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[Home](https://www.themanual.com/) 2. [Food & Drink](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/) 3. [How tos](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/how-tos/) # How to Clean a Fridge for a Better Overall Kitchen By [Mark Stock](https://www.themanual.com/users/markstock/) Published March 30, 2022 Save  Image used with permission by copyright holder A good fridge is a well-used one, sure, but it's also clean. When it's messy, it's a drag and only worsens until the problem is fixed. With so many potential spills, leaks, and residues in there, why not clean it right and keep it that way? Don't forget that while it's cool in your refrigerator, it's also usually dark and home to a lot of living — or at least perishable — items. That means it's a potential breeding ground for mold and other unwelcome, potentially sickness-causing guests. Anybody who has left on a trip in a hurry and failed to check the fridge before departure knows as much. Recommended Videos ### Difficulty Moderate Cleaning a fridge seems like a massive endeavor most of us would like to avoid but in reality, it's not so bad, especially if you keep on top of things. Here are a few suggestions to support you through the process.  Image used with permission by copyright holder ## How to Clean Your Fridge First things first, you should probably do a standard clean at least bi-monthly and a deep clean every six-to-eight months. No matter which version you're doing, unplug the fridge beforehand. The alarm gets annoying fast and there's no reason to let all that cool air out of the open doors. Next, empty it out. For a standard clean, just take out the things that most likely to drip (open milk, juice, leftovers). For a deep clean, get it all out of there, you'll want to gain access to every bit of surface area. A regular clean doesn't require more than hot water and some soap. If there are problem areas (spills or other significant build-ups), soak them with wet rags for a spell while you work on other sections of the fridge. A quick soak will loosen things up and make them easier to clean. With a deep clean, throw a little bleach in the mix or couple your soapy water scrub with some all-purpose cleaner, making sure it's food safe (there are special products for this). If you want something easy to whip up at home, just mix up some water and vinegar (1:3 ratio) and use that to clean. Just be sure to scrub it down with some hot water afterward. Don't forget the exterior. Use something soft on your stainless steel and, during a deep clean (or if you have children or just don't like germs) consider sanitizing the handles and most-frequented parts of the outside with an ethanol solution or similar. Establish a regular cleaning regimen, even if it's a light one. An easy approach is to simply wipe things down and access the general state of the fridge every time you unload groceries.  c ## Use the Right Tools You don't need much to clean a fridge but a few items will make things much, much easier. A sponge is great for most of the interior, just be sure to designate it as a fridge sponge and don't mix it up with your dish sponge. A wiper is great for cleaning flat and clear areas as well as collecting any leftover cleaning moisture. Also, have some microfiber cloths handy for more sensitive parts of the fridge. A coiled brush of some is helpful, too, especially for hard-to-reach areas like underneath the appliance. A vacuum or Dust Buster can be quite useful here too, especially early on when you're just looking to get the crumbs out of the way prior to any scrubbing. A small scraper can be of use especially in the freezer where you may need to plunge in and pretend you're [The Alpinist](https://www.themanual.com/culture/best-documentaries-on-netflix-right-now/) and deal with some tricky ice areas.  Image used with permission by copyright holder ## Hidden Areas Your fridge has more going on than you might think. Remember that if it's on the newer end, it likely has a water filter. Check your manual about cleaning that, something you should probably do about every deep clean. Of course, there's underneath the fridge, a scary area you might not even want to look at (hence the elongated brush), but very much worth cleaning as stuff likes to collect there and can attract bugs or mice. Also, examine the internal light fixture to make sure it's nice and clean to maximize visibility. Clean out any gunk near dials as well so that you can properly control the temperature of both the fridge and the freezer. If your fridge has a water and/or ice dispenser, clean that, too. A toothbrush is ideal for cleaning those kinds of spouts and can scrub off any remnants with relative ease. ## More Tips The best advice we can give is to clean your fridge fairly often. Not weekly, but consider monthly or thereabouts if your fridge gets a lot of use. A little cleaning here and there is often much easier than a deep clean once a year. As the [CDC rightly recommends](https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/pdfs/5-steps-to-clean-your-refrigerator.pdf), also clean your fridge thoroughly anytime you've had a food recall. This goes for all the goods and shelf space the tainted foods made contact with as well. While most shelves are plastic these days some are glass. If you do clean these, allow them to warm up a bit on your kitchen countertop prior to cleaning as they could crack going straight from the fridge to the hot water treatment.  [Mark Stock](https://www.themanual.com/users/markstock/) Contributor [facebook](https://www.facebook.com/mark.stock.161) [linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-stock-44264811) Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since… Topics - [How-tos](https://www.themanual.com/topic/how-tos/) - [Food & Drink](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/) What to expect at Virgin Voyages Test Kitchen: A 5-course mystery dining experience A dining experiment you can try while at sea  Inspired by the cookbook Ma Cuisine by Auguste Escoffier, the Test Kitchen restaurant concept on Virgin Voyages cruises sets itself apart from your typical cruise ship dinner. Unlike your standard restaurant meal, where you select your meal from a menu, the Test Kitchen offers a five-course, fixed menu that only lists a few basic ingredients. The limited-knowledge menu means guests enter the Test Kitchen not fully aware of the meals they're about to consume -- making each course like an experiment. As someone who likes to study menus before visiting any restaurant, this dining location was actually the one I was looking forward to least on my recent Virgin Voyages Greek Island Glow voyage. Luckily, I took a chance on this unique dining concept, which completely took me by surprise. Here's a look inside the experience at this innovative dining concept, which makes your dinner into an adventure. [Read more](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/virgin-voyages-test-kitchen/) - [Food & Drink](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/) 8 best whole bean coffees for a cup you can count on every time What to buy when you want reliable coffee beans  Almost everyone can agree that most shoppers are met with an overwhelming number of options when it comes time to buy whole bean coffee rather than ground coffee. At the end of the day, we all want the same thing: a delicious and reliable cup of coffee. The kind of coffee that makes you want to get up and out of bed in the morning. There's nothing worse than trying a new brand (and getting pulled in by its packaging) only to find the quality is less than ideal. Luckily, we've done the work for you and narrowed down eight of the best whole bean coffees on the market — so you don't need to waste your time (or money). From organic to low-acid options, these eight best whole bean coffee brands offer something for every coffee drinker. After all, everyone deserves to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee (and avoid disappointment). [Read more](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/whole-bean-coffee/) - [Food & Drink](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/) How to roast coffee beans: A beginner’s guide How to get started roasting green coffee beans  The average home coffee drinker buys pre-roasted coffee beans (I know I do). Yet, many coffee lovers have taken a deep dive into exploring specialty coffee and may have considered roasting their coffee beans at home. Learning how to roast coffee beans takes some time, dedication, and research, but it's certainly achievable. Roasting coffee beans gives you more control over the coffee roast and can be a rewarding (and valuable) hobby. But how do you get started? Here's what you should know before taking the leap and what steps to take to learn how to roast coffee beans at home. [Read more](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/how-to-roast-coffee-beans/) ## More Food and Drink Guides  ### [How to freeze-dry food: 4 easy methods to preserve your produce](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/how-to-freeze-dry-food/)  ### [Equal parts drinks: The formula for infinitely varied cocktails](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/equal-parts-cocktails-guide/)  ### [Bitters, syrups, and tinctures: Add pizazz to your cocktails](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/bitters-syrups-and-tinctures-for-cocktails-guide/)  ### [Pick the right types of cocktail glasses: What you need to know](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/types-of-cocktail-glasses-guide/)  ### [3 twists on a Bloody Mary for the ultimate Sunday cocktail](https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/bloody-mary-variations/)  **Upgrade your inbox: sign-up for our newsletters** Check your inbox\! 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