Tip Top Tips for a Sparkly Fridge

 

With a little help from our friends at Bosch

In our home the kitchen is where it's at! We all meet there to grab a drink or a snack, cook dinner or just sit down for that perfect Sunday roast. Therefore, it is important to keep it organised. The fridge is the centre piece of the kitchen, adding order and storage to the chaos of any home!
 
Keeping the outside and the shelves clean with a quick wipe down is easy but how often do you thoroughly clean the inside of your fridge? There are lots of things to consider when cleaning the fridge. The shelves, the drawers and the door balconies. All of them need to be removed to effectively clean your fridge. It is a daunting task, so let us show you the way to a sparkly fridge!

Step one: Empty the fridge

Before attempting to clean the fridge it always makes sense to empty it first. By emptying the fridge you will have the opportunity to check all those use by dates and remove any apple sauce that’s been there for the last 3 years. You can also organise everything as you empty it so its easier to put back in when the fridge is clean.

Step two: Remove the shelves

Once all the food is out and organised its time to remove the shelves so that they can be cleaned. Please be careful not to put them immediately into hot water as they may crack, leave them on the side to come to room temperature. All you need to clean the shelves is warm soapy water and a little Elbow grease. You can always move on to the next step whilst waiting for the shelves to warm up.

 

 

Step three: Remove the drawers and door balconies.

The next step is removing the drawers and door balconies, these can be washed in hot soapy water straight away. Once clean just leave to dry and before putting back buff the fronts with kitchen towel.

Step four: Clean the inside of the fridge

Now all the shelves and drawers are out you can tackle the inside of the fridge. It is better to avoid harsh chemicals that may leave an odour in the fridge. Instead use one of the natural cleaning solutions such as white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. The white vinegar eliminates odours and the bicarb works on any stains. You can always add a few drops of lemon juice or essential oils to leave your fridge smelling fresh.

Step five: Clean the door seals

If your fridge has removable seals than you can remove them for ease of cleaning using the same solution you have used for the inside of the fridge. Dry thoroughly before putting them back. If the seals are not removable just clean carefully between the folds, working from the top down and drying each area as you go.

Step six: Reload and re-organise

Now your fridge is as clean as the day it was delivered you can start to put the food back, wiping jars and bottles as you go. See below Mrs Sparkles tips for food storage;

Top shelf: Cooked foods and leftovers

Food that is already prepared is best kept on the top shelf, since anything that drips down to the lower shelves isn’t likely to contaminate other foods.

Middle shelf: Dairy products and perishables

This area will experience minimal fluctuation overall. As we know, dairy foods can spoil very quickly - sometimes before their use by date - when not stored correctly. In the middle of the fridge, they will maintain a consistent temperature.

VitaFresh Drawer: Fresh fruit and vegetables

Drawers are regularly used for fresh fruit and vegetable storage because it keeps them safe from contamination and smells, but also helps them maintain their freshness for longer.

Bottom shelf: Raw meat and fish

Avoid contamination to other food by keeping raw meat and fish on the bottom shelf.

Doors: Condiments, jars and bottles

Get the most out of your fridge door storage shelves by using it for items such as jams, mayonnaise, mustards and salad dressing. Avoid the common mistake of storing milk and eggs here