The One Spot You're Probably Forgetting To Clean Regularly

Whether you're preparing for a parade of guests and enough leftover snacks to feed a small army during the holidays or just pride yourself on a clean home year-round, you likely have a routine for scrubbing countertops until they gleam, dusting shelves, and keeping the bathroom spotless. You want every corner of your home to radiate perfection. However, there's one spot plotting a mess behind closed doors: your refrigerator. It's among the overlooked kitchen appliances you're forgetting to clean regularly. 

Tucked away behind frosty doors, this cold kingdom hoards expired condiments and mystery leftovers that no one remembers buying. It's easy to forget because, well, it's out of sight until something smells questionable. Giving it some love goes beyond mere aesthetics. When every container has a home and nothing is hiding behind a wall of frozen peas, you waste less time searching and can plan meals more easily. More importantly, there's a health concern here. Leftover sauces and thawing meats can become a place for microbes and harmful bacteria, potentially causing foodborne illnesses. Mold can grow in corners, which eventually makes its way into your food and even the air you breathe while grabbing that midnight snack. Therefore, if you want to keep your family safe and your food fresh, a clean and tidy fridge is nonnegotiable. 

Deep cleaning your fridge is easy, but the freezer requires some commitment if you have ice buildup. You can't just swing the door open and start scrubbing. You'll need to give that ice a couple of hours to melt. If you want to speed things along, grab a plastic scraper and gently (keyword: gently) loosen any chunks of ice. Once you've unplugged the fridge, have microfiber towels and a few sealable trash bags at hand. Start by taking everything out. For temperature-sensitive foods, load some ice in the cooler and toss them in there temporarily so they don't end up half-thawed. As you're unloading, check dates and textures. Anything spoiled goes straight into the trash bags.

Remove every shelf and tray that comes loose. Wash them in warm, soapy water and leave them to dry, preferably somewhere they won't become a tripping hazard. As they dry, wipe down the inside of your fridge with a damp, soapy microfiber towel. Get into all the awkward corners you pretend not to see. Once the interior feels clean, go over it with a dry towel so moisture doesn't create new problems. Then, reassemble everything and start placing your food back in neatly.

Before you close the door and walk away, wipe down the exterior with a damp towel. Lastly, vacuum around and under the fridge to clean any tiny crumbs that escape and settle on the floor during cleaning. A freshly cleaned fridge can sometimes have a faint everything-was-just-wet smell, so for that finishing touch, place a small bowl of baking soda inside to absorb any lingering odors.