Bi-Annual Refrigerator Cleaning

I almost missed it!

I was finally home for a day so I could perform my odd little ritual.

Twice per year, I clean the refrigerator.

And I mean clean the refrigerator!

April and November are my fridge cleaning months.

I know it's not 6 months apart, but I have done this for so many years,

it just seems to be what works for me.

There are homes that always seem to look absolutely pristine.

Mine will probably never be one of those.

At any given time, we have this project or that here and there.

I do however try to keep it manageable and

 keep it from becoming a health hazard.

I should have done this before Thanksgiving - oh well.

First, open up the fridge and turn it off.

I bring an ice chest into the kitchen and place all the food from the refrigerator into it to keep it cool while I work.

I start with the main shelves.  

Once all the food is out, remove them and wash the 'box' of the fridge.

Then wash the shelves and replace them.

By shelves, I mean the crisper drawers too:)

You thought I would forget didn't you?

Once those are done, move on to the items on the door.

Remove it all in order to thoroughly wash each little shelf.

While doing this of course,

toss the hot mustard that expired 3 years ago,

the shriveled little carrot in the bottom of the crisper, and 

the mystery left-overs in the opaque plastic,

and any other items that might cause DEQ to come knocking on your door.

Before putting the food back in, I like to spritz it and wipe it all down

with vinegar water - just for good measure.

Then put food back in making sure jars aren't sticky and bottoms are clean.

Next, move on over to the freezer.  Do the same thing all over again.

While everything is out, look and wipe around the edges of the doors,

under the shelves, and in the seals. 

Again replace all the food tossing anything in question.

Turn the refrigerator back on and proceed to the outside.

I like to pull it away from the wall.

Vacuum the coils and the floor.

I know it doesn't look like it, but I just did this in April.

We are not complete slobs, it's just what accumulates under there.

I wash the outside of the fridge, the wall behind the fridge, 

and the floor under the fridge.

I then scoot the refrigerator back into place.

Lastly, I do the front and the handles.

Our refrigerator is old and has scratches and stains, but it works fine.

I dread the day it konks out.

By doing my part to keep it in good repair and operating properly,

I hope I can put that day off for as long as possible. 

This is actually a good time to do this since it makes that much more room

for all the holiday goodies yet to come.

Also, this weeks meal plan entails using up the items frozen in the freezer.

This freezer is for ice, chocolate, deserts, and left-overs.

Our meat and frozen veggies are in an upright out in the shop.

It's easy to forget the big tub of chili or stew in the freezer

so this is the perfect opportunity to clean the slate.

It might seem silly, but it makes me feel like the house is cleaner

after tackling projects like this.

Also, this is our food we're talking about.
I certainly want to keep it safe and healthy.

Hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving.

                                                                     

This just might be the most thorough housekeeping book ever.

I've become picky about which books I keep (due to space.)

This is one I keep.