In most homes, the kitchen is the most central place. It's where everyone gathers to catch up, prepare food, grab a snack, or even dine.
When your kitchen is cleaned and organised, it promotes a more efficient, stress-free day-to-day life. So what better place to start than with your most central appliance, the refrigerator?
You may wipe down the shelves and clean the external doors regularly, but how often are you thoroughly cleaning the inside of your fridge?
Even if it is a part of your weekly cleaning schedule, there are many factors to consider. The shelves, drawers, and the door seals all need to be cleaned properly to maintain their longevity and functionality, avoid damage, and contamination to foods.
Emptying the fridge out and cleaning every corner may seem like an overwhelming task, which is why we've put together these tips to help you maximise your cleaning schedule.
Follow these steps to create a system that makes cleaning easy to stay on top of, while helping you get the most out of your appliance:
Step one: Empty the fridge
By emptying every item from your fridge, you’ll quickly identify expired items, jars that were opened months ago and never used again, or old food items lurking away at the back of the fridge. This will also set you up to re-establish a new organisational system.
Step two: Remove the shelves
Take care when cleaning your Bosch shatterproof Easy Access glass shelves. Avoid placing them straight in hot water from the fridge as this can cause them to crack. Instead, let them warm to room temperature first. Use hot, soapy water to clean the shelves properly, but you may wish to continue with the next steps before you do this to ensure they reach the right temperature.
Step three: Remove the drawers
Next, remove your drawers and follow the same cleaning method as the shelves. Clean with hot, soapy water and buff the glass fronts with a kitchen towel.
Helpful tip: If you have a Bosch fridge freezer you can also remove your freezer drawers and follow the same cleaning method for a spotless freezer!
Step four: Clean the inside of the fridge
Now, you can tackle the inside of the refrigerator. Be sure not to reach for harsh chemical cleaners and instead, opt for a natural solution made with white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. This is an extremely effective cleaning solution - the vinegar will remove any odours, while the bicarbonate of soda will effectively remove any stains or any build up of food. Add a few drops of lemon juice, or a scented oil if you’re not so keen on the original smell.
Step five: Clean the door seals
All Bosch refrigerators come with detachable magnetic door seals. This means that you can remove the magnet seals from your fridge and clean them thoroughly to avoid a build-up of mold as well as prolong the longevity of your appliance. Use the same cleaning solution as the inside of the fridge.
To effectively clean inside the small crevices, consider using the Bosch crevice tool, which comes with our
Unlimited and Flexxo cordless vacuum cleaners. It's a very multi-functional tool, that is narrow enough to reach into the smallest corners and can also be used when cleaning the bathroom too.
Step six: Reload and re-organise
Once you’ve completed the full clean and come to reloading your fridge, wipe down jars and bottles and adopt an organisation system that looks a little something like this: