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Home » For The Home » Cleaning & Organization

How to Deep Clean Your Fridge in 20 Minutes

Aug 11, 2015 · 7 Comments

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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 just 20 minutes! This really works! I didn't know deep cleaning your refrigerator could be so easy

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 Deep Clean your Fridge in just 20 minutes! This really works! I didn't know deep cleaning your refrigerator could be so easy

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

 

 

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!

How to Deep Clean your Fridge in just 20 minutes! This really works! I didn't know deep cleaning your refrigerator could be so easy

 

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.

 

How to Deep Clean your Fridge in just 20 minutes! This really works! I didn't know deep cleaning your refrigerator could be so easy

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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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mila says

    August 16, 2015 at 5:58 pm

    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

    Reply
  2. Kristina & Millie says

    August 17, 2015 at 5:45 pm

    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!

    Reply
  3. [email protected] says

    August 30, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    Super duper! I need to do this soon too!

    Reply
  4. Kyara W. says

    January 04, 2016 at 7:56 am

    For someone who just moved out of my mother's nest, you are helping me out so much! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      January 04, 2016 at 4:50 pm

      I'm so glad to help!

      Reply
  5. Wendy King says

    March 31, 2016 at 4:54 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      March 31, 2016 at 7:06 am

      That's definitely a good one!

      Reply

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