03.08.2024

Shiny fridge shelves, no vinegar needed – go find this ingredient in the kitchen

By Lesia

How to get rid of bad smells and make your fridge shelves sparkling clean? You won’t believe it, but a few natural products that you always have in your kitchen and can therefore easily find are enough. We’re talking about baking soda, vinegar and lemon, let’s find out how to use them to sanitise and perfume your fridge.

clean the fridge

Cleaning the refrigerator is one of the activities that cannot be left out of the kitchen, especially when there are a lot of foods stored and the shelves are all occupied. The  smells emanating from various foods  and the dirt that inevitably accumulates inside despite attention make a thorough cleaning urgent.

Cleaning your refrigerator is also necessary to remove products that are deteriorating and need to be thrown away. Below we explain how  to clean your refrigerator naturally  , without using harsh chemicals or detergents, but with products that you normally have in your kitchen.

What to do before you start cleaning your fridge

Before you start cleaning your refrigerator, it is essential   to empty it completely  and remove the internal accessories, so that the job can be done more easily and quickly. It is also advisable to place a cloth at the bottom of the refrigerator to collect any water that may drip during cleaning.

You should know that thousands of bacteria can nest inside this appliance   in every square centimeter, some of which are harmless while others can cause damage to your health if they contaminate food. That is why it is necessary to disinfect the refrigerator  at least once a month  , using the following products.

Baking soda to clean refrigerator shelves

Baking soda is undoubtedly one of the most effective natural products for  disinfecting and sanitizing your refrigerator  . Simply  mix it with water   to create a solution that can be applied with a cloth to both the interior and exterior walls of the appliance.

The correct dosage to use is  one tablespoon of baking soda per half litre of warm water  . To remove the most stubborn stains, you can prepare a creamy mixture that will be applied with a toothbrush and rubbed more vigorously on the affected areas. The baking soda is quickly removed with a cloth and leaves the areas perfectly sanitised.

Vinegar for degreasing and polishing.

Like baking soda,  vinegar is also an excellent disinfectant and degreaser  . It is also an  excellent brightener  , leaving treated areas bright and shiny.

The ideal vinegar is red wine vinegar, but if you don’t have one, white vinegar is also fine. You can use it  pure or diluted in warm water  and wipe it with a soft cloth on the walls and shelves.

refrigerator shelves

Lemon to remove bad odors from refrigerator shelves

Very often bad smells come from the refrigerator, due to the food stored inside, such as fish, meat, cheese and other foods that may be rotting. In these cases, lemon is a perfect ally to solve this problem.

Once you’re done cleaning your refrigerator, make a  solution of water and lemon juice  , put it in a spray bottle, and spray it inside the appliance. The pleasant scent will spread throughout the fridge and is also great for  preventing new unpleasant odors from forming  .

As a preventive measure, you can place a few slices of lemon in a corner of the refrigerator and change them once a week. In addition to the products indicated,  other natural remedies  to use to sanitize the refrigerator are  peeled potatoes and coffee grounds  , which should also be left in a drawer or on a shelf for a few days. In addition, it is recommended   to always seal food   in sealed packages to prevent the spread of bad odors.