How to Clean a Refrigerator, Inside and Out

These photos are from one of our deep cleans here in Jacksonville. Same fridge, same day. Drag the slider to see the inside before and after.

BeforeAfter

The outside matters too. Handles, the door fronts and the top of the fridge collect fingerprints, drips and dust that most people never see.

BeforeAfter

1. Empty it. Take everything out and toss anything expired. Put the rest in a cooler if the clean will take a while.
2. Pull out the shelves and drawers. Wash them in the sink with warm water and a little dish soap, then dry them fully.
3. Wipe the inside walls from the top down. Use a soft cloth with warm, soapy water. Start at the top shelf so drips land on parts you have not cleaned yet.
4. Get the corners and tracks. Spills settle where the shelves sit and in the corners of the drawer bays. An old toothbrush helps here.
5. Clean the door seals. The rubber gasket around the door has folds that trap crumbs and sticky spots. Wipe inside each fold, then dry it.
6. Dry, then put it back. Wipe everything dry before the shelves and food go back in.

On every deep clean we do the handles, the sides, the top and underneath the front edge. The top is the one people forget. Nobody looks up there, so dust and kitchen grease build up for months.

• Wipe the handles first. They get touched more than anything else in the kitchen.
• Do the door fronts with a damp cloth, then dry them so they do not streak.
• Step up safely and wipe the top. If it is greasy, it may take two passes.
• Run a cloth along the bottom front edge, where crumbs and dust collect.

A fridge clean is easy to put off, because it means emptying the whole thing. It usually gets done when something else is happening: a move, a holiday, or a full reset of the house.

That is why we include it. The inside and outside of the fridge come with our deep cleaning, and the shelves, drawers and door gaskets come with every move-in and move-out clean.