cleaning the kitchen doesn t mean just wiping the work surfaces and washing the cooker top only it includes the refrigerator too the fridge is the workhorse of the kitchen it is one of the most important places that should be kept clean stale food in your refrigerator can pollute fresh food products with fungus and bacteria increasing your family s risk of ingesting spoilt food and contracting food poisoning there is even more risk with raw meats and fish that can potentially spread germs like e coli and salmonella consider having a schedule that will help to maintain high standards of hygiene in your kitchen be sure to use the right products to clean your fridge gather a few natural cleaning ingredients and common household items such as baking soda water dish soap and dry cloths then move your food to a cooler and you re all set to tackle the task of cleaning a refrigerator here s how to clean a fridgestart with removable shelves and drawers unless they have heavy food residue then you should give them a good long soak in a basin of warm water and dishwashing soap this first step includes removing and hand washing removable refrigerator shelves wire racks and drawers in hot water and mild dish soap warm up any glass components to room temperature before bringing them in contact with hot water to prevent the glass from cracking cover stubborn food spills with a warm wet cloth for a few minutes to soften the spills before removal with any non abrasive scrubber don t forget the bottom of your wire racks which is a spot that attracts debris and stubborn stains consider using a dedicated cleaner designed for the refrigerator a food friendly antibacterial cleaner or even a natural homemade solution try this homemade solution which consists of paste formed from baking soda and warm water or with a white distilled vinegar and warm water solution you might consider adding a few drops of lemon juice to eliminate the strong smell of the vinegar an open dish of baking soda left in the fridge will absorb any strong food smells how to clean the fridge interiorgrab baking soda and some water to start cleaning drawers and shelves you can t remove along with the sides of the internal compartment clean inside your fridge with a mixture of 1 part baking soda and 7 parts water use minimum amounts of commercial cleaners as their scent might transfer to food work from top to bottom to prevent drips from landing on already clean surfaces designate a toothbrush for cleaning or toothpicks to reach cracks and spaces you can t get to with a cloth such as hinges and other hardware wipe everything dry with a clean towel how to remove fridge odorsdon t allow your refrigerator to foster an ideal environment for bad odors take necessary action you can tackle foul refrigerator smells without using any harsh chemical cleaners once you ve rinsed and dried all surfaces fill an open container with dry baking soda and leave it on the bottom shelf to deodorize your refrigerator this will absorb any future odors from lingering near your food so keep it there when you refill your fridge declutter and organize your fridge toss any expired or spoiled food group like items together once your refrigerator is clean and deodorized put everything back don t miss the rubber gasket around the fridge door it needs to be cleaned regularly to maintain a tight seal use warm water and liquid dish soap for normal grime and a bleach based cleaner if you find any mold rinse thoroughly and wipe dry then coat the seal with a thin layer of petroleum jelly to keep it from drying out how to clean a refrigerator exteriorkeep your refrigerator sparkling with a good exterior cleaning simply wipe with a cloth sprayed with an all purpose cleaner giving a little extra elbow grease to the handles where grime tends to build up occasionally wipe down the top of the refrigerator too clean your refrigerator water dispenserwe all enjoy fresh filtered water from the refrigerator give the water dispenser a good cleaning from time to time to clean it wipe the tray down with a vinegar based cleaner and dry if the tray is removable take it out and clean it in your sink be sure to clean underneath the tray too use a toothbrush or toothpicks to get in any nooks crannies and vents