March 23, 2014

Spring Green Cleaning: Cleaning the Fridge and Freezer

In our last edition of Spring Green Cleaning, we looked at cleaning your condenser coils. This time, we'll go inside the fridge and freezer to give it a thorough cleaning and eliminate any unpleasant odors. Here's how to get the job done the green way.

What You'll Need:

Scrubber Sponge

Cleaning Cloth

Bucket

Hot Water

Lemon Juice

1. Unplug the fridge.

2. Remove all of the food from both the freezer and fridge. Take the time to read the expiration dates. Set aside items to throw away. Keep the other items closely clustered together in the coolest spot you can find while you clean.

3. Fill up a bucket with hot water and a touch of lemon juice for deodorizing.

4. Start by scrubbing any areas where you can see spilled food. Use a green scrubber sponge like the Casabella Hands Away Surface Scrubber. Be sure to check the door shelves and drawers for spills as well.

5. Use a microfiber cleaning cloth and the water like the e-Cloth General Purpose Cloth to wipe down the entire fridge and freezer. The e-cloth is a great pick because it will lift away odor-causing bacteria as well as debris.

6. Put your food back inside. Remember to keep highly perishable items like eggs off of the refrigerator door. Highly perishable items will last longer at the backs of shelves and at the bottom of the fridge where it is the coldest. The crisper is the best place to keep produce fresh.

7. Plug the fridge back in.

8. Use any expired food for composting or drop it off at a composting facility. Recycle the empty containers.

9. Rejoice! You've cleaned the fridge and freezer the green way.