Cleaning White Goods: Revitalising the workhorses! (Part two)

After being put to the test with food in and out of your fridge and freezer this summer, MOLLY MAID, the domestic house cleaning experts say now is the time to give them a good clean prior to the next batch of homemade winter stews and pies are made for winter.

Whilst the principles of cleaning and freezer and fridge are similar, it is important to remember that food that has been emptied from the fridge will not stay ‘fresh’ for as long as the frozen and so you will need to move quickly or store your dairy products in a cool box. To clean out your fridge, you will obviously need to skip the second step below.

Freezer & Fridge

1. Empty: Remove all your frozen food and ditch any items that are really old or freezer burned or that you just don’t want to keep. Take this opportunity to have a good clear-out!  If your freezer is large, you may have to take things out in stages and use them up (start a few weeks before cleaning day) or transfer to a friend’s freezer.

2. Defrost: (Many freezers nowadays do not suffer from a build-up of frost. If yours is one of this type, ignore this step.) Once the freezer is empty, unplug it from the wall and open the lid or door. Depending on how much ice build-up there is, it could take anywhere from half an hour to several hours to defrost. It is really important not to just abandon the freezer as you will need to be on hand to mop up the water from the bottom of the appliance. A good idea is to help loosen the ice once it is at this stage with a spatula being careful not to damage the surface of the freezer.  Then dispose of the chunks of ice before they turn to water. For any water that does pool in the bottom, wipe it up with a towel. *You can speed up the defrosting process by putting a bowl or two of boiling water in the freezer to warm it (you’ll want to close it if this is the case). However, be very careful that you do not burn yourself

3. Wipe: Now wide the sides and bottom of the freezer. Firstly, remove any debris from the bottom. Then use warm water and white vinegar to wipe spills off of the sides and bottom of the freezer. An easy way to do this is to fill the sink or a large bowl with warm water and the solution you plan to use. Then simply wipe the freezer out with a microfiber cloth including the door, the top and all the rubber seals (a toothbrush is often useful for this task!) If your freezer has any shelves or drawers, take them out and wash them separately.

4. Freshen-up: Once the freezer is clean, you can remove any lingering odours by scrubbing the area down with a mixture of water and bicarbonate of soda. You can avoid any nasty smells by keeping on top of the spoiled or spilled food.  .

5. Dry: Use a tea towel or kitchen towel, dry the inside and outside of the freezer. Then replace the drawers and shelves if you removed them and replace the food and other items into the freezer. Do use this as a chance to ‘compartmentalise’ your foods by stacking foods into meat, fish, and vegetable sections for example.

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