{Making My Home Sing Challenge} Day 2

I'm still working in the kitchen. Today's task is to Clean out and scrub the refrigerator and freezer. Then wash the exteriors.

Clean out and scrub the refrigerator.
Keeping your fridge clean will keep your food fresher for a longer amount of time. As an added bonus, you are less likely to get ill.

You are going to want to check daily for any spills that may have occurred in there and wipe it up as soon as you see it. Everything going into your fridge should be clean also, so check your salad dressing tops after you use them to make sure you don't have any drips (that goes for everything). Wipe off the bottoms of cartons you get from the grocery store's refrigerator section, you never know if it has been sitting in something sticky.

1. Using a washcloth and plain white vinegar, wipe down the shelving, drawers and walls in order to kill and prevent any mildew, mold or other bacterial growth. Do not use soap or detergent, because they can leave behind a scent the food will absorb.

2. Create a mixture of ¼ cup baking soda and 1 quart warm water and scrub the inside of the fridge thoroughly in order to remove the vinegar, sanitize and remove odors. To remove caked-on residue, rehydrate by liberally applying the baking soda solution with a wet towel. Leave the door open, and let the residue soak in the solution for 10 minutes, or until it starts to crack or soften. Reapply if needed.

3. Wipe down any dirty jars or containers and place food items back in the fridge.

Wash the exteriors.
4. Wipe doors, including edges, and top of refrigerator with a cloth dampened with mild dishwashing liquid and water. Pay special attention to the areas around the handles, which can harbor sticky fingerprints.

5. Clean the door seals, which can collect crumbs, with hot water and mild dish washing liquid. Dry thoroughly with a clean cloth. Check that seals fit properly.

The order things go back into your fridge is important also, as is the temperature. The correct way helps to prevent germs from raw foods spreading to your ready-to-eat foods.

1. Store your ready-to-eat foods (cheese, yogurt, cooked meats and leftovers) on the top and middle shelves. (Some fridges come with their own labeled drawers for cheese. USE IT! It is there to prevent keep the food from spoilage.)
2. Put raw meat, fish and poultry in sealed containers at the bottom shelf so they don't touch or drip onto other foods. Some refrigerators come with their own drawer for meats (like mine) and that is the perfect place for them.
3. Store leftovers in the fridge within two hours of cooking and eat them within three days.
4. Don't eat food past its "use by" date. It may not be safe. (There is some controversy on this. You can check each individual term for whether you should chuck it or not at this link.)

Keep your fridge's temperature at 40°F or below to slow the growth of bacteria. Temperatures above that means bacteria growing on your food that will make you ill. Make sure you keep your fridge door shut tightly or the temperature will rise inside. Don't fill your fridge with too much food. If it is overfull the air can not circulate freely and then the food can't be kept properly chilled. (You may end up having some things frozen and others not cool at all. This has happened to us.) Don't put hot food into the fridge; this can raise temperature.

I've spent a lot of time devoted to the refrigerator, but the fact is that the information on cleaning the freezer is pretty much the same. You are just want to be faster about it so that your items do not defrost on you. If you need to remove ice buildup, use a plastic spatula and be very careful scraping ice away. Have a bucket or bowl handy and lots of old towels to sop up water and make the job mess-free.

I am hoping to post before/after photos of my fridge...but at the same time, my last post showed you my fridge's innards. *laugh* Be blessed.