How to Clean a Refrigerator

Every so often, a refrigerator needs to be cleaned from the inside out. The shelves have to be washed down from milk spills, and food must be tossed out if it has outlived its shelf life. Though it's not the most pleasant task, knowing how to do it efficiently and effectively will save you plenty of time and hassle.

EditSteps

EditCleaning the Refrigerator

1. Take all your food out of the fridge. Place it on a table or counter so the refrigerator is completely emptied out. You'll want to have empty space so that you can survey the damage.
   
2. Throw out any aged, moldy or inedible food, bagging securely to prevent leakage or mold distribution. The yearly or quarterly refrigerator clean often alerts us to items we've completely forgotten about, and which have sadly lost their inevitable fight with Time. 'Tis life. Discard hastily or restock at your own risk.
   
   • Don't be bashful about throwing away the items that you never use. Those pickles that have been sitting in the back of the fridge before grandma got her dentures probably got to go, unless you accidentally want to invite disaster.
   • Empty the bin afterwards to make sure your house doesn't smell of all the food you throw out!
3. Take out any shelving, drawers (e.g. crispers), or other removable surface areas from the refrigerator. Sticking your head into the belly of the refrigerator in order to clean it isn't very pleasant, and it sure isn't that effective. In order to get the job done quicker, you'll probably want to remove shelving and the like and place it near the kitchen sink, where it will be much easier to clean.
   
4. Wash the shelving, drawers, and other surfaces by hand. Most of what you took out of your fridge either won't fit or shouldn't be placed in a dishwasher. Instead, lather up some suds, get a nice brush or sponge to scrub with, and start going at the removable items from your fridge. This is where the rubber meets the road.
   
   • Never wash a cold glass shelf with hot water. The sudden temperature change could shatter the glass. Instead, use cold water or remove the shelf and let it come up to room temperature before washing it.
   • For heavy-duty spills and/or stains, don't be afraid to use the power of hot water and ammonia. Dilute a little bit of ammonia in hot water (1:5 ratio should be plenty) and let the item(s) soak before scrubbing.
   • Be sure to let the shelving, grill, etc. dry out completely on a drying rack before inserting back into the refrigerator.
5. Wipe the inside of the refrigerator with your preferred cleaning solution. Attack any big or stubborn stains and hit all the remaining surfaces with a clean cloth or sponge.
   
   • You probably don't want to use soap or a chemical cleaner on the inside of the fridge, as food will absorb the smell. Instead, use one of the following natural cleaning solutions:
     • 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 quart hot water^[1]
     • 1 part apple cider vinegar to 3 parts hot water
   • For really stubborn stains or buildups, try using a dab of white toothpaste. It serves as an abrasive cleanser and it smells mighty fine to boot.^[2]
6. Make sure to clean the inside of the fridge doors. If your refrigerator door has shelving space and is regularly used, make sure to hit that area too, either with a chemical cleaner or a gentler one (explanation above).
   
7. Dry off shelving before putting it back in its home in the refrigerator. With a clean cloth, wipe off any excess water from your removable shelving and place it back in the refrigerator.
   
8. Clean the gasket using a dissolved solution of ½ water and ½ vinegar or bleach. Don’t saturate the seal with undiluted bleach as this may ruin the integrity of the gasket. Pat the gasket dry and then apply lemon oil, mineral oil, or body lotion on the gasket to keep the rubber supple.
   
9. Reintroduce the food into the refrigerator. Wipe off any jars, bottles, or tupperware and place them back into the refrigerator. Double-check the expiration dates on any perishable items before placing them back.
   

EditCleaning the Exterior

1. Wipe down all exterior surfaces of the refrigerator, including the front, back, sides, and top.
   
   • Pull the refrigerator forward to expose all sides. To avoid scratching your wood floor or tearing linoleum, use an appliance glide when moving your refrigerator.
   • Clean the all exterior surfaces using a towel and all-purpose cleaner.
   • If your model has the coils mounted on the back of the unit, skip wiping the back until Part 3.

EditCleaning the Condenser Coils and Fan Blade

Your refrigerator condenser coils and fan are responsible for releasing heat back into ambient air. If your coils are covered with dust, hair, and debris, heat isn't released properly causing your refrigerator’s compressor works harder to keep the refrigerator cool. Clean your refrigerator condenser coils every six months to keep your refrigerator in optimal condition.

1. Locate the coils. Depending on your refrigerator model, the condenser coils can be located in several places: 1. Along the back of the unit; 2. Mounted under the unit and accessed via the rear panel; 3. In the front of the unit and accessed via the toe grill. For information on your refrigerator's condenser coil location, reference your Use and Care manual.
   
2. Isolate the refrigerator from its power source. It is important to unplug the refrigerator to prevent electric shock. If your unit is built-in or difficult to pull forward, turn off power via your home’s break box.
   
3. Use a coil brush to gently remove dust and debris from the coils. Be extremely careful not to puncture the coils.
   
   • After cleaning the coils with a coil brush, use a vacuum with attached brush to clean up the excess dust and dirt on and around the coils. Do not use a cleaning solution on the coils
4. Use the coil brush and a damp rag to remove dust and dirt from the condenser fan blade. The fan circulates are across the coils, which aids in releasing excess heat. If the fan blade is obstructed in anyway, the coils will have a hard time releasing heat.
   
5. Clean the floor and surrounding area using a vacuum and rag.
   
6. Plug the refrigerator back into electric power and slide the unit back into place.
   

EditReplacing Your Water Filter

It's important to replace your refrigerator water filter every six months. Build up in the filter can cause clogs in your ice maker system and odors or contaminants in your water.

1. Reference your Use and Care manual for information about how to change the filter in your unit.
   

EditKeeping Your Refrigerator Clean and Tidy

1. Do a seasonal (quarterly) pass through your refrigerator to keep it smelling fresh and looking good. Every three months, remove most or all of your food from the fridge and wipe all the surfaces with a baking soda or vinegar solution. Regular maintenance will save you time and energy in the future.
   
   • This almost goes without saying, but if you notice a spill or stain in the fridge, try to clean it up quickly and remove the source of the stain. Spills or stains that aren't cleaned quickly can set and become harder to remove in the future.
2. Use a homemade air freshener to absorb unpleasant smells and keep your fridge odor-free. Before food goes bad, and starts coating the inside of your fridge with regular blasts of bad odors, it's time to act. Here's what you can equip your fridge with to combat these smells:
   
   • A clean sock filled with activated charcoal — from an aquarium store, not from your bbq briquettes. The charcoal absorbs bad odors for up to three months.
   • An opened box of baking soda. Baking soda is another expert odor absorber.^[3] Most baking soda packages say you should change your baking soda out every 30 days, but you can probably get away with 60 to 90 days of use before exchanging.
   • Freshly ground coffee, placed in a small dish at the back of the fridge, also works very well at absorbing odors.
   • Unscented chlorophyll cat litter is yet another odor buster. 1/2" kitty litter in a shallow pan at the back of the refrigerator should eliminate most offending smells.
3. Scent your fridge to give it a subtle fragrance. This may not be for everyone, but some people might enjoy the subtle hint of vanilla, for example, when they open their refrigerator. The operating word in this whole step is "subtle." You probably don't want any fragrance to be overwhelming upon opening of the fridge. Like cologne or perfume, a nice "afterthought" is much more pleasant, especially coupled with food:
   
   • Sprinkle a little vanilla extract, tea tree oil, or essence of lavender, lemon, or even bergamot in a cotton ball and place the cotton ball in a small dish at the back of the fridge. Exchange every couple of weeks.
4. Crumple a piece of a brown paper bag into a ball and place it alongside fruits and veggies in the crisper for odor protection. A crumpled paper bag works wonders at removing smells in the crisper.
   

EditVideo

EditTips

• Clean your fridge out approximately once every month.
• Organize to make things easier to find. Put milk, juices, and other drinks on one shelf, and your dressings, sauces, and similar items in another place.
• Check weekly for bad products to help keep out odors.
• Keep a small jar (with the lid off) of baking soda in the fridge to absorb excess moisture. Please note that it has to be a jar and not a box.
• Keep sauces/marinades in a plastic basket. Easy to take out in one go (eg: for bbqs etc) and if they do spill or break, you can just wash the basket and not the whole fridge.
• Once your fridge is clean, one easy way to keep it clean is to empty and clean just one or two shelves or drawers at a time. The entire fridge is never spotless all at once, but it can stay reasonably clean without being an all-day project. Just make sure to cycle through all the shelves.
• Make sure that no parts will fall so it won't crash and break.
• Put shelf paper on the shelves in the fridge. It keeps the shelves from getting soiled. Once they get dirty just pull up, toss, and reapply a new design or texture!

EditWarnings

• Don't let water or cleaning solution fall into any of the inside vents.
• Old food should be bagged securely and separately before placing inside your regular kitchen trash bag to avoid attracting animals/rodents if the garbage bag is not sealed securely or acquires a rip or tear while outdoors.

EditThings You'll Need

• Vinegar
• Baking soda (optional)
• Water
• Plastic grocery or trash bag(s), if necessary
• Washcloth or sponge
• Cleaner
• Coil Brush
• Vacuum with brush attachment
• Water Filter (optional)

EditRelated wikiHows

• Clean a Coffee Maker
• Clean Copper Bottoms on Pots and Pans
• Clean a Stove
• Clean a Microwave
• Get Rid of Bad Smells in Your Fridge
• Replace a Refrigerator Door Seal

EditSources and Citations

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