Things You'll Need:
- Mild Dish Soap
- Dishcloths Or Kitchen Sponges
- Vinegar Or Baking Soda
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Step 1
Turn the temperature-control knob inside the refrigerator to 'Off.' If you have a refrigerator with a drip pan underneath, remove it to clean.
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Step 2
Take everything out of the refrigerator.
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Step 3
Throw away any food that is moldy, outdated or otherwise spoiled.
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Step 4
Take all removable parts out of the refrigerator, including shelves, wire racks and drawers.
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Step 5
Fill the sink with warm, soapy water (use a mild dish soap).
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Step 6
Wipe any food matter out of the drawers.
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Step 7
Hand-wash the shelves, wire racks and drawers, then rinse them in warm water.
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Step 8
Let the shelves, wire racks and drawers drain in a dish rack, on paper towels or on newspapers.
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Step 9
Remove any food matter from the bottom of the refrigerator.
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Step 10
Wash the inside of the refrigerator using a sponge or dishcloth and the warm, soapy water. Remember the compartments and door racks.
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Step 11
Rinse the inside of the refrigerator with a sponge or dishcloth and clean warm water.
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Step 12
For odor control, use a solution of 2 tbsp. baking soda to 1 quart warm water to wash the inside of the refrigerator. A solution of 1 cup of vinegar and 1 gallon warm water is also effective; apply and rinse. A box of baking soda placed in the refrigerator will also cut down on odors.
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Step 13
Replace all shelves, wire racks and drawers.
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Step 14
Wash the outside of the refrigerator and the gasket (rubber molding around the door) with warm, soapy water; rinse and wipe dry.
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Step 15
Turn the temperature control knob inside the refrigerator back to the recommended setting.
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Step 16
Return the food to the refrigerator, first wiping off any bottles or jars that are sticky.








Comments
TheFooser said
on 4/29/2009 Great tips! You need to add a warning though about cleaning glass shelves. Do not take shelves directly out of fridge and put them in warm water. This could cause them to crack!
Lilaclaugh said
on 1/14/2009 An old toothbrush works well to scrub the rubber gasket. I keep my milk on the door shelf of my fridge, but I found that little dried flakes of milk were collecting on the bottom of the shelf and smelled terrible. The next time I bought milk, I noted how dirty the milk case and the cartons were at the store. How did I expect my shelf to stay clean, then? Now, I just rinse off the unopened milk jug before I add it to the fridge. No more milk flakes, no more odor.
bowserita said
on 10/29/2008 it is a good idea to use some coffe beans too,try it it works.
LoriW said
on 7/24/2008 I had the worst refrigerator odor coming from a combination of cheese, onions and chinese food. Pretty bad. After trying just about everything else including baking soda which didn't really work well, I saw a recommendation about a product called Fridge-IT. It is a little purple activated carbon odor absorber. Might be little but wow, does it work great. I highly recommend it.
www.innofresh.com
mcandy said
on 12/19/2007 I always add a touch of bleach to my cleaning solutions. Or at least rinse with a bleach solution and let air dry. The bleach kills all kinds of beasties.