Your fridge might be full of nasty health risks – deep clean it now with these simple tips!
- Replies 7
The refrigerator is one of the most used appliances in the home, but it is rarely given the TLC it requires. Just because food is kept cold and fresh within a fridge, it's easy to assume that the appliance stays generally clean.
However, we often don't realise that cross-contamination, spills, splashes, and other nasty substances are also there and can spread throughout the interior.
In other words, if your refrigerator is a mess, it could also be potentially harmful to your health. (Yikes!)
So, what can we do about it? Here, a mum-of-two shows us how!
This mum provides some helpful advice on how to give a refrigerator a thorough cleaning. Credit: TikTok / mama_mila_.
According to Chantel Mila, the first and most crucial step when it comes to thoroughly cleaning your refrigerator is to empty it completely. That means you have to take everything out of the fridge and leave it on the counter (or in another fridge if you have one) until you're done.
Waiting until you're nearly out of food items in the fridge before pulling them all out can be more convenient for you, as there will be fewer perishables to worry about leaving out on the counter.
Once all the food is out of the fridge, remove shelves, drawers, and other detachable sections. Many of these shelves and drawers can usually fit in the average kitchen sink, and they are easy to clean, too—just use your regular dishwashing soap and water.
Then, place them somewhere and give them a quick wipe with a clean rag, or you may just let them air dry.
Now, when it comes to the interior and walls of your refrigerator, it is necessary that you not only clean them but that you also disinfect them. This is because bacteria can thrive in moist environments, and this is one of those.
The mum uses a homemade cleaning mix for her fridge. Credit: TikTok / mama_mila_.
Chantel Mila has a tried-and-true homemade spray that she uses to clean and disinfect her refrigerator, resulting in a fridge that is not only free of germs but also has a pleasant smell.
For the cleaning solution, she combines one cup of water, one-half cup of white vinegar, and two teaspoons of vanilla extract in a spray bottle and uses it inside her fridge. After giving the interior of her fridge a good wipe-down, it comes out looking clean, white, germ-free, and best of all, smelling great!
People say that vinegar is great for getting rid of grease and grime, and when mixed with water in a spray bottle, it becomes a safe-for-food cleaner that works well on any gunk that might have built up on the walls and shelves of a refrigerator.
She also uses the solution to clean and disinfect the glass shelves and doors in her refrigerator, and then she rinses everything with lukewarm water.
Once everything has dried, she puts every part back into its original position and restocks her fridge - which is said to be one of her favourite household chores to do. (Can she clean ours?)
Based on the TikTok video, it’s hard to attest to the DIY solution's cleaning prowess, seeing as Chantel's fridge was already pretty spotless to begin with. But since vinegar has been long proven to be an effective cleaner, this one might still be worth trying!
Check out the video below; it might be useful if you're looking for further pointers and instructions on how to clean your refrigerator, especially now that spring has arrived.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic, so feel free to share any additional advice you may have with us in the comments section below!
Credit: Clean My Space.
However, we often don't realise that cross-contamination, spills, splashes, and other nasty substances are also there and can spread throughout the interior.
In other words, if your refrigerator is a mess, it could also be potentially harmful to your health. (Yikes!)
So, what can we do about it? Here, a mum-of-two shows us how!
This mum provides some helpful advice on how to give a refrigerator a thorough cleaning. Credit: TikTok / mama_mila_.
According to Chantel Mila, the first and most crucial step when it comes to thoroughly cleaning your refrigerator is to empty it completely. That means you have to take everything out of the fridge and leave it on the counter (or in another fridge if you have one) until you're done.
Waiting until you're nearly out of food items in the fridge before pulling them all out can be more convenient for you, as there will be fewer perishables to worry about leaving out on the counter.
Once all the food is out of the fridge, remove shelves, drawers, and other detachable sections. Many of these shelves and drawers can usually fit in the average kitchen sink, and they are easy to clean, too—just use your regular dishwashing soap and water.
Then, place them somewhere and give them a quick wipe with a clean rag, or you may just let them air dry.
Now, when it comes to the interior and walls of your refrigerator, it is necessary that you not only clean them but that you also disinfect them. This is because bacteria can thrive in moist environments, and this is one of those.
The mum uses a homemade cleaning mix for her fridge. Credit: TikTok / mama_mila_.
Chantel Mila has a tried-and-true homemade spray that she uses to clean and disinfect her refrigerator, resulting in a fridge that is not only free of germs but also has a pleasant smell.
For the cleaning solution, she combines one cup of water, one-half cup of white vinegar, and two teaspoons of vanilla extract in a spray bottle and uses it inside her fridge. After giving the interior of her fridge a good wipe-down, it comes out looking clean, white, germ-free, and best of all, smelling great!
People say that vinegar is great for getting rid of grease and grime, and when mixed with water in a spray bottle, it becomes a safe-for-food cleaner that works well on any gunk that might have built up on the walls and shelves of a refrigerator.
She also uses the solution to clean and disinfect the glass shelves and doors in her refrigerator, and then she rinses everything with lukewarm water.
Once everything has dried, she puts every part back into its original position and restocks her fridge - which is said to be one of her favourite household chores to do. (Can she clean ours?)
Based on the TikTok video, it’s hard to attest to the DIY solution's cleaning prowess, seeing as Chantel's fridge was already pretty spotless to begin with. But since vinegar has been long proven to be an effective cleaner, this one might still be worth trying!
Check out the video below; it might be useful if you're looking for further pointers and instructions on how to clean your refrigerator, especially now that spring has arrived.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic, so feel free to share any additional advice you may have with us in the comments section below!
Credit: Clean My Space.
.png){kind=icon}
