cleaning your refrigerator can at first (and even sometimes second or third!) seem like a scary proposition, it's really not as overwhelming of a task as it first may seem once you get going (especially if you make a point to do it every month, or so, so that stuff doesn't get too out of control in the first place). But, chances are, if you are reading this article looking for help, you probably haven't cleaned your refrigerator for some time. That's okay. We forgive you.

So, as far as tools are concerned, all you will need are some sponges, paper towels, a bottle of mild dish detergent, a little bit of vinegar or some baking soda, and a few dish towels.

Okay, let's start cleaning!

First, you are going to want to turn the refrigerator off. If that is too hard to do, i.e. if there is no way to turn the refrigerator off inside the refrigerator itself or the plug is too hard to get to, just make sure you turn the temp to the lowest setting.

Once this is accomplished, you are going to have to inspect the bottom of your 'fridge. Does your refrigerator have a drip pan underneath? Most of them do. You may find that the unit has a panel that you can pull off in order to access the drip pan. If you do have one, remove it.

Next up, take EVERYTHING out of your refrigerator. We usually find that in especially neglected refrigerators about half the food will be spoiled, or past it's due date! Throw all that stuff away. You'll be glad you did.

Next, you will want to take out all removable parts from inside the refrigerator. This will usually include crisper drawers, racks, and even the shelves themselves. Put them aside with the drip pan for cleaning.

Alright, now it is time to give those refrigerator parts a bath! Fill the sink, or your bathtub, with warm water and use that dish detergent to turn it into a soapy scene. Before dunking the drip pan and all the other parts into the bath, be sure to wipe out any solid material (often present in those crisper drawers) that you can with a paper towel. Now, in they all go. Hand wash them all, using the sponges and then rinse them in warm water, leaving them to drain in your dish rack, if possible.

Okay, while those are busy drying, it's time to tackle the refrigerator itself. Open 'er up and remove any solid food-related matter from the bottom of the refrigerator with a paper towel and, perhaps, a little soap. Now, wash the inside of the refrigerator with the sponges and some dish-cloths, if you have them, with warm, soapy water. You will probably find that this is much easier to do now that all the extra internal parts of the unit are out of the way.

Now, if your poor, neglected refrigerator is ESPECIALLY smelly, there are additional steps you can take to restore it to a more palatable condition. By putting two tablespoons of baking soda in 1 quart of warm water you've created a powerful odor controlling cleaning agent to use for additional cleaning of the inside of the unit. Also, you can put the rest of the baking soda in it's now opened box inside the refrigerator when you're done to continue fighting odors and bacteria inside your 'fridge.

If that isn't enough, get a cup of vinegar and mix it with one gallon of warm water, a solution that can destroy almost any odor.

Now that you've soaped down the inside of the unit, it's time to rinse it. To do this, simply use a new sponge soaked in warm water, and dry off with the paper towels. Then put back in all the parts that you took out before.

Almost done!

After closing the door, you can now wash the outside of the refrigerator. Be sure to clean as best you can the rubber gasket around the door so that it will continue to seal correctly (as well as look nicer!). Also, it is important to remember that the metal coils located on the back of the refrigerator should be dusted or vacuumed at least several times a year.

So, that's basically it. Turn the refrigerator back on to the recommended temperature, put all the food back in, and you're done.

Congratulations! See? That wasn't so hard.