Did you know that your fridge salad drawer can contain us much as 750 times the level of bacteria considered safe, including .coli, salmonella and listeria? As the whole purpose of refrigerating food is to make it safe to eat, this is quite a worrying statistic. So what can you do?

The best way to rid your refrigerator of germs is to make sure the temperature is correct (between 5°C to 3°C) and to regularly clean the interior, including all the storage area, drawers and shelves.

The Knowhow

For more information about fridge/freezer temperatures click on the article What should your fridge and freezer temperature be?

Cleaning your fridge

  • Take out all the food, throwing away anything past its sell-by-date
  • Take out all the removable parts of the fridge such as shelves, racks, vegetable trays etc...
  • Handwash all the shelves and removable parts with warm soapy water. Leave to dry on paper towels or newspaper while you tackle the main part of the fridge.
  • Using a clean sponge or soft cloth, clean the inside of the fridge, using either a mild detergent or baking powder and water. Don't use abrasive or harsh cleaners such as scourers, bleach etc as these can cause damage.
  • Wash stainless steel and painted metal exteriors with a clean sponge or soft cloth and mild detergent in warm water
  • Once the fridge is dry, replace all shelves and drawers
  • Wash the outside of the refrigerator and the rubber molding around the door with warm soapy water. Dry with paper towels or a cloth
  • Turn the temperature control knob inside the refrigerator back to the recommended setting and return the food to the refrigerator wiping any bottles or jars that are sticky, and put any uncovered food in sealed containers or freezer bags

It is simple science - a clean fridge means a healthy place to store food. Now you've shown the door to germs, your fridge will be sparkling and you can get on with the important job of eating what's inside it.

Always refer to the manufacturer's manual for specific details.

Updated On:

Oct 21, 2011

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