Don't Skip Your Fridge When Doing An End-Of-Summer Deep Clean

Everyone talks about spring cleaning, but to me, it's the end of summer that sets off my urge to pull on rubber gloves and get down and dirty (i.e., really clean the heck out of everything). If you're anything like me and save The Big Clean for once or twice a year, then you should definitely give your fridge a little extra TLC the next time you feel the urge to tidy up. After all, how often do you clean your fridge? Probably not often enough, right? But a dirty fridge and freezer can contribute to stinky smells in a sweltering summer kitchen, along with a few other key culprits (Sorry, but your kitchen towel is probably disgusting, too).

So, why tackle your fridge and freezer for a summer deep clean? Simply put, if your house or apartment gets hot in the summer, then you're building condensation inside the fridge any time you open the doors. But that extra moisture doesn't exactly evaporate into nothingness, like magic. Instead, it creates a tacky layer on interior surfaces that foodstuffs and other items can stick to. On top of that, if you don't clean your fridge out often, you're bound to find food tucked in the very back, or inside crisper drawers, that has long since expired. It's a stink bomb in the making, which can also block the air flow in your fridge, making the whole thing less efficient.

There are plenty of ways to get your fridge sparkling clean, but you can start by unplugging it or turning off the power via the electrical panel. Next, remove all of the food and take this opportunity to sort through everything to make sure you don't have any expired stowaways in there. Take out all removable parts — like the shelves and drawer inserts — which you can wash separately. Tackle the inside of the fridge with a soft cloth or a clean sponge. After all, you should toss your kitchen sponge more often than you likely are; you don't want to be smearing gross stuff all over the very fridge you're trying to clean.

You can use whatever cleaning products you want, but good ol' lemon juice and vinegar often does the trick for cleaning up spills and eliminating odors. Diluted dish soap and warm water works well, too. Clean and wash the drawers and shelves in your kitchen sink, and dry them thoroughly. You won't want to take the time to air dry them because you shouldn't let your refrigerated food stay in the danger zone of 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours. Once your fridge components are dry, just put them back in place, return your food to the proper spots, turn the power back on, and you've got yourself a clean, good-smelling fridge to end your summer.