Refrigerator interior

The best way to keep a refrigerator cabinet clean and odor-free is to remove spills quickly. Wipe up any spills as soon as you see them. If the spill contains meat juice of any kind, follow label directions and use a disinfecting cleaner (or a solution of equal parts chlorine bleach and water) on a paper towel instead of a cloth or sponge. That way, you can throw the bacteria-laden towel away, rather than spreading germs throughout the kitchen. Rinse the area well with clean water, and then dry with a soft cloth.

The best time to perform major refrigerator cleaning is just before a trip to the supermarket. That way, you’ll have fewer packages of food to keep cold in temporary storage while cleaning the refrigerator’s interior. First, remove all food and every shelf, bin and other component that can be taken out of the refrigerator. Discard any spoiled or suspect food items, following the old safety adage, “When in doubt, throw it out.” Store untainted food in coolers or wrapped in newspapers or other insulating materials.

Wash shelves, bins and other parts in hot, soapy water in the sink. Hand dishwashing liquid is a good choice for this task. Loosen stuck-on food by soaking the item for a while, then scrub with a sponge or cloth, not with abrasive pads or scouring cleansers. Aggressive cleaning — using abrasive pads or cleansers, or attempting to scrape away stuck-on food with any kind of tool — will scratch plastics quickly and can even scratch shelf glass. Rinse all parts well and dry them, using a soft terry towel.

Clean the inside walls of the refrigerator with a sponge or soft cloth dipped in a solution of one-quarter cup (60 ml) of baking soda in one quart (945 ml) of warm water. Wring the sponge or cloth and wipe all surfaces using a second bucket of clean, warm rinse water. Dry the interior with a large terry-cloth towel. Again, don’t use any abrasive pads, and never use metal tools of any kind to scrape or chip at the inside surfaces of refrigerators or freezers. Scraping and chipping will scratch (or even crack) most surfaces, and it may damage cooling components.

If refrigerator odor persists after a full cleaning like this, spread baking soda in a shallow pan and leave it in the refrigerator for several days. Leaving a cardboard box or plastic bowl filled with baking soda inside will control odors on an ongoing basis.

Reference:

Jeff Bredenberg, editor, in Clean It Fast, Clean It Right: The Ultimate Guide to Making Everything You Own Sparkle & Shine.