Clean your fridge top to bottom in just 20 minutes! Who knew cleaning your refrigerator could be so easy (and fast!)?!
How to Deep Clean Your Fridge in 20 Minutes
Cleaning your refrigerator top to bottom is one of those things that tends to get pushed way down the priority list, at least for me anyway. Sure, I'll discard spoiled produce or old leftovers when I get home from a grocery shopping trip, but I mostly try to ignore the rest of the mess and look past sticky shelves or splatters on the the door from the kids doing who-knows-what. That is, until I figured out that you can clean your whole fridge, top to bottom in just 20 minutes! You just need to deep clean the refrigerator once every month or two, and it will only take you 20 minutes. Who doesn't have time for that?!
How to Clean Your Refrigerator in 20 Minutes
First you'll need to gather your supplies:
- Refrigerator coil brush
- Garbage Can
- Sponge
- Dish soap
- Multi-purpose cleaner (You can also use a Green option, or you can make your own. I use this cleaning recipe for a multi-purpose cleaner.)
- Old toothbrush
- Baking soda
- Paper towels
- Magic Erasers
- Microfiber cloth
- Vinegar
(You can also use a 
, or you can make your own. I use
Dust the coils - 2 minutes
Unplug the refrigerator. Slide the coil brush
underneath the refrigerator kick plate (if you can easily remove it, that's even better!) and remove all the dust. Replace the kick plate if you removed it. Keeping the refrigerator coils clean can reduce energy costs by up to 10% per year!
Empty the Fridge - 5 minutes
Empty EVERYTHING out of the fridge, tossing anything that is clearly past its prime or expired into the garbage.
Remove and Clean Drawers - 3 minutes
Remove each drawer and bring them to your sink. Scrub each drawer with dish soap
and a sponge
. Lay drawers upside down on the counter to air dry.
Clean Shelves and Interior - 5 minutes
If you can remove your shelves, you can clean them the same way as the drawers, in the sink with dish soap and a sponge. Otherwise, use a multi-purpose cleaner to clean the entire interior of the fridge. Scrub walls, shelves, and interior doors. Don't forget any shelves on the doors, or the door seal. You can use an old toothbrush and the cleaner to quickly get rid of any grime in the door seal.
Return Everything to the Refrigerator - 2 minutes
Return shelves and drawers to the refrigerator. Then return all the remaining food items to their proper place. Plug in the refrigerator, and add a box of baking soda
to the back of the fridge to keep it odor free.
Clean the exterior - 3 minutes
For enameled steel refrigerator: Use your multi-purpose cleaner and paper towels
to wipe down the entire exterior and handles. I use Magic Erasers
for any tough spots.
For stainless steel refrigerators: Wet a microfiber cloth
with vinegar and scrub in the direction of the grain.
Don't forget handles or the top of the refrigerator!
That's it! You can seriously deep clean your entire refrigerator in just 20 minutes! Pretty awesome, right?!
Did you like this idea? Find more on my Cleaning, In the Kitchen, and Organization boards on Pinterest!
For more cleaning tips:
- Click here to see House Cleaning Tips for Busy Moms
- Click here to see The Complete Spring Cleaning Checklist
- Click here to browse All Cleaning and Organization Tips
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Mila says
Haha, and I thought that I was the only one that looks past the mess 😉
Great tips.
I hope you'll share them with Idea Box.
xx
Mila
Kristina & Millie says
When you said deep clean you Really meant deep clean! I don't think I've ever dusted the coils, I'm betting that I should be though! Thanks for sharing on Snickerdoodle Sunday!
Suzie@homemaker-mom says
Super duper! I need to do this soon too!
Kyara W. says
For someone who just moved out of my mother's nest, you are helping me out so much! Thank you.
Michelle says
I'm so glad to help!
Wendy King says
I think you forgot wiping down jars and bottles. It's amazing how gummed up the ketchup and mustard can get, and let us draw the curtain of modesty over the mayonnaise and blueberry jam! Good grief! How do they get so yucky that even the threads at the mouth of the jars need de-gunking? That takes more time but is essential to health and safety. A clean cheap toothbrush gets the threads clean.
Michelle says
That's definitely a good one!