Refrigerator & Freezer

 

Once a quarter I pull the refrigerator away from the wall and vacuum the floor where it sits.  I use clean hot soapy (dishsoap) water and a rag to wipe down the walls behind the refrigerator where dust and cobwebs will accumulate.  I also wipe down the entire exterior of the refrigerator.  Lastly, I use my spray bottle of Fabulosa and a damp rag to mop the floor and wipe off the baseboards.  Once the floor is dry I slide the refrigerator back in place, wipe down the front of the fridge  and I am finished.  Less than fifteen minutes, more like half that time actually.  Last time I got it done in seven.

 

The inside of a refrigerator is just as quick and easy to keep up as the outside.  Mainly because I keep up on it regularly.  Often it is part of my daily swish and swipe.  If I spot a mess I clean it up right away before it has a chance to harden or get gooier.  I am one of these weirdos that enjoys organizing and reorganizing the inside of their refrigerator so I do it a lot.  And wiping off the shelves and wiping out the crisper drawers before I go to the grocery store each week is another habit I've gotten into.  It only takes a few minutes and then it is done.

 

I spend less time in the freezer, but I do pay attention to this space as well.  A damp cloth quickly takes care of any accumulation of debris before it has a chance to build up and become an bigger mess.  Once every quarter, as part of my monthly checklist, I remove the ice maker bin, dump out the ice and give it a good scrub.  It really helps keep the ice fresh.

 

Our chest freezer is in the garage and it stays full all the time which helps keep ice or frost from accumulating inside.  The freezer on our fridge is a frost free model, but the chest freezer is not.  Once every few years I will defrost the chest freezer.  I remove the food inside, unplug it and pull it over to the big roll up door to let the accumulated frost and ice melt.  I unscrew the drain plug and allow the water to run out onto our driveway.  Once it has all melted away I grab a rag and a bucket of hot soapy water and wipe out the interior.  I let it air dry then wipe off the exterior before putting it back in its place and plugging it back in.  Once the freezer is cold again I put back the food I removed earlier and that chore is done.  Once every quarter I clean the exterior of the freezer and vacuum the exhaust vent to make sure dust and cobwebs are cleared away.

 

It is a quick and easy process to manage, clean and maintain these appliances when you do it regularly.  Routine cleaning and maintenance means grime and dirt is not allowed to accumulate or build up.  There is nothing grosser to me than a sticky gooey mess or a fridge that stinks.  I just can't handle it.  My food is in there and I'm not about to eat it if it has been sitting in a giant petri dish.  Any of you super picky about your refrigerator like I am?  I'd love to know I'm not the only one.