You’ve probably been cooking a lot more these past few months, with a corresponding increase in crumbs, stains and mysterious bits of vegetable at the bottom of your crisper drawer as a result. So here are some of our best tips for cleaning your fridge—and more importantly, keeping it clean.
Before cleaning, remove everything from the refrigerator, including drawers and shelves. You will need to work quickly in order to get your perishables back in there (and out of the temperature danger zone) as soon as possible. Wash the drawers and shelves in the sink with a sponge and dish soap, and dry thoroughly before returning to their proper positions.
If something is stuck on inside the fridge, warm it up with a cloth dipped in hot water. Use this as a hot compress to loosen the gunk, and then wipe off. For more stubborn discoloration, use a melamine foam sponge (aka a Magic Eraser).
Now we want to prevent future messes. Line your shelves with Press ‘N Seal wrap, which you can remove and replace in the event of a spill, and store upside-down condiment bottles in an empty egg carton in the door in order to catch any leakage.
For all these tips and more, check out the video above.
Originally published July 2020 and updated March 15, 2021 to reflect current style guidelines.
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