As some of you know, I'm a writer and I have several published articles on the web. I thought this one in particular was appropriate as Thanksgiving draws near and the holidays are quickly approaching. I try to keep my cleaning tasks as manageable as possible by chipping away at them little by little instead of having them pile up on me, which then requires a huge spring cleaning. Here is a guide that I put together so you can stay on top of your largest appliance-the fridge.
FRIDGE CLEANING GUIDE
Cleaning our fridge is generally not at the forefront of our mind until things start piling up. To avoid this problem, a weekly quick clean is best. If you follow these simple steps you will never have to do a fridge spring clean again! Here's how:
1. Wipe Down- Use a sponge or light, soft scrubbing pad and soak with soap and water or a kitchen cleaner to wipe down the exterior of the fridge. If you have lots of papers and magnets on the fridge, take those off first. Consider only keeping 3 magnets on the side or front of the fridge as this tends to instantly make a kitchen look cluttered. Remove all sticky marks, fingerprints and don't forget to wipe the top of the fridge for dust if you have access to the top.
2. To eat, or not to eat? Open your fridge and pull out a garbage bag. Do a process of elimination by sorting, keeping and tossing. Go shelf by shelf and start grabbing items and looking at expiry and best before dates. Anything expired goes into the garbage. Likewise anything that looks like a leftover (and you are unsure of when it was placed in there) goes too. Any other items that you don't need, want or use will also go. Anything you truly need and do use will go back in after the cleaning, set aside on the counter in one area. Do the same with the freezer
3. Clean on the inside. This is the most important part of the process. Now that the fridge is free from food items and containers you can take each glass shelf out and clean with kitchen spray or soap and water followed by a wipe down with glass cleaner. Make sure the inside corners and walls of the fridge are also wiped down. In the door of the fridge you'll clean each storage compartment then move to the fruit and veggie crispers etc. Take a good look and make sure that everything is sparkling. Wipe down all the bottles and containers with soapy water, dry and replace into the fridge.
4. Keep Odor under Control- Place a new opened box of baking soda at the back of the top shelf of the fridge. This will help keep odor in check as the baking soda absorbs bad smells. Always take a permanent marker and write the date on the box. Remember to change it every 3 months. In addition always place items in the fridge in either a plastic sealed bag or plastic container. If you leave an onion half-cut in the crisper, you fridge will smell like an onion and your milk and juices will taste like it. Smells travel so keep them at bay. Also add a baking soda box to the freezer and follow the same premise.
5. Keep Leftovers in the Clear. There is nothing worse than opening leftovers from a month ago and having to smell and see what is inside. Know what is inside of every container by investing in some inexpensive clear storage containers. You might want to use some clear labels to list the date and the contents. Leftovers will get buried in opaque containers. You are also more likely to see the item and eat it instead of wasting it as it winds up in the trash.
6. Everything in its Place- Set up your fridge so that like items are located in the same place. For example all condiments can live in the fridge door on one or two shelves All large containers of juice, milk and water are best on the top shelf of the fridge. Raw meat belongs on the bottom shelf as not to cross-contaminate should it leak. Each shelf can have a theme almost. Shelf two could be grain products like muffins, bagels, bread and maybe the associated spreads like peanut butter or butter. Use the fruit and vegetable crispers separately for what they are intended. This makes for faster cooking and preparation when you don't have to search the whole fridge for one item.
7. Stay on top of it! It is easy to see a gooey jam spill in the fridge and say "I'll get it later". Later usually becomes never and then everything else becomes sticky too. You'll do yourself a huge favor by selecting a day, maybe the same day you clean the rest of your home or a grocery shopping day, to keep it clean. When you look into your fridge weekly you'll only need to wipe it down, glass clean a few shelves, wipe down a couple containers and toss an item or two that has expired.
The Fridge can seem like a whale of a job but only if you let it get that far. Tackle this big job once today and the payoff will be well worth it as you will spend minimal time with its upkeep. Not only is it presentable to your family members and house guests, it is a way to keep your home more hygienic and your family free from unexpected food-related illnesses.
For another great home cleaning post using natural ingredients click HERE. For some quick tips on how to keep a clean car click HERE.
Out of interest, who does the cleaning in your home-yourself, your spouse, roomate or are the duties shared?
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