A Cleaner Fridge and a Healthier Body
This is the time of year we tend to be the most focused on health and wellness, thanks to the tradition of New Year’s Resolutions and the merciful slowing-down of our lives post-holidays. Once all those celebration leftovers are gone and the fridge starts to fill up with nutritious fruits and veggies and whole grains, it’s a good time to think about cleansing your appliance as well as your body.
But do you really want to use conventional spray cleaners with their chemicals and artificial smells—or, worse, use bleach on the surfaces your food lives on day in and day out? And how to get out those nasty spills and stains? (Where do those come from, anyway?)
Good news: an edible item that you probably already have in your fridge is the perfect way to clean up the mess and get rid of any lingering odors: baking soda. Baking soda is a natural abrasive that, by the way, is also great for cleaning out your oven or bathroom.
Cleaning the interior of your refrigerator is not a small project, but with a little bit of organization and focus, you can do it quickly and waste as little electricity (and food) as possible. Here’s how:
Step 1
Pull everything out, quickly, and stack it on the counter.
Step 2
Remove drawers and shelves and close the fridge door while you fill up the sink with warm soapy water and let them soak.
Step 3
Add about ½ cup of baking soda to a bowl or pail of warm water (as hot as you can tolerate; wear gloves if it helps).
Step 4
Use a clean rag to scrub the inside of your fridge with the baking soda mixture, and another clean, dry rag to wipe it down after.
Step 5
Scrub down your shelves and drawers with the water/baking soda mix and then dry them off.
Step 6
Place everything back in much more neatly, and with renewed dedication to keeping your fridge, and your health, in order!