How to Clean a Refrigerator: A Step-by-Step Deep Clean That Actually Lasts

Learning how to clean a refrigerator properly is one of the highest-payoff chores in any home. A fridge that looks clean from the outside can still hide spilled milk under a drawer, sticky juice in a shelf track, and a mouldy lemon at the back of the crisper. Those hidden messes feed odours, spread bacteria to fresh food, and block airflow so the compressor works harder than it should.

The good news is that a proper deep clean takes about an hour, and much of that time is simply letting shelves soak. This guide covers the exact baking soda solution to use, how to remove shelves and drawers safely, how to clean door seals and condenser coils, and how to remove stubborn smells for good.

Before You Start: Gather Your Supplies

You do not need special products. In fact, simple tools work best, because anything strongly scented can transfer its smell to butter, milk, and uncovered leftovers. Gather everything before you open the door, so perishable food spends as little time as possible at room temperature.

• Baking soda: your main cleaner and deodoriser.
• White vinegar: for the exterior and mineral marks, used separately from baking soda.
• Warm water, a spray bottle, microfibre cloths, and a soft sponge: avoid steel wool, which scratches plastic and glass.
• An old toothbrush: for shelf tracks, gasket folds, and grooves around the ice maker.
• Dish soap and a cooler bag with ice packs: essential if the clean takes over 30 minutes.
• A vacuum with a brush attachment: for the condenser coils underneath or behind the fridge.

Unplug the fridge, or switch it off, before you begin. This stops the compressor cycling while the doors stand open. Turn off any ice maker or water dispenser too, and empty the ice bin.

Step 1: Empty the Fridge — and Audit What Comes Out

Take everything out, shelf by shelf, and put perishables in the cooler bag. You cannot clean a shelf properly with jars still sitting on it, and this is the step most people skip. As you unload, check every expiry date and throw away anything mouldy, slimy, or past its use-by date. Be ruthless with mystery leftovers: if you cannot remember when you cooked it, it does not belong back in the fridge.

Before restocking, wipe the bottom of every jar and bottle with a damp cloth. Sticky bases are a major reason shelves glue themselves to their tracks. When you reload, keep raw meat, poultry, and fish in sealed containers on the lowest shelf, so their juices can never drip onto ready-to-eat food below.

Step 2: Remove the Shelves and Drawers Safely

Most shelves lift at the front and slide out, while crisper drawers pull towards you after a small upward lift at the end of the track. Never force a stuck shelf. Look for a locking tab or raised lip at the back, and check your manual for your exact model. Forcing it is how glass shelves chip and plastic runners crack.

Set glass shelves on a towel and let them reach room temperature for at least 20 minutes before washing. Plunging cold glass into hot water can cause thermal shock and shattering. While they warm up, remove the door bins — usually the stickiest parts of the fridge — and vacuum crumbs and dried leaves from the empty cabinet, especially the shelf tracks and corners.

Step 3: Mix the Right Baking Soda Solution

The standard food-safe solution for a refrigerator interior is 2 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 litre of warm water — about 1 tablespoon per 500 ml, or 2 tablespoons per quart. Stir until the powder dissolves. Baking soda is mildly alkaline, so it cuts grease and neutralises acidic odours without leaving a chemical residue or perfumed smell.

For a spray bottle, use 1 tablespoon in 500 ml of warm water. For a dried-on spill, apply a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water for 15 minutes, then wipe away. Do not use bleach or oven cleaner inside the fridge, and do not mix baking soda and vinegar in one bowl — they neutralise each other.

Step 4: Wash the Interior, Top to Bottom

Work from the top down, so dirty water drips onto areas you have not cleaned yet. Dampen a microfibre cloth in the baking soda solution, wring it well, and wipe the ceiling, back wall, and side walls. Rinse the cloth in clean warm water often, and finish each section with a second wipe using plain water only, so no baking soda film remains.

Pay extra attention to the back wall and to the drain hole or drip channel at the lower back of many models. If it clogs, water pools under the crisper drawers and smells musty — clear it gently with a cotton bud, never a sharp object. Wash shelves and drawers with warm soapy water, rinse, and dry completely before they go back.

Step 5: Clean the Door Seals — the Most Overlooked Job

Door seals, or gaskets, are the magnetic rubber strips that keep cold air in. When they grow mouldy or sticky, the door does not close tightly, cold air escapes, and your electricity bill climbs. Open each fold and wipe inside with baking soda solution, using the toothbrush for black spots and crumbs. Rinse with plain water and dry the folds completely.

Test the seal when you finish: close the door on a sheet of paper and try to pull it out. If it slides out easily anywhere around the edge, that section is weak. A thorough clean sometimes restores the grip; if it still fails, the gasket may be warped or torn and is worth replacing. A new gasket costs far less than months of wasted energy, and most models allow a straightforward do-it-yourself replacement.

Step 6: Clean the Exterior, Handles, and Condenser Coils

Wipe the exterior with warm soapy water or diluted vinegar, working in the direction of the grain on stainless steel, then dry immediately to prevent streaks. Scrub the handles properly: they are touched with raw-meat hands more often than any other part of the kitchen, and a quick wipe rarely removes the film around the fixings. For a streak-free finish across all your steel appliances, see our guide to how to clean stainless appliances.

Condenser coils — the dusty grille or pipework underneath or behind the fridge — deserve the same attention. When they clog with dust and pet hair, the fridge cannot shed heat efficiently and runs longer. Pull the fridge out carefully, unplug it, vacuum the coils with a brush attachment, and clean the floor and kick plate while you have access. Do this every six to twelve months, or every six months if you have pets, and check the fridge stands level when you push it back.

Step 7: Restock Smartly and Reset the Temperature

Put the clean, dry shelves and drawers back before reloading any food. Set the fridge between 0°C and 4°C (32°F to 39°F) and the freezer to −18°C (0°F). Check with a fridge thermometer rather than trusting the dial alone, because dials are often inaccurate by several degrees, especially on older models.

Restock in zones so food stays visible and gets used before it spoils. Keep milk, raw meat, and leftovers on the coldest shelves, usually the lower back, and fruit and vegetables in their separate crisper drawers. Do not overfill the fridge: cold air needs room to circulate, and a packed fridge cools unevenly. Label leftovers with the cooking date and keep them in clear, sealed containers at eye level — most cooked leftovers last three to four days, so freeze anything you will not eat within that window.

How to Remove Stubborn Fridge Odours

Once the fridge is clean, odour removal is usually straightforward. Place an open box of baking soda on a middle shelf and replace it every 30 days; it absorbs odours passively without adding scent. For a stronger problem — spilled milk or rotten fish — wipe the area again with baking soda paste, then leave a bowl of white vinegar or activated charcoal in the closed, empty fridge overnight.

Coffee grounds work too: a bowl of fresh, dry grounds inside for 24 hours absorbs most lingering smells. Avoid air fresheners inside the fridge — they can flavour butter and cream. If an odour survives a full clean, check the drip tray and drain channel again.

How Often Should You Clean a Refrigerator?

A full deep clean every three to four months suits most households, with smaller jobs layered in between. Deep cleaning weekly is unnecessary, but ignoring the fridge for a year guarantees a much bigger job and more wasted food.

• Daily: wipe spills immediately and discard anything visibly spoiled.
• Weekly: wipe handles, door bins, and any sticky shelf, and do a quick expiry check.
• Monthly: clean the door seals, check the temperature, and replace the baking soda box.
• Every 3 to 4 months: the full deep clean above — empty, wash, dry, and restock.
• Every 6 to 12 months: vacuum the coils, clean the drip tray, and test the gasket seal.

Food-Safety Tips Every Homeowner Should Know

Cleaning matters because the fridge is a food-safety device, not just a storage box. Bacteria such as Listeria can grow slowly even at fridge temperatures, which is why cleaning and temperature control matter together. Keep the fridge at or below 4°C, and never leave perishable food — cooked meat, dairy, cut fruit, and leftovers — at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour when the room is above 32°C.

Thaw frozen food in the fridge, not on the counter, where it spends hours in the danger zone. When in doubt, throw it out: no reheating makes genuinely spoiled food safe.

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