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Face it—the fridge can be pretty disgusting. Who wants to store their food in a place that has a stink of old rotten food hanging around? Things spill and get old in there all the time—you definitely don’t want to be reminded of the gross things that happen to food when you are preparing to eat it!

You will need a mild dish soap, kitchen sponges and vinegar or baking soda. Consider buying green, biodegradable cleaning products—they are fairly affordable and much better for the environment.

First, turn the temperature-control knob to ‘Off’. If you have a drip pan underneath, take it out to clean.

Then, take everything out of the refrigerator and freezer. Be careful to keep meat off of counters and in the sink so if it defrosts you won’t contaminate your space. Try to do this when you don’t have anything highly perishable in there, because you want to take your time cleaning. If you rush, you will miss things and possibly have to redo the cleaning again soon.

Throw away any food that is moldy or spoiled. Be sure to check the expiration date on any jars or bottles and throw away anything that is past due.

Then, take all removable parts out of the fridge, including shelves, wire racks and drawers.

Fill the sink with warm, soapy water. Wipe any food out of the drawers and hand wash all of them, the wire racks and drawers in the sink.

Wipe out the fridge, taking care to remove all food matter from the bottom of the fridge. Use a sponge with warm, soapy water and wipe out the entire fridge. Don’t forget the compartments and door racks as well. Squeeze out the soapy water and use water without soap to wipe the soap away.

Make a solution of two tablespoons baking soda and one quart warm water. You could also use one cup of vinegar and one gallon of warm water. You should apply the solution you choose and rinse it away. It will cut down on existing odors, but you should also put a box of baking soda in the refrigerator to keep the odor under control in the long term.

Put all the shelves, wire racks and drawers back into the fridge.

Wash the outside of the fridge and the rubber molding around the door with the warm, soapy water. Rinse with warm water and dry it carefully.

Turn the temperature knob back to the recommended setting and return all the food to the fridge. Wipe off any bottles or jars that are sticky. Clean off the counter where you put your food.

Cleaning like this should happen at least once a month, so you don’t necessarily need to include a full fridge cleaning every time you clean your kitchen. Just do it properly once a month, and you will keep your fridge reminding you only of the amazing things it holds for you to eat!

Learn more cool and easy-to-follow cleaning advice at our Denver cleaning service site, just go to the blog and see what post you might find useful.