How to clean a refrigerator {homemade cleaning solution}

A few months ago I shared our refrigerator makeover and I’m happy to say the the storage containers are working out fabulously! Today I am sharing how to clean a refrigerator with a quick budget friendly cleaning solution. I don’t know about you but our fridge is in need of a deep clean every couple months.  We did swap out the soda storage rack as my husband is trying to cut back on his soda intake so having cases of soda in the refrigerator is not necessary now. Phew! Honestly, the soda dispenser took up a lot of room. In preparation for the upcoming holiday season and to make way for more room in the refrigerator I decided to share how to clean your refrigerator in an effort to have a germ free space. We always have an early Thanksgiving dinner in mid November with my brother’s family as he spends the actual holiday with his wife’s family. This way, we get to eat turkey twice! 😉

I love when the refrigerator smells clean and fresh.

I mixed about 2 tablespoons of Clorox Concentrated bleach, a tiny squirt of dish soap and  16 ounces of warm water in my spray bottle. I am never really good with measurements, I just eye ball it and move forward. Shake it up and you are good to go. What I love about making your own cleaning solution is that it’s a fraction of the cost of buying pre-made cleaners.

Our refrigerator stays much cleaner now that we use clear plastic storage containers but the drawers and shelves still get grimy from leaking meat juices (especially chicken), tipped over bottles and grimy kids hands. God knows where kids hands have been all day and once they enter the refrigerator, grossness ensues! haha . I mean, you can’t prevent this from happening but you can ensure that you disinfect and prevent any salmonella and other germs that may be lingering in your refrigerator.

I simply empty the refrigerator, drawers and all, spray it down with homemade cleaning solution and rinse. I also spray the drawers in the sink and rinse throughly allowing them to completely dry before placing them back in the refrigerator.

Rinse.

Dry.

We are now ready for our early Thanksgiving with my brother.

When we have large family dinners, we all participate in bringing a favorite dish. This year, I will be contributing the turkey, a veggie or two and a berry pie.

My grandmother will most likely cook mashed potatoes and gravy along with a pie and my mom will make the stuffing and a couple more veggie casseroles. Thankfully we have three refrigerators to “house” all of our food, this one happens to be mine. That is the beauty of living with four generations under one roof, we have multiple places to store food and we all play an active role in the dinner department ;).