Cleaning your refrigerator is a daunting task. The fear of discovering leftovers from two years ago or finding mold growing on a now un-recognizable food can be an awfully powerful argument to leave the fridge as is.
Here are the steps I took to clean my refrigerator:
- Remove everything from the refrigerator – this is a good time to check expiration dates and to pitch anything that is old or that you’ll never use.
- Remove shelves and bins and wash them in warm soapy water – this step works best if you have a bigger sink to accommodate the large bins and shelves (a laundry room wash tub works perfectly).
- While your shelves and bins are drying wipe down the inside of your refrigerator with an all-purpose cleaner. Make sure to clean your door gaskets as well and inspect them for damage.
- If you haven’t replaced your water filter in a while, now is a good time to do so.
- Once everything is dry, replace your shelves and bins.
- Replace all food but first wipe down any jars or bottles before returning them to your refrigerator.
- Place a box of baking soda or a Fridge Aid refrigerator deodorizer inside your refrigerator to eliminate odors. I recently tried out the Fridge Aid deodorizer and found it to be significantly more effective at eliminating odors than the box of baking soda we normally use in our fridge. The extra deodorizing power of the Fridge Aid deodorizer was very important to me while I was trying to get smells under control for my pregnant wife.
- Clean the outside of your refrigerator. If you own a stainless steel refrigerator, consider using rubbing alcohol or vinegar to remove fingerprints and restore the shine to the exterior of your refrigerator. Use a condenser coil cleaning brush to clean your condenser coils in order to keep your refrigerator running smoothly.
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Refrigerator Maintenance Tips
- Get organized! Keep the items in your refrigerator sorted. Go through your refrigerator weekly and toss out items you are no longer using (it is best to do this on trash day to ensure you won’t be attracting animals to your trash bin throughout the week). Make sure to clean up any spills or messes when they happen instead of leaving them for a later date.
Follow these steps and you’ll be able to keep your refrigerator clean for a long time!
You can also get any GE refrigerator parts or other parts needed at Repair Clinic.
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