Cleaning your fridge is probably one of the least popular tasks of house cleaning, generally on par with cleaning out the oven or washing the garbage cans. As unsavory as it may seem, keeping your refrigerator organized and clean ensures that your kitchen stays hygienic and it also reduces the chance of foodborne pathogens making it into your family’s meals. Madam Clean has a few simple tips to help you get your refrigerator in order, and maintain cleanliness at the same time.
Arrange By Temperature
Commercial kitchens have a great temperature based organizational system that allows them to maintain food safety protocols while also making ingredients easy to find. You can implement this same system in your home to streamline your cleaning and safeguard your food. Organize your food according to their cooking temperatures starting with cooked food and dairy on the top moving on towards meats and fish at the bottom since they need to be prepared at the highest heat.
Door Condiments
Most people store their milk and eggs in the door of their refrigerator, but considering that this is the warmest part, it lowers their shelf life and leaves them open to salmonella. Instead, remove the egg trays and only store sodas and condiments in the door.
Use Your Drawers Properly
Depending on which refrigerator model you have, you may have anywhere from two to five drawers. These are made to keep the items stored inside at varying temperatures and most suitable for leafy vegetables. The drawer at the very bottom is always going to be the warmest, which to the contrary is not the most suitable for vegetables. It’s a good idea to convert the lowest drawer to a meat drawer, and the one above it for vegetables.
Bins for Meat
If your refrigerator only features one drawer, then you can make your own bin for meat. Use a clear box to store your meats on the lowest shelf in your refrigerator. This allows any liquids that drip to collect in the bottom of the container which also prevents cross contamination. Make a point to clean your meat drawers and bins every 3 days with warm soap and water.
Control Your Temperature
There is nothing worse than reaching into the veggie bin and pulling out a frozen tomato or cucumber. The temperatures in your refrigerator are intended to inhibit bacteria growth, but once ice forms, the food you are protecting becomes inedible. To prevent freezing, or spoiling from heat, set your range to 1.67-3.33 Celsius or 35-38 Fahrenheit.
Control Odors
Foods that sit in your fridge too long can go bad and get moldy. Not only can certain molds contaminate the good foods in your fridge, but often leave a bad odor that can make the whole kitchen smell bad. There are many odor eliminators that claim to reduce bad smells in refrigerators, but unless you are cleaning your fridge regularly, the odor may persist. Using baking soda is one of the most affordable things that you can use to help eliminate odors in your fridge. All you have to do is pull the cardboard top off and leave it in your fridge to keep things smelling fresh in-between cleans.
How We Can Help
If you are overwhelmed by the thought of cleaning or organizing your refrigerator, the friendly staff here at Madam Clean are here to help. Give us a call at (647) 808-9742, or drop us an email to set up a time for one of our teams to come by.