Clean Space, Hungry Eyes

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Clean Space, Hungry Eyes

When's a good time to schedule your refrigerator deep-clean? When you find yourself saying, "There's nothing to eat!" Less food in the refrigerator means fewer items to take out in preparation for a big wash-down. Place the foods that are in there in a cooler until you're ready to return them after your cleaning.

Wiping the interior and exterior with a damp cloth should be part of your weekly housekeeping routine. Twice a year or more, though, give your fridge a topdown, inside-out, front-to-back scrubbing. Here's how:

First, slide out shelves and bins. Clean the inside of the fridge with a solution of two tablespoons baking soda and one quart hot water. (Food absorbs odors, so it's best to use unscented mild cleaners.) Rinse with a damp cloth, then dry with a towel. Soak the removable sections in the same solution; scrub, rinse, and dry.

Remove the base grille to find the drip pan under the fridge. If it's full of water, mop it with paper towels, then pull out and wash the pan with warm, soapy water. To clean a drip pan that's fixed in place, wrap an absorbent cloth around the head of a long-handled brush; dip it in warm, soapy water and clean the pan.

Believe it or not, one of the grimiest areas of the fridge is the door seals. They have little folds that can collect debris, crumbs and at the very worst, grow mildew and mold. Be sure to clean them very thoroughly and dry impeccably. This will prevent mildew and keep the seal tight and working at maximum efficiency.

Organize similar types of items together, stack boxes and keep less-perishable items like frozen vegetables in the door. Move meats and fish to the back and on the bottom. Discard all of the ice fully, clean the ice tray and fill it with good water.

Lastly, after everything else, wipe the doors with a cloth dampened with mild soap and water. Give the areas around the handles special attention, as they are often smudged with fingerprints. For stainless steel exteriors, use commercial stainless steel spray and wipe in the doors.

Taking care to organize your fridge and deep clean it every season can ensure you have plenty of extra storage space.

You will save a lot of money in the long run as you won’t be rebuying things things you’ve lost in there. You didn’t realize what you had buried in the back of the fridge! Plus, your fridge will work more efficiently and be more cost-effective.

Most importantly, though, having a clean fridge will help keep your family healthy and safe!