

[Creative Commons photo by sarae]

Your dishwasher is spic and span, and it’s starting to make your cluttered refrigerator look a little bit…well…gross. Don’t despair! We’ve got you covered with some Earth-friendly fridge-cleaning tips. Not only does cleaning out the fridge keep things sanitary, you can do your part to make it more energy efficient!



To do this properly, you’ll need a spray bottle of water with a bit of white vinegar mixed into it, some baking soda, a dust buster or vacuum with a hose attachment, a cooler, and a few rags:

Move the fridge a few feet away from the wall, and unplug it. Pull everything out of the fridge and freezer. See what you can keep, what should go in the compost pile, and what just needs to be pitched. If you have to toss anything, you might take a peek to see if the container it was in can be reused or recycled. If you’re hanging on to things that might melt or spoil during the cleaning process, toss that stuff into the cooler. Pull the shelves out of the fridge and freezer. Spray down the inside with your vinegar and water mixture and wipe things down. Once you get all the gunk out of there, use a fresh rag to wipe out any excess moisture. Make a paste out of the baking soda and a little bit of water. Use the paste to scrub the shelves. Give them a good rinse and dry them with clean rags before you put them back into the fridge and freezer. Grab your dust buster or vacuum, and clean behind the refrigerator. You want to also vacuum out the coils back there. This will help the cooling mechanism work up to 30% more efficiently! Plug it back in, and slide the fridge back against the wall, leaving about 2″ of “breathing space.” You’re ready to put all of the food back in!

While you’re in there, take a peek at the temperature of the fridge and the freezer. The fridge should be between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Keeping the fridge too cold wastes a ton of energy. The freezer is fine betwen zero and five degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll also want to make sure the fridge and freezer are full, but not so full that air can’t circulate between food items. A good amount of cold items helps retain the cold temperature when you open the door, so your fridge and freezer won’t use as much energy getting things back to the set temperature.