slo’s FRIDAY 1/26 poll - Deep Cleaning Your Refrigerator 🧽🫧

[slo]

I think I may have done a poll on this a few years ago. If I did, that’s ok - people’s answers could change or we may have some new people to the polls.

This time of year is when I deep clean the house - I call it “Winter Cleaning” (I don‘t have time in the Spring for Spring Cleaning). One of the things I do is deep clean the refrigerator. I take everything out, including drawers and shelves. Everything gets washed with soapy water or a cleaning product. I throw away anything expired or things that have been in there a long time (I write the date on everything I open with a Sharpie - this way I always know how long something has been sitting in there). It’s a lengthy process and feels good when it’s done. It takes me about 2 - 2 1/2 hours to do. I did this chore yesterday afternoon, and I’m glad I don’t have to do it for another year. For the rest of the year I will spot clean when needed. Now that it’s just DH & I most of the time, the fridge stays pretty clean most of the time.

Do you deep clean your refrigerator?
If yes….how often do you do this chore?
Do you do this, or does someone else in your home do it?
(multiple choice)


For Me….As I mentioned above - I do this chore once a year and it’s always in January.

Lady in picture is not me

 

[Kitty 34]

I do my deep cleaning more in the spring when I can open windows for fresh air. I do keep my fridge clean, tho at all times.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

The person who cleans our house every 2 weeks does it. I would say every 2-3 months. When I feel like it needs it, I let her know and pay extra that week.

 

[mumto3girls]

I do it 2-4 times a year. I last did it in December.

 

[Southernmiss]

I do it 2-4 times a year. I last did it in December.

This after Christmas. Dh and I did it together. He pulled stuff out and wiped it all down with a hot Dawn detergent solution as I washed drawers and shelves and dishes.

Usually do it before Thanksgiving and in the spring.

Like Slo, kids are now out so it stays much cleaner

 

[RedAngie]

About twice a year my cleaning service does it for an extra charge.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I do it about twice a year or if something spills or leaks and I have to clean that I figure I may as well do it all - I usually do it when I change the filters figure it’s a good time to just give it a good cleaning and then while I’m in I might as well just pitch anything that’s expired or something that’s been sitting around a while that I’ve missed no matter how many times you look it will seem to miss something anything how the heck is that been in there for so long where have you been hiding ??

 

[PollyannaMom]

I do it occasionally, but not on an exact schedule, just whenever I'm inspired (or as mentioned above, forced to by a spill.)

 

[DisneyHardin]

I do it about once a year. It generally coincides with something getting spilled in the fridge, so I take everything out and deep clean it.

 

[jo-jo]

I do more, take everything off those two shelves, take them out , wash. Another time, take everything out of door baskets, clean , dump some things. Etc.

About once a year, do one whole swoop, and it scares me to death, the base plate is glass, so afraid I'll whack it on something trying to wash in the sink. Usually something oozes between glass plate and the brackets, just wiping down in place doesn't do it. I lay old towels on floor, don't want to take a chance of dripping water, slipping while holding on to glass plate that about 2 ft deep and 3 ft across.

 

[BayouQueen]

What seems to happen here is that periodically some section will have a spill and so I need to take apart that area and adjacent areas and get that all straightened out. So there never is a time when I need to do the whole refrigerator. It's just an ongoing process.
Sure do want a new fridge. I can't believe how expensive they are now!

 

[SueInBoston]

About once a year by cleaning people.

 

[NAB]

I do it a couple times a year.

Should really pull it out and vacuum the back but it is too big and our fridge just fits in there. Our island is in the way not skinny enough to get back there when it is pulled out .

 

[TiggerTrigger]

We don't have a schedule, but it does happen from time to time. It's also not always an all or nothing sort of thing.

Sometimes I see a bunch of old expired stuff and do a "stuff deep cleaning." Sometimes something spills and I do an "everything it possibly could have come in contact with" heavy cleaning. If everything is getting clean, I usually offer one of the kids a chance to make some extra money and let them do a full cleaning. Every now and then, we lose power long enough (storm related) to require us to trash all of the contents. That's usually a good time to clean it from top to bottom.

 

[kdonnel]

I generally wipe the shelfs and clean out the bins once every couple years, generally after a spill. If I am having to clean up the immediate mess, I go ahead and spend the 15-30 minutes to clean the whole refrigerator.

As for the freezer, I don't remember ever cleaning it but do every couple years go through it and toss things that have been in their long enough to know we are not going to eat them.

 

[design_mom]

I generally take everything out and wash down the shelves about 2 times per year. I go through more often that that and try to cull any expired food, etc. In general I try to clean up ASAP if anything spills, so it's not a disaster at any time of the year, but it gets a good cleaning a couple of times per year.

 

[ronandannette]

I do it about twice a year or if something spills or leaks and I have to clean that I figure I may as well do it all - I usually do it when I change the filters figure it’s a good time to just give it a good cleaning and then while I’m in I might as well just pitch anything that’s expired or something that’s been sitting around a while that I’ve missed no matter how many times you look it will seem to miss something anything how the heck is that been in there for so long where have you been hiding ??

Basically this. But the freezer part? Hardly ever. We’re just in the process of having a new fridge installed and when we gave away the old one, the freezer didn’t even really need scrubbing.

 

[TippyThomas]

I do it about 2 or 3 times a year depending on when it's necessary.

 

[Minnesota!]

I do, and I try to do it monthly, but sometimes it goes every other month.

 

[Moliphino]

We cleaned the whole thing when we moved in 4 years ago. Since then, just spot cleaning any spills or visible dirty spots as they come up.