The fridge is where food is meant to stay safe, yet it's often the most neglected appliance in the kitchen. Spills dry onto shelves, leftovers get forgotten and smells soak into the seals. The good news: a proper clean takes about 30 minutes, and a weekly two-minute habit keeps it that way.
Before you start
- Pick a time when the fridge is fairly empty, like the day before a big shop.
- Have a cooler box with ice packs ready for anything perishable.
- Switch the fridge off at the wall if you're doing a full deep clean.
Step-by-step deep clean
- Empty it completely. Bin anything past its date, mouldy or unlabelled. Be ruthless.
- Remove shelves and drawers. Let glass shelves come to room temperature before washing, because cold glass can crack in hot water.
- Wash removable parts in warm water with a little dishwashing liquid, rinse and dry fully.
- Wipe the inside with a solution of one tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate in a litre of warm water. It lifts grime gently and neutralises smells without leaving a perfume on your food.
- Don't forget the seals. Run a cloth along the rubber door gasket. Crumbs and mould love the folds.
- Sanitise food-contact areas with a food-safe sanitiser such as Steri-Kleen, following the label, then let it air-dry before restocking.
Keeping smells away
Most fridge odours come from food, not the fridge. Store leftovers in sealed containers, wipe spills the moment they happen and keep an open dish of bicarbonate on a back shelf. Replace it every month or two.
The two-minute weekly habit
- Check dates and clear out old leftovers before you shop.
- Wipe the door shelves and handles with a damp microfibre cloth.
- Keep raw meat on the bottom shelf so it can't drip onto ready-to-eat food.
Stock up
Steri-Kleen, food-grade Sodium Bicarbonate and a pack of Microfibre Cloths cover everything above. They're all available from maxproducts.co.za.
Products mentioned in this guide
Available now from our sister company Max Products at maxproducts.co.za, in trade sizes and delivered in Cape Town.
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Steri-Kleen
Microfibre Cloths 10 Pack
Sodium Bicarbonate (Food Grade)
