When it comes to keeping the kitchen clean and organised at the top of most people’s list is the surfaces and cupboards But don’t forget one of the most used areas in your kitchen and that is fridge, so many people forget to clean and organise the fridge and just load foods in weekly without having a good sort through and clean. Fridges can really smell if they are not looked after and a dirty fridge can lead to cross contamination and make us ill. .
42% of UK people clean their fridge once a month, and a shocking 18% clean it only once a year.
Keep on top of your Fridge with these very simple tips
Deep clean your fridge weekly
You are probably thinking to yourself why on earth is she suggesting this does she not realise I run a busy household and work full-time! But this really doesn’t take that long at all. By the day your food shopping arrives your fridge should be nearly empty so this task is automatically easier. Take everything that is left in out and clean shelf by shelf as you go. Decide if the food you have left is still edible and then throw away the rest.
Wipe Shelves
Take the shelves out and simply wash them with warm soapy water. Dry and put back straight away. If you have any sticky patches use a cold scrub daddy.
Check food dates
When cleaning use this time to check through any food that are left and check sell by dates. If you can’t remember how old something is then to be of the safe side I would chuck it out. If sell by dates aren’t easily visible stick a sticky label on the jar/packet with the month and date clearly written.
Leftovers
Keep leftovers in small plastic containers labelled. I find the containers you get after having a Chinese or Indian are really handy and a great size too. Also label the portion size and the date you put it in the fridge.
Wipe down the shelves with warm soapy water and dry. No matter how careful you are, invariably food can drizzle out or spill down the side of a container onto a refrigerator shelf. Clean it all up so you’re ready to reload.food zones. It might seem silly to have zones in your refrigerator, but this is helps me not only remember where things belong, but it’s helpful to other family members and guests who are helping out in the kitchen. You can even use actual labels for the shelves so everyone should know where things go! There are some cute repositionable ones that can make it look nicer toon too. Take note of the height of your items that will go back in so that you can group like items adjust shelf heights if necessary. Another idea is to use bins or plastic baskets to organize items by group. For example, you can keep your entire sandwich making condiments in a bin and when it’s time to make sandwiches, you can pull it out and have everything handy for all preferences without having to open the refrigerator several times.
Food Zones
It’s very important to keep your food in the correct area to avoid food contamination and e-coli.
Dairy products and juices should be placed in the side where cold air blows, this area is cool but not too cold.
Meats and fish should be on the mid-tier shelf
Cheeses and cold meats should be placed in a fridge drawer.
Salad and vegetables can be in one of the drawers, still cool but not too cold so they do not freeze. One of these drawers usually has a humidity control.
Eggs and butter should be placed in a compartment protected by a cover so that they do not get too cold (eggs) or too hard (butter).
If you fridge doesn’t have many compartments use these handy fridge storage baskets and fridge fresh will eliminate bad odours.
Exterior
The exterior of your fridge can get pretty dirty from constant use. Any good general purpose cleaning product should work, and a spray bottle is essential. If you have a stainless steel refrigerator, make sure you read the cautions before you buy a cleaner, so that you can be certain it won’t damage the finish. For a simple cleaning solution, use a mixture of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Buff dry using a Stainless Steel e-cloth
Schedule your fridge clean in your cleaning schedule. I like to clean out my refrigerator weekly, before rubbish collection day and before the shopping is delivered.
Want more cleaning tips then grab a copy of one of my books and I will show you how to clean your house and tidy up your life
