If you have a recalled food item in your refrigerator, it’s important to throw out the food and clean your refrigerator. Germs in the recalled food could spread to drawers or shelves in your refrigerator.

How to Clean your Refrigerator After a Food Recall

Items needed to clean your refrigerator:

Sealed Bags

Hot, Soapy Water

Clean Towels

Optional: Water + Bleach

STEP 1 – Throw out recalled food

Throw out the recalled food, and any other foods stored with it or touching it.

Put it in a sealed bag in the garbage.

If the recalled food was stored in a reusable container, wash it with hot, soapy water before reusing.

STEP 2 – Empty your Refrigerator

Empty the rest of the items in your refrigerator and put them on a counter or table while you clean.

Take out shelving, drawers, and any other removable parts.

Don’t leave unrefrigerated food out for more than two hours.

STEP 3 – Wash Removable Parts

Wash shelving, drawers, and any other removable parts by hand with hot, soapy water.

Dry with a clean towel.

Don’t run cold glass shelves or drawers under hot water – the glass could crack. Let them come to room temperature first.

STEP 4 – Clean and Sanitize Inside the Refrigerator

Wipe the inside of the empty refrigerator with hot, soapy water, then wipe with clean water to rinse off soap.

Dry with a clean towel.

Don’t forget to wipe inside the doors and any drawers that cannot be removed.

* Optional Step

Use a solution of 1 tablespoon of liquid bleach in 1 gallon of water to sanitize your refrigerator. Do this after cleaning it with hot, soapy water.

STEP 5 – Return Shelves, Drawers, and Food

Put the shelves, drawers, and other removable parts back in the refrigerator, along with the other items you took out.

Wipe food and drink containers with hot, soapy water before returning to the clean refrigerator.

And don’t forget!