How to clean your refrigerator effectively
Not only new products regularly appear in the refrigerator, but also stains from olive oil, fat, jam and smoked meats, crumbs from baked goods and other remnants of future ingredients of dishes, semi-finished products and ready-made food. Outside, the situation is no better. Carbon deposits and fat deposits settle on the outer walls, no matter how well the hood works.
The refrigerator needs to be washed from time to time. This is an axiom that needs no proof. The question remains, how to wash the refrigerator, how best to do it. Let's try to figure it out.
Cleaning products
Not everyone will use a refrigerator cleaner. Do not forget that we are talking about a place for storing food, therefore aggressive and toxic detergents disappear immediately. Let's start with the best examples of "folk chemistry".
Folk remedies
However, in order to effectively clean the walls, seals and shelves of the refrigerator, it is not at all necessary to spend money on purchased chemical products. Many folk remedies are quite capable of coping with the task: a solution of vinegar, ammonia, soda, citric acid and even toothpaste.
Vinegar solution
How to clean the refrigerator so that there is no unpleasant smell? A vinegar solution will help us. Prepared in a 1: 1 ratio. We wipe the inner surfaces thoroughly. After that, we leave a rag soaked in vinegar solution in the chamber for several hours. We observe the resulting effect.
Important! All surfaces can be washed with vinegar, except for the pads. If the rubber loses its elasticity and becomes stiff, you can rub it with sunflower oil or olive oil.
Soda
Soda absorbs odors very well. To begin with, you should thoroughly rinse the internal compartments, including the freezer, with a soda solution. Then put an open jar of soda in the refrigerator and change it regularly, every three months. This will become a reliable prevention against bad odors - the unpleasant "amber" will disappear forever. Perhaps this is not the most expected answer to the question of how to wash the refrigerator inside to eliminate the unpleasant odor, but the remedy is quite effective ... and almost free.
Ammonia
Ammonia is a real "heavy artillery". He will help us get rid of unnecessary aromas of the kitchen when other means have not helped. So, if you have already managed to wash the walls, doors, seals, and even plastic containers, and the smells still remain, use ammonia. First, wipe the walls, then turn off the power and leave the door open for several hours. Remember that the freezer may need defrosting.
Toothpaste
Learning to apply toothpaste correctly! Few would think of using it to clean the refrigerator ... but in vain! The toothpaste can effectively clean the sink, the side walls of furniture, the stove and even a dirty mirror. It is good to use it to get rid of dirt on the refrigerator membrane. It is more convenient to do this with an old toothbrush, it just fits the size of the pad. You can try replacing the paste with powder. The purity and whiteness of the membrane is ensured (toothpaste has a whitening effect).
Lemon acid
Another popular method is to clean the refrigerator with citric acid. The recipe is simple. Add a few drops of water to the yellow citrus jelly mass. The proportions are determined by eye. Ultimately, we should get a homogeneous mass of the consistency of a liquid gruel. In the procedure itself, there is also nothing "revolutionary" - wipe all surfaces with the mixture obtained, not forgetting first, if necessary, to defrost the camera.
Chemicals
Every woman has her own favorite foods, but we will look at the remedies that many housewives advise. Rating by I Recommend service. TOP readers' likes:
- Luxus Professional "Clean refrigerator". Brand of the German company Oricont. The first and most effective remedy on our list.
- Aqualon Light House, a product from the Russian group of companies "Aqualon", one of the leading manufacturers of household chemicals for the domestic market. Effectively removes grease stains and other dirt.
- Top House, refrigerator cleaner. Top House is a new line of cleaning household chemicals from the Italian company Tosvar Srl.
- Tortilla, eco-agent, cleans, effective disinfection (helps to destroy bacteria), manufacturer - "Sirena", Ukraine.
- Edel Weiss, manufactured by Edelweiss-N LLC, Russia.
Scent absorbers
You can regularly disinfect and clean with defrosting and washing everything in a row, but you still can't get rid of unpleasant odors. To keep the refrigerator smelling of morning freshness, we need the right scent absorbers for the home. There are purchased products, there are those that are easy to get at home.
Gel granules
The use of gel and silica gel granules and capsules is quite effective in eliminating unpleasant odors. These scavengers are available from various manufacturers as capsules and granules, with or without spicy or citrus flavors. The composition can be different. As basic components, among other things, are used: activated carbon, table and sea salt and others.
In order to really smell of fragrance and freshness in the refrigerator, it is recommended to use granules with aromatic additives. Examples of odor absorbers include Topper Pro or Zumman.
Indicator egg
A fairly new tool that will not only make the refrigerator smell good, but will also serve as an indicator of coldness and at the same time decorate the interior of refrigeration equipment. The shape resembles an ordinary chicken egg. The color depends on the ambient temperature. Lilac is a common room. White is the freezing temperature of the food.
If the color of the egg in the freezer remains lilac, "room color", then the chamber is defrosting spontaneously and the required temperature regime is not maintained in it. And an unpleasant smell is a consequence of food spoilage due to insufficient cooling.It's time to call the refrigerator repair technician.
Dispensary neutralizer
If, after regular cleaning, unpleasant odors still remain, you can try to cope with them using a dispensary neutralizer. This is such a simple device, consisting of a carbon adsorber filter and a plastic case. Charcoal can effectively absorb (and thereby destroy) unpleasant odors for 4-5 months. After this time, the absorber needs to be replaced. The device is absolutely harmless and can be safely placed next to any food.
Ionizer
The ozonation function can be provided by the manufacturer of the refrigerator initially, or it can be provided by an additionally installed ionizer. How does it work and what is it for? Even if you regularly wipe and clean the refrigerator, it is not always possible to get rid of unpleasant odors. Ionizers, uni- or bipolar, will help to cope with unnecessary aromas.
Unipolar ones produce negatively charged ions, which cause particles of perishable foodstuffs that create odors to stick together and settle as dust on refrigerator shelves. And when the smell turns to dust, it can be easily wiped off with a cloth. An example of a unipolar ionizer is the IonAir system of refrigeration technology from Gorenje.
Bipolar ones are considered to be more effective. Such devices form two types of oppositely charged ions, hydrogen and oxygen radicals. Such ionizers can not only turn unpleasant odors into dust, but also kill fungi and bacteria. An example of a bipolar ozone generator is Sharp's PlasmaCluster refrigeration system.
Features of cleaning different models of the refrigerator
The recommended method for rinsing the refrigerator and freezer varies depending on the model of equipment. Consider this issue for different types of refrigeration equipment.
NoFrost system
Yes, the highly publicized NoFrost system has many benefits. However, manufacturers "forget" to warn the consumer that it also has significant drawbacks. The unique ventilation and freezing system that prevents frost from forming on the inner surfaces of the freezer is, of course, great. Happy owners of equipment marked NoFrost do not need to regularly defrost the refrigerator, but there is one "but" - a tray for condensation.
The tray not only becomes a source of unpleasant odors, but also bacteria. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to get to him. In some models, you even have to pull out the refrigerator and remove the entire back wall.
The tray must not only be washed, but also decontaminated. Disinfection is recommended at least once every six months. As a disinfectant, it is quite possible to use a solution of ordinary whiteness in water in a ratio of 1 to 10.
The procedure looks like this:
- Prepare a solution.
- Rinse the tray thoroughly.
- Wipe all internal surfaces with a whiteness solution.
- Apply a few drops of the solution to all hard-to-reach places.
- Wait a quarter of an hour.
- Wipe with a piece of soft cloth or microfiber.
A dusty condenser, usually located on the outside of the outside of the refrigeration unit, also needs to be cleaned.To remove dust, you can use either a narrow soft brush with a long handle or a vacuum cleaner with a suitable attachment. The drain is cleaned with an ordinary medical syringe or pear. In this case, water is poured directly into the drain hole.
Regular models
Any refrigerator model should be washed from top to bottom, paying special attention to areas with yellowed grease and dirt stains. It is more convenient to clean the membrane with a toothbrush. To not only remove dirt from the rubber pad, but also to obtain a whitening effect, you can use regular toothpaste.
How to clean the refrigerator properly
The general procedure looks like this:
- Set the temperature to 0.
- Disconnect the refrigerator from the household power supply (pull out the plug from the socket).
- We remove all products from the refrigerator, throw out the expired ones.
- We wash the inner surfaces from top to bottom, paying special attention to stains and hard-to-reach places. We use for cleaning either purchased products specially designed for washing refrigerators, or the folk remedies described above.
- If unpleasant odors remain, we get rid of them using the methods described above (odor absorbers).
- We leave the door open and wait until everything dries well.
- We lay out products on shelves and containers.
- We close the door, turn on the unit to the power grid, set the desired temperature.
Next, we will consider methods for cleaning the refrigerator from grease, mold, traces of glue, rust and yellowness.
Fat
Many foods work well with fat. However, if there is no suitable detergent chemistry, you can do with improvised means. For example, a mixture of ammonia and toothpaste without abrasive components. The proportions are one to one. This "cocktail" will save not only from greasy stains outside and inside the refrigerator, but also from unnecessary odors.
Mold
Mold is a source of pollution, pathogenic bacteria and offensive odors. It is worth getting rid of this muck as soon as it is noticed. Sufficiently effective folk remedies:
- Soda + vinegar solution.
- Hydrogen peroxide solution.
In the first case, you need to rinse all surfaces with a cloth dampened in water with the addition of soda. Then wipe with a weak vinegar solution (except for the sealant). Also clean the rubber gasket thoroughly with baking soda. Leave the door open for a while so that the interior is well ventilated.
Hydrogen peroxide is also a good option, but only if you have a white refrigerator. Otherwise, the whitening effect of the product may not be the most pleasant surprise. Peroxide kills disease-causing bacteria and fungal growth.
To prevent mold, you can place an open can of soda on the shelf. Baking soda absorbs odors and moisture, which creates a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria and mold.
Rust and yellowness
If you forget to clean the refrigerator regularly due to work, cooking, checking children's diaries and other daily chores, its walls and door may turn yellow. Yellowness is the "remains" of food, firmly eaten into the coating. Washing them is not so easy, but there are a couple of proven folk methods: ethyl alcohol and 3% hydrogen peroxide. The procedure is simple: moisten a cotton swab with one of the specified liquids and rub gently, not pressing hard on the surface. After a short time, the walls and doors will begin to whiten. After finishing cleaning, let the surfaces dry, then rinse them with normal warm water.
Glue traces
If you deliberately do not spill the glue on the shelves and containers, then there are traces of glue left after the stickers stuck to the door and walls of the refrigerator. There are several ways to deal with traces of glue:
- Special products for removing traces of marker and adhesive tape.
- A regular school eraser (pre-wet the stickers with warm soapy water or neutral detergent).
- Household electric hair dryer. Similar to the previous point, we moisten the stickers, warm them up with a hairdryer, and then remove the stickers, and with them the traces of glue, with a damp cloth. If not everything is removed, the procedure can be repeated.
Freezer compartment cleaning
If your refrigerator is not equipped with NoFrost, the freezer will need to be defrosted from time to time. This process can be accelerated with hot water in several ways:
- Spraying the walls of the chamber from a spray bottle.
- Placing an open pot or closed plastic hot water bottles in the chamber.
- Using a hot water bottle.
- Using a fan.
In all cases (except the last one), as the water cools down, it must be changed to hot.
Important! The heat from the hair dryer or fan should not get on the sealing rubber, otherwise it will begin to lose its elasticity faster.
Drying the refrigerator
Drying is usually done naturally. That is, open the refrigerator door and wait until everything is dry. Blowing with a fan will help speed up the process. In this case, hot air must not get on the door seal.
General refrigerator care
Hygienic cleaning of the refrigerator should be done at least once a month. General washing with cleaning of everything and everyone and disinfection - every six months. To get rid of unpleasant odors and prevent their appearance, you can use soda (an open jar is placed on the shelf, soda is replaced from time to time with a fresh one) and special granules or capsules that absorb odors.
A few tips for care:
- Don't forget to throw away perishable food!
- Rubber gaskets should not only be washed regularly, but also covered with vegetable oil from time to time. Otherwise, they will quickly begin to lose elasticity and fail.
- Remember to reset the temperature to zero and unplug the household refrigeration unit before cleaning.
The less often you clean the refrigerator, the harder it will be to deal with stains, streaks, rust and mildew. It is recommended to carry out a "cosmetic" cleaning of the refrigeration unit at least once a month. And "general" - at least once every six months.
Video: how to quickly and easily wash the refrigerator
