Cleaning your Fridge – for Cleanliness And Sanitation

Imagine walking into a new property that you are prospectively going to buy or rent, what are the things you are hoping to experience? Cleanliness? Clean smell? No damage? When vacating your property, it is important to remember to thoroughly clean your fridge, especially if you want to get any deposit money or collateral back from the landlord or owner. There are important little things that one might not think of when vacating the property that can cause damage if not looked over.

One of the areas where it is most important to clean properly is the fridge. On the surface, cleaning the fridge may not seem like a critical area to spend a good deal of time on, but there are a lot of small things that can go wrong if a fridge is not properly cleaned before vacating the property.

The first step to properly cleaning your fridge, after removing all foods and goods, of course, is to unplug and defrost. Many people don’t think to do this step first, or neglect to do it at all! However, if this is not done, once the power is shut off for the vacated property, the fridge is going to defrost and leak all over, leaving water damage to the flooring or carpeting as well as possible mold growth inside of the fridge. With mold growth, there is not only a health risk, but there is a danger of a terrible smell from inside the unit.

Unplug the fridge and put it outside in a way that allows access liquid from ice build up to drain out of it. Make sure to do this first as the liquid draining may leave marks on the empty fridge shelves. Don’t wipe down the shelves first only to have them be made dirty again.

After the fridge is defrosted and drained, bring it back inside for a thorough wipe down of the interior and exterior. First, clean out the interior. Use bleach or germ-fighting cleaning solvent to neutralize germs and mold. Make sure to scrape off any excess food or liquid, as well as clean deep in the crevices. Open the freezer door to allow the cleaning chemicals to dry thoroughly. Avoid moisture being trapped behind the fridge’s sealed door.

Secondly, with a new rag/wipe, clean the exterior. Be sure to clean all sides, scraping off any excess material. Remove dust from the top as well.

These steps will lead to your fridge being thoroughly sanitized and fresh for future users.