Refrigerator Freshness - 5 Tips for Cleaning and Refreshing Your Fridge

Keeping your refrigerator clean and fresh not only makes the food inside more appetizing, but a clean fridge saves money on groceries and the power bill, plus keeps your family healthier. Here are five quick-clean tips I've learned that will clean and refresh a refrigerator in a jiffy.

Crank It Up

Keep the refrigerator temperature set at a cold enough temperature for food safety at all times. Remember the food inside the fridge is kept cold by the cold air circulating around the interior, so be sure not to cram the interior so full of food that the air can't circulate or the fridge will run constantly and use more power trying to keep the interior cold. While cleaning the refrigerator's interior, if you're leaving the food inside, crank up the temperature setting a little during the cleaning process so the food will be kept cold.

No Rinse Vinegar and Water

Cut the refrigerator cleaning time in half by eliminating the need for rinsing. Use a cleaning mixture of one-fourth cup vinegar to one gallon of water and no rinsing is required. No soap film or lingering soapy odor (that food can absorb) to contend with and cleaning with natural vinegar is safer for food.

Use Toothpaste

Toothpaste is a safe and effective product to use to scrub away those tough interior stains. Toothpaste contains a mild abrasive which will cut through those tough stains without scratching the refrigerator's interior. Just squirt a little toothpaste on a damp cloth and scrub stains away. Wipe off excess toothpaste and rinse with vinegar and water solution.

Put Coffee and Newspaper in Refrigerator

Coffee and newspaper absorbs refrigerator odors better than the traditional box of baking soda. As an added bonus, the coffee grounds and newspaper are being recycled while they refresh the fridge's interior. To absorb lingering odors from the vegetable crisper drawer, wash the drawer with vinegar and water solution, then stuff the empty drawer full of newspaper and allow to set for a few days (inside the fridge). The newspaper will absorb any lingering odors from forgotten, rotten vegetables.

Place used coffee grounds in a small container and place inside refrigerator to absorb daily odors. Save coffee grounds and change them out once per week.

Keep Family Healthy

Did you realize that the refrigerator door handle is one of the most germ-filled spots in your home? Help keep your family healthy by preventing the spread of germs between family members with frequent handle washings. Wash refrigerator handles with warm soapy dish water each time dishes are washed to keep germs under control. During the height of cold and flu season (or when someone in the home is sick) keep a container of disinfecting wipes handy to wipe down the refrigerator door handles and other often-touched kitchen surfaces frequently.