How to Naturally Freshen Up Your Fridge

It may be that there’s a foul mystery odour escaping every time you open the door. You may be playing Tetris trying to find space to put this week’s groceries on the shelf. Or it may just be time for a cleaning.

Whatever your reason, cleaning the refrigerator is an unappealing task. It takes time and you run the risk of discovering a forgotten-about piece of rotting broccoli at the back of the crisper.

This is how to clean your fridge using natural ingredients.

How to Clean and Disinfect Your Fridge Naturally

Step 1 Get Prepared

Make sure your kitchen bench and sink are empty and have garbage/food waste bags ready. Arm yourself with a spray that will break down grime and leave your fridge smelling fresh.

This is the spray we recommend for optimum results. You should put all ingredients into a glass spray bottle (these are preferred as essential oils can wear down plastic over time).

• 125 ml white vinegar

• 250 ml (1 cup) hot water

• A few drops of essential oil (peppermint or lemon are great choices)

Step 2 Clear Everything Out

If you have the bench space, clear everything out of the fridge, including all fruits and vegetables. You may need to put things into an esky if it's a particularly warm day.

This job is best done the day before your weekly or fortnightly grocery shop, so your fridge isn't overly full.

Throw out anything that is past its use-by date and any items that you know you aren't likely to use before they expire.

Work together on a project for the bedroom, such as painting the bedside table or making photo frames.

Step 3 Clean Trays

Pull out the shelves and drawers and depending on the state they're in, either give them a spray and wipe with the above cleaning solution or wash them in the sink with some hot water and dishwashing detergent.

Spray and wipe down the interior of the fridge as well, paying special attention to any crevices where gunk may have gathered.

Step 4 Place Everything Back Neatly

Once your shelves and drawers are dry, put them back.

Put a little thought into where you're putting your food back, rather than just filling the shelves haphazardly. While the home of fruits and vegetables is self-explanatory, try putting those closer to their expiry in one drawer (everything else in the other drawer or a shelf) so that you know to use these items first.

Wipe down the bottoms of jars, bottles and containers and separate your food into categories if you can. Have a section for dairy products, one for condiments, an area for leftovers and so on. This will make keeping your fridge in order so much easier in the long run.

Step 5 Don't Forget The Exterior

White vinegar on a microfiber cloth is a great way to get stainless steel fridges to shine. Make sure that you rub in the direction of the grain (the lines in the steel). For all other fridges, using your pre-made vinegar mix will get a fantastic result.

More Fridge Cleaning Facts

Why is vinegar great for cleaning my fridge?

While vinegar does a great job at breaking down grease, combining it with hot water will effectively get rid of any icky stuck-on food you’ve got hiding away in the fridge. Your essential oils have got sanitising properties in them as well, targeting germs and bacteria too. This combination will deodorise your fridge, eliminating nasty odours and ensuring your fridge smells its very best.

How do I keep my fridge always fresh?

Now that it's so organised, keeping your fridge clean should be a lot easier. You'd be amazed at how simple it is to find what you need when you have a more organised space.

Keeping on top of smells is another challenge. Other than regularly checking for expired items or rotting perishables, you could also try keeping half a cup of Baking Soda at the back of the shelf. Baking Soda's deodorising properties will do a great job of absorbing funky fridge smells.

Some people swear by using a cut-in-half lemon (swapped when the lemon starts to expire) instead of baking soda to keep the fridge smelling fresh.