Cleaning Out The Fridge

Well how are you making out with your one cupboard at a time cleaning project? Have you got the kitchen all sorted out now? One of the challenging jobs that many of us put off is cleaning the refridgerator.

Do you have many UFO's? (Unidentifiable Fridge Objects)Do you have about a dozen plastic containers that keep getting shifted from one spot to another because you are afraid to look in them? Do you buy extra jars of mustard or pickles because you thought you had some but don't see them in the fridge? Then find the ones you already had hidden behind something, so then you end up with two of everything?

Well don't worry, this is not a fatal condition and once you get past the procrastination of the fridge wars it really doesn't take all that long to get it looking (and smelling)good again.

Now if you do keep putting off doing the fridge because it seems like such an overwhelming chore think of what it must have been like for our pioneers. They likely had a root cellar and a fridge like we have today would have seemed like heaven to them. They would have loved to scrub up something so useful and I bet it would have taken pride of place in the pioneer kitchen. Our problem is we take these things too much for granted.

One good thing about cleaning out the fridge is that when the racks are clean and the items are set out nicely, it is not only easier to find everything, it is cheaper to keep everything cool. You can see the contents without having to bend down and dig through a big mess and the air can circulate freely so takes less power to run.

If you have really let this go start by taking everything out. It's good to do this before you go shopping on a day when you are feeling like you haven't got a thing to eat. Take a picnic cooler and store your frozen stuff in it while you clean the freezer area. If you have a frost-free fridge this will just be a general wipe down or scrub with bleach and water then wipe dry with paper towels or an old bath towel. (Not too much bleach.)

Have a big garbage bag handy and throw out all the UFO's. When the fridge is empty, take out the racks and crispers and soak them in the bathtub in a mild solution of bleach and water. Then sprinkle the inside of the fridge with baking soda, and wash it all down with a mixture of vinegar and warm water. If you have stains inside, spray the walls or bottom with a bit of bleach and let it soak while you wipe off the jars and containers you will be putting back in after you have cleaned everything including the racks. By the time you finish the interior, the racks in the tub should be ready to scrub with an SOS pad, rinse and they should be like new.

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