Keeping your fridge clean and happy

To keep your fridge clean and happy all you need to do is follow this handy guide courtesy of Croc Odor.

We all rely on the fridge to be a perfect sanctuary of hygiene for us to store away and preserve our foods. Yet how many of us actually take care of it? Cleaning the fridge doesn’t have to be an arduous chore. As long as you do little and often, you can avoid the doomed sticky shelves and moldy nooks. Plus your food will stay fresh for longer and the fridge will be working at its optimum best. So to keep your fridge clean and happy all you need to do is follow this handy guide courtesy of Croc Odor.

**Fridge etiquette:**

1. Always follow any food storage recommendations on the packaging.
2. Don’t buy too much food and drink and cram it into your fridge, as you need to allow cold air to circulate freely.
3. Ageing and decomposing fruit and vegetables can cause other fresher produce to decompose more quickly, so regularly check what you’ve got stored inside, and throw out any lurking produce that’s past its sell-by date.
4. You need to check the contents of your fridge every couple of days, so that you can avoid waste, and check sell-by dates and products.
5. Pull out all your food before the regular major shop, and give the inside and drawers a really good clean (see suggestions below).
6. Keep the inside nice and neat when returning the items back to the fridge, and put the older foods at the front so you can use them up first.
7. Raw meat or fish should be stored on the bottom shelf so it cannot drip and contaminate the foods below, whereas cooked meats need to be stored above the raw meats.
8. Cover left-over meals, raw and cooked meat and fish, as well as any chopped fruit and vegetables with cling film, foil or in a sealed container.
9. Any spills should be wiped up immediately when noticed.
10. Check the fridge temperature is always at 5°C for optimum working efficiency and safety.

**Cleaning the appliance:**

1. It’s best to thoroughly clean the fridge when food stocks are fairly low.
2.First, turn the appliance off at the mains.
3. Remove food items and place them into a cool bag, preferably with some ice blocks.
4. Next, take out the shelves and drawers, and wash them in warm soapy water or a water-based solution of bicarbonate of soda. Rinse and allow to air dry on the kitchen drainer if possible.
5. Clean the interior walls and door panel with an all-purpose cleaner (see below useful remedies).
6. Gently brush door seals with a toothbrush to remove any food debris.
7. Clear the filter hole of any blockages with a long wooden skewer to allow water to evaporate effectively.
8. If you can, safely pull the fridge out and wipe the hidden side clean, as well as the floor.
9. And if possible, vacuum the condenser coil at the rear with a soft brush attachment, to remove any accumulated dust.
10. Push the fridge back, turn it back on at the mains, check it’s set at the correct temperature, return food items and launder the dishcloths.

Voilá, over in less than 15 minutes hopefully!

**Useful remedies:**

1. Bicarbonate of soda has mild abrasive properties that cut through dirt and grease that’s hard to remove.
2. Use lemon juice as a natural bleaching agent and disinfectant.
3. A mixture of water and distilled white vinegar (half and half) can be sprayed onto glass shelves to remove dirt and it leaves a streak-free shine when buffed with paper towels.
4. An all-purpose spray cleaner can be made up with 500ml water, 2tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp washing-up liquid, 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda and 1 tsp borax, that can be applied to any hard surface.
5. Sponges tend to harbor germs, so a cotton dishcloth, preferably with a waffle-weave, is a much better option. These need to be left to soak in a hot bleach solution every night, but try to launder and replace frequently.
6. If you do prefer to use “off the shelf” products rather than mixing your own, remember to opt for specialist fridge wipes or sprays. The smell of some basic cleaners can often linger in the fridge and will taint your food.

For more kitchen care hints and tips, follow Croc Odor at www.twitter.com/crocodor or visit www.crocodor.co.uk for further information on its full product range.