Fridge cleaning tips: How to fight bacteria and bad odours

If you do it right, it only takes ten steps to clean your fridge. Take your time while carrying out this task and pay particular attention to the hard-to-see areas. Unfortunately, these areas often get forgotten, and that's when mould seizes the opportunity and begins to grow there.

1. Switch off and clean out the fridge
   Turn off the power to the fridge and clear out all the food so nothing stands in your way of getting into every nook and cranny.
2. Keep food in a cool place
   If you have perishable food in the fridge, store it in a cooler so you can clean the fridge in peace and don't have to rush. Throw away any spoiled or out-of-date food.
3. Take out removable parts
   Take all loose shelves, compartments, and other sections out of the refrigerator so that you have as much space as possible when fridge cleaning.
4. Use a kitchen cleaner
   Now wipe the empty interior and the door seals with a kitchen cleaner or multipurpose spray. Jeyes Multi-Purpose spray is a great option for this.
5. Wipe down the whole interior
   Use a clean, damp cloth to thoroughly wipe down the whole fridge. Make sure no areas are forgotten.
6. Allow to dry
   After cleaning the fridge, leave the door open to allow the interior to dry.
7. Clean all the individual parts
   While waiting for the fridge to dry, you have time to clean all the parts that you took out of the fridge. Use the kitchen cleaner to wipe them all down. 
8. Use a mould remover if necessary
   If you've found some mould lurking in the fridge, use a mould remover to get rid of it. Another great product for this is Jeyes Smart Brush. Make sure you read the instructions on the bottle thoroughly before you begin. Leave the remover to get to work for 15 minutes, then wipe the area with plenty of cold water, and leave it to dry.
9. Place the parts back in the fridge and turn on the power
   Once the individual parts have dried, put them back where they belong and flick on the switch. 
10. Put the groceries back in the fridge
    Now that it’s clean, you can put the food back in the fridge.

To ensure that bacteria and bad odours don't stand a chance, it's crucial to clean the fridge regularly. You should aim to do this chore every four weeks to keep it hygienically clean. If your fridge has a built-in freezer compartment, don't forget to defrost it once or twice a year. This not only keeps the compartment clean, but also reduces your energy costs. We also have an article on how to cut down expenses that may be of interest to you. To make sure you don't forget to carry out these tasks, simply write them down in your cleaning schedule.

• Mould should always be removed immediately. Mould spores can quickly spread so even if you notice that only one piece of food has been visibly affected by mould, it makes sense to check that it hasn’t spread to others.
• If possible, you should do the cleaning on a cooler day. This means that the food can also be stored outside the fridge for a short time if you don’t have a cooler to put it in.
• It's always best to clean the fridge before you go grocery shopping. That way, there is less food to take out of the fridge and sort through and it also means that the fresh food will end up in an equally fresh and clean fridge.

For more helpful cleaning tips how about browsing through articles such as how to clean a toaster, how to clean kitchen cabinets, or how to clean the sink.