How to clean a refrigerator, inside and out
To clean a refrigerator, empty it, take out the shelves and drawers and wash them in warm soapy water, then wipe the inside walls with warm water and a little baking soda. Dry everything, clean the door seals, and finish by vacuuming the coils. Plan on about an hour, and do it the night before trash day.
Old food that sits in a kitchen can for a week is how the fridge smell moves into the rest of the house.
What do you need to clean a fridge?
- A cooler with ice packs for the food
- Baking soda and warm water
- Dish soap
- A few microfiber cloths and a sponge
- An old toothbrush for the seals and drawer tracks
- A vacuum with a brush attachment, or a coil brush
- Trash bags
Skip bleach and scented sprays inside the fridge. Food picks up smells, and a lemon-scented spray on the shelf above the butter isn't what you want on your toast.
How do you clean the inside of a refrigerator?
- Empty it. Everything comes out. Toss anything expired, anything you can't identify, and leftovers older than a few days. Food you're keeping goes into the cooler.
- Pull the shelves and drawers. Let glass shelves come up to room temperature for a few minutes before they touch hot water, or they can crack.
- Wash them in the sink with warm water and dish soap. Scrub drawer corners with the toothbrush. Rinse and dry fully.
- Wipe the inside. Mix two tablespoons of baking soda into a quart of warm water. Wipe the walls, ceiling and floor of the fridge, top to bottom, so drips land on what you haven't cleaned yet.
- Do the door. Door shelves hold the sticky bottles. Wipe each one, and the bottoms of the bottles before they go back.
- Clean the seals. The rubber gasket around the door hides crumbs and drips in its folds. Run the toothbrush and a damp cloth along it. A clean, intact seal keeps the cold in.
- Dry and reload. Wipe out any moisture, put the shelves back, and reload with the oldest food at the front.
Then do the freezer the same way if it needs it. A frozen spill comes up easier with a cloth soaked in hot water held on it for a minute.
How do you get rid of a fridge smell?
Find the source before you try to cover it. It's usually one of three things: something forgotten in the back, a spill that ran under a drawer, or the drip pan underneath.
- Clean out the drawers and check under them.
- Wash the gasket.
- Check the drip pan behind the bottom grille if your model has one. Pull it out and wash it.
- Once it's clean, leave an open box of baking soda on a back shelf. Change it every few months.
If the smell is still there after a full clean, check the drain hole at the back of the fridge compartment for a blockage.
Should you clean the refrigerator coils?
Yes, once or twice a year. Coils clogged with dust make the fridge work harder to stay cold. Unplug it first. Coils sit behind the bottom grille on a lot of fridges, or on the back on older ones.
In a narrow rowhome kitchen, the fridge is often wedged in tight between the counter and the wall. If you need to pull it out to reach the back coils, slide a piece of cardboard or an old towel under the front feet first, so you don't gouge the floor, and go slow. Vacuum the coils with the brush attachment, then the floor that was under the fridge, which you probably haven't seen in a while.
How often should you clean the fridge?
- When it happens: wipe spills.
- Weekly, the night before trash day: clear out old leftovers and wipe the shelf they were on.
- Every three to four months: the full empty-and-wash.
- Before and after a holiday: the clear-out, so there's room for the platters going in and the leftovers coming out.
- Once or twice a year: the coils.
Want the kitchen handled?
Book House Cleaning or Deep Cleaning online, and if you want the fridge looked at, ask what your booking covers and put it in your booking notes. If the oven's next on your list, see how to clean an oven.
FAQ
What should you clean the inside of a fridge with? Warm water with a few spoonfuls of baking soda dissolved in it. It cleans without leaving a scent that food can pick up. Use dish soap and warm water on the removable shelves and drawers.
How do you get rid of a bad smell in the fridge? Find and throw out the source first, then wash the shelves, drawers and the gasket where spills hide. Leave an open box of baking soda on a back shelf afterward to absorb what's left.
How often should you clean your refrigerator? Wipe spills when they happen, clear out old food once a week before trash day, and do a full empty-and-wash every three to four months. Vacuum the coils once or twice a year.
Should you clean refrigerator coils? Yes. Dusty coils make the fridge work harder. Unplug it, find the coils behind the bottom grille or on the back, and vacuum them with a brush attachment or a coil brush.
Book a cleaning
Our service area: every Philadelphia neighborhood, plus the Pennsylvania suburbs within about 30 miles of Center City, in Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Chester counties. Book online at phillyscleanteam.com/book-now, or call or text (215) 798-7576, 9 AM to 9 PM, every day.
