5 Tips for Cleaning Your Refrigerator Quickly

Too often, a messy refrigerator falls victim to the "out of sight, out of mind" syndrome. The food's behind closed doors most of the time, after all. By stashing a cleaning kit nearby, you may be more tempted to clean up accidents as they occur.

Why the hurry? For one thing, cleaning up fresh spills saves the time and effort of scrubbing after they've dried. It may also save you trips to the bathroom and even the emergency room. A glob of deviled ham can harbor a thriving colony of listeria, the bacteria that cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness marked by nausea and diarrhea, fever and chills. The E. coli strain that's responsible for a potentially fatal illness can also survive refrigeration. A quick swipe now may prevent prolonged misery later.

Chances are your fridge is located near a sink, which conveniently provides storage space as well as hot water. Assemble supplies with efficiency in mind. Fill a small bucket or handled tub with basic tools for a variety of common tasks: reusable terrycloth towels, sponges, brushes, and all-purpose cleaners with a mild disinfectant like bleach.

The next bit of advice illustrates the wisdom of the adage, "A place for everything and everything in its place."

Cleaning the fridge is a good time to organize the contents to make them more visible and accessible. Food that's easily seen and reached is less likely to be overlooked and turn into a future source of odors. Also, spacing foods to allow a free flow of chilled air helps to keep them at their peak.

You might also review the owner's manual or favorite source of food knowledge to learn how and where to store different items. Storing foods in the proper location prolongs their quality and shelf life. Plus, some foods need to be separated for their own good. Apples give off ethylene gas as they ripen, for example, which can send green beans into early decline. On the other hand, apples are overwhelmed by the odor and taste of onions.

When you clean, collect foods from each area of the fridge into separate containers. Use coolers for fish and other foods that spoil easily; a simply bowl will suffice for hardier foods like pickles. You can even group those on the table or counter. Check all expiration dates and give questionable items the smell test. Pitch funky potato salad or slimy ham before it becomes a menace.

For our next step, we take a dip in the pool.

Reaching into the recesses of the fridge to wash down racks, shelves and drawers makes a good stretching routine. If you'd rather avoid the calisthenics, just submerge these parts in a sink or tub of warm water and baking soda. (You can add a splash of dishwashing liquid, but some people say traces of the soap linger in the compartment and leave food with its distinctive taste and smell.) Dried food will soak off, and odors will dissipate. Be careful about putting cold glass shelves into hot water, however. The sudden temperature drop can cause them to crack.

While these pieces take a bath, take a toothbrush with cleansing powder to brackets and gaskets. Bacteria can hide in these and other hard-to-reach areas, while the moist, airtight environment formed by door seals makes them prime targets for mold. Dry all pieces well to discourage these unwelcome microbial guests.

Before returning the removable pieces, you need to attend to the compartment. Our next step explains how.

Apply the trickle down theory. Start at the top of the compartment to prevent dirty water or bits of food from dripping or dropping onto surfaces you've already cleaned. Use the all-purpose cleaner of your choice.

The same idea applies to cleaning the exterior. Start with the top of the fridge. This is often the most overlooked, undercleaned space in the kitchen. If this is the case in your home, use hot water and double the strength of your cleanser. Use that toothbrush to clean around the handle (think of how many people put their mitts on it every day). Then, wipe the door and sides with all-purpose cleaner and dry as a finishing touch.

Remember that this theory can also work against you. As the final resting place for spills and other mishaps from above, the lowest regions -- like the space behind crispers and the bottom rack of the door -- are apt to be the dirtiest parts of the refrigerator. It may take some scrubbing to get clean.

On the next page, we close our discussion with the proverbial ounce of prevention.

Clean, tightly closed containers are the best defense against spills and wayward odors. Sealing out air also keeps food fresher longer. And if any spoilage does occur, it'll be limited to the unfortunate food in question.

If you do need to repackage, opt for clear containers if possible. If you reuse containers from store-bought food, label them.

Finally, don't let your efforts be in vain: Remember to plug in the fridge and turn the temperature control to "on." Choose the lowest setting until the compartment is good and cold -- 38 degrees Fahrenheit (3.3 degrees Celsius) or a hair under -- before returning the occupants to their gleaming abode.