Dec
Deep Cleaning the Kitchen - Refrigerator & Freezer Edition
For the second project in the Order Up Organizing kitchen deep cleaning challenge, I took on the fridge and freezer.
It turned out to be the perfect time to deep clean since they were both pretty bare because:
- I had just returned from the Thanksgiving trip and had used or tossed anything perishable before I left.
- They’re rarely packed anyway thanks to weekly meal planning and dinnertime responsibilities being split between my house and the BF’s.
REFRIGERATOR BEFORE:
FREEZER BEFORE:
How to Clean Refrigerator & Freezer with Dish Soap:
1. Evaluate the contents of your fridge & freezer and toss anything that is past its prime or unidentifiable. Pay close attention to those condiments whose expiration dates seem to change over time—because seriously, why else would there be anything in there that expired in 2009?!?
2. Decide whether you’ll leave the shelves in the appliance or take them out to clean them. I opted to take the shelves out—and boy am I glad I did. Otherwise I would have missed out on the dog hair collecting in the sticky mess below the bottom ones. (So sorry to have forgotten to document that with a picture.)
3. Remove the contents of the shelves/drawers and work quickly. You’re in the Temperature Danger Zone now. (This project could easily be tackled one shelf at a time over a week or so.)
4. Wipe, brush or vacuum out all of the crumbs. I used a vacuum.
5. Use warm soapy water and a cloth to wipe down the shelves, drawers and insides of the appliance.
6. Rinse, dry and replace the shelves and drawers.
7. Don’t forget to wipe down the gaskets, handles, doors and the top of the appliance. The top of mine had seen better days, so it took a Tobes Tune or two to tackle.
8. As you return the contents to the fridge and freezer, establish zones so nothing gets lost in the mix. Some to consider: snacks, lunches, beverages, leftovers.
9. Enjoy the clean environment and begin scheduling regular Quick Scan & Toss sessions.
REFRIGERATOR AFTER:
FREEZER AFTER:
Length of Time Spent on this Project:
25 Tobes’ Tunes (approx. 75 minutes)
My Thoughts:
- I’m glad I didn’t have a lot of food in my fridge when I did this. Exposing the perishables to room temperature might have made my head explode a bit. Now that it’s been deep cleaned, this may be a project I tackle one shelf at a time in the future. maybe.
- Using the brush attachment on the crumbs in the stickiness (??) in the bottom of the fridge created another project I hadn’t anticipated: washing the brush attachment. See? Cleaning is a vicious cycle. Maybe that’s why I put it off?
How frequently do you scrub down your fridge? Do you consider the safety of the food as you do?
Other projects in the Order Up Organizing kitchen deep cleaning challenge:
