5 Best Fridge Cleaning Tips

It may not be a big deal to some, but a dirty refrigerator with expired produce and leftovers that are past their prime can make cooking difficult. If your fridge looks really dirty, smells bad, and is stuffed with old food, the situation becomes even more difficult, especially when you need to plan the next big feast.

To help you get rid of the mess in your fridge before the next feast, we've put together some simple fridge cleaning methods you can try.

1. Take it all out, vacuum it and wipe it from the inside

This is the first and most important step in cleaning your refrigerator. Put on rubber gloves and take everything out - and we do mean everything. Take a trash bag and throw away anything that's spoiled. Then set aside the things you want to keep and put back in.

Next, take a handheld vacuum or a vacuum attachment that can fit in small spaces to remove small crumbs and other debris that has gotten stuck in the cracks. It may seem strange and feel weird to vacuum your fridge, but this is the best way to remove all those nasty particles from those hard-to-reach places.

After that, you can wipe everything down. The cleaning products you use will depend on your personal preferences, but if possible, you should use more than water. This way, you can eliminate some of the odors and get rid of as many lingering germs and residue as possible. You can try disinfecting wipes like those made by Lysol or Clorox, and you can also use a multipurpose spray. For a more natural alternative to these cleaners, you can also fill a spray bottle with hot water and vinegar in a three-to-one ratio.

2. Eliminate the bad smell
Even after cleaning out your refrigerator, you may still be left with an annoying smell. When you start putting things away, it's a good idea to use a natural deodorizer to not only eliminate the current odors, but hopefully prevent more in the future.

One of the most common agents for this is baking soda. You can buy a small can and leave it open on the shelf, or you can take a bowl and put a few scoops in it and put it in the fridge. This will naturally absorb some of the remaining odors.

Another trick is to dip cotton balls in vanilla extract and place them in a bowl on a shelf in the fridge. This adds a nice, subtle layer of a warming vanilla scent that counteracts lingering food odors.

3. Use storage containers to organize

When you're getting ready to put your fridge back away and restock your supplies, having an organization plan is very helpful. One of the easiest tricks to cleaning and organizing your fridge is to purchase some storage containers that can be placed on the shelves to help clear out the clutter.
With these containers you can divide and organize food by type, separating fruits, vegetables, cheese, yogurt and so on. Not only will you appreciate the esthetic appearance of your refrigerator, but it'll also make it easier for you to find things when you're cooking and give you more security when you need to get something in a hurry.

4. Get some splash guards for the shelves

One of the most annoying things that can happen in your refrigerator is when you've gone to the trouble of wiping everything down, only to unintentionally spill some of the various liquids that are inside.

A great and inexpensive trick to prevent unnecessary spills is to get some covers for the shelves. These can simply be placed on the shelves and catch any unexpected spills or drips, making cleanup especially easy.

5. Designate an area that will go bad

This is perhaps one of the most underrated refrigerator cleaning tricks out there. If you've purchased a few organizing bins, designate one of them as a "soon to go perishable" area. In it, you can store everything from sauces to fruits and vegetables to dairy products and so on. This way, things won't be so easily forgotten and left to rot in the back of the fridge, and you'll have those things in view every time you open the door.