What You Need
A sponge
Dish soap
Dish towels
Glass cleaner and a paper towel or two
Plenty of counter space or a card table for organizing food
A trash can
An old toothbrush (optional)
If you have a stainless steel refrigerator: Stainless steel cleaner, vinegar, or oil and a soft cloth
If you have an enameled steel refrigerator: A multipurpose cleaner
Instructions
1. (optional) Unplug the fridge. If the interior needs serious scouring, you can clean and save some energy while you’re doing it. If you do decide to unplug your fridge, the whole process shouldn’t take too long and shouldn’t harm any of your food.
2. Take everything out of the doors and start placing them on the counter. You can bring in a small card table to setup to temporary place your food.
3. Get rid of expired products and consolidate doubles. Who really needs two jars of green curry or that quarter bottle of cooking wine that had been in the fridge for two months? This is also a good time to group like items – all condiments together, salad dressings together.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the rest of the fridge. Then repeat them with the freezer.
5. Remove all shelves and drawers.
6. Wash them with warm soapy water. You may want to use the bathtub for large items. Dry them with dish towels and set them aside.
7. Wipe down all the fridge’s interior spaces with a damp sponge or towel. For those of you looking for a really deep clean, if there are any shelf seams or rubber seals with buried bits of grime, an old toothbrush will get the job done. Put the shelves and drawers back in and admire the transformation.
8. Replace all your food, wiping down any sticky jars before putting them in your newly clean fridge. Make sure you keep your like items together for easy locating. Stick in a new box of baking soda, and if you unplugged the fridge in step one, don’t forget to plug it back in.
9. You’re almost done! Now that you’ve cleaned the inside, don’t forget the outside of the fridge. If you use magnets, clean them off and recycle any outdated coupons and file anything else you no longer need on the fridge. Then give the exterior a quick wipe down with your product of choice. If you have a stainless steel fridge, use a stainless steel cleaner and wipe with the grain of the steel. Alternatively, you could use vinegar and a microfiber cloth or olive oil. For enameled steel fridges, a multipurpose cleaner will do the trick.
10. Admire your clean fridge.
Parts of this article can be found at http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-clean-a-refrigerator-176007
