How Often Should You Clean Your Fridge?
A cleaner fridge is not only a pleasant sight, but also helps improve the overall hygiene in your home.
There are some household chores that many of us are guilty of ignoring, especially in areas that are out of sight of visitors. As you want to maintain a clean home, you may prioritise vacuuming, mopping, and sanitising surfaces. Yet, you might be surprised to learn that germs can accumulate in places you might not expect, which can affect the air quality, odour, and health of your household. For example, a lot of people often forget to clean the fridge. If you are guilty of neglecting this chore, it is time to make things right, as the appliance can turn into heaven for germs and develop an unpleasant smell. Keep reading to find out why and how often you should clean your fridge.
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Why Do You Need to Clean Your Fridge Regularly
At Cleaner Cleaner, we have been helping our customers enjoy sparkling clean homes for 14 years due to our professional cleaning services. When we ask how often people clean their fridges, most people will answer never. Yet, little do they know that they are adding germs into their fridge each time they buy food and place it inside the appliance. Keep in mind that when you buy any food from the supermarket, you’re not the only person handling it. Each item has passed through the hands of other customers touching the products, staff stacking the items on shelves, and warehouse employees packing the goods. This means that these products have a considerable amount of germs on them. When you put food in a fridge without cleaning the appliance nor the packaging, these microbes can stay in there for a long time. Plus, all bacteria and germs multiply over time and are not affected by low temperatures.
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How Often to Clean the Refridgerator?
To remove bacteria and prevent foul odours and mould growth, we recommend cleaning your fridge at least once every three months. The thorough disinfection of the appliance will help protect your property and health, as bacteria and mould can make you sick. Besides wiping the shelves, there are a few more things you can do to keep your fridge clean and germ-free.
Over-stuffing the fridge makes it harder to clean the appliance.
Avoid Overstuffing the Appliance
Although it is tempting to buy some items in bulk (especially at promotional prices), try not to store too many goods in the fridge. Less packed goods in the appliance will help minimise the bacteria inside. Also, fruits and veggies often have a short shelf-life, which is why you should use them within a few days of purchase. When storing less fresh produce, you will prevent it from rotting away. This also helps the fruits and veggies maintain their health benefits. If you don’t use fresh produce within a few days of purchase, the nutritional value drops to zero.
Keep Your Fridge Drain Clear
Every refrigerator features a drain, which must be free from obstruction at all times. It helps remove the condensed water and support evaporation. However, if the drain gets blocked, this leads to higher condensation inside the fridge, pooling of liquids, and increased bacteria and mould. For this reason and to ensure you and your household or office stays healthy, you must remove blockages and keep the drain free from any obstruction.
Deal With Bad Smells in a Safe Way
Fridges can develop unpleasant smells over time due to a build-up of dirt and germs. Regular cleaning of the refrigerator will minimise the unpleasant odours. Adding an air fridge freshener like Croc’Odor, for example, also draws nasty smells away. It will not affect your food’s safety, freshness, or taste, and it features a temperature indicator to protect it. Suppose you are a fan of simpler solutions – you can put a bowl with baking soda inside the appliance as it has strong deodorising qualities. If you are going away on holiday or your rental property is untenanted for a while, etc., you might want to save by turning your fridge off. In this case, it is good to make sure the door is left ajar because this can also lead to foul odours and mould growth.
