Give your fridge a quick clear-out and wipe once a week, and a full clean with everything out and the shelves washed every one to three months. That's the schedule in Whirlpool's refrigerator cleaning guide, which also suggests checking the door seal monthly. Clean up spills, especially raw meat juice, the moment you notice them.
The weekly part matters more than the deep clean. Cooked leftovers are only good for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, according to the USDA's leftovers guidance, so a quick sweep the night before you shop catches the takeout container nobody remembers. The fridge is at its emptiest then, too.
| Job |
How often |
| Throw out old leftovers, wipe shelves and handles |
Weekly |
| Wipe up spills, especially raw meat or poultry juice |
Right away |
| Check and wipe the door gasket |
Monthly |
| Full clean: everything out, shelves and drawers washed |
Every 1 to 3 months |
| Clean the condenser coils |
Depends on the model (see our coil cleaning guide) |
| Check the temperature |
Whenever you clean |
Why spills can't wait#
Drips from raw meat and poultry spread bacteria to whatever sits below them. The FDA's advice on storing food safely is to clean the fridge regularly and wipe spills immediately, which helps limit Listeria, a bacterium that can keep growing in the fridge, especially if it runs warmer than 40°F. Store raw meat on the bottom shelf, in a container or on a plate, so it can't drip onto anything ready to eat.
How to deep clean a fridge#
Block out about an hour, since glass shelves need time to warm up before you can wash them.
- Do it the day before you shop. Put perishables in a cooler with ice packs, or in a second fridge. Don't let them sit on the counter for more than two hours.
- Turn the fridge off or unplug it if your model allows, and switch off the ice maker. Whirlpool suggests both before a deep clean.
- Take out the shelves and drawers. Let glass shelves come up to room temperature before they touch warm water. Cold glass can crack from the sudden change.
- Wash the inside walls, ceiling, and shelf supports. The USDA's refrigeration guidance says hot, soapy water followed by a rinse. For a fridge that smells, Whirlpool suggests about 1 tablespoon of baking soda per quart of warm water.
- Wash the shelves and drawers in the sink with dish soap. Rinse and dry.
- Clean the door gasket with a soft cloth or an old toothbrush, getting into the folds where crumbs and sticky drips collect. Dry it well.
- Dry everything, put the shelves back, turn the fridge on, and reload. Check dates and throw out anything you wouldn't eat as you go.
What not to use inside a fridge#
The USDA advises against solvents, abrasives, and any cleanser that could leave a chemical taste on food or ice cubes, or damage the interior finish. Whirlpool adds window sprays, scouring cleansers, flammable fluids, bleach, and petroleum-based cleaners to the list for plastic parts, liners, and gaskets. Dish soap and baking soda handle almost everything.
How to get rid of a fridge smell#
Start by finding the source. It's usually something in the back of a drawer, a leaking package, or a spill under a crisper drawer. Clean that, then put an open box of baking soda on a shelf. The USDA recommends it to keep the fridge smelling fresh.
After a power outage or a fridge full of spoiled food, the smell is harder to shift. The USDA suggests wiping the inside with equal parts vinegar and water, then washing it with a baking soda solution. If the smell lingers, leave fresh coffee grounds or baking soda in an open container inside.
Check the temperature while you're at it#
Keep the fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below and the freezer at 0°F (-18°C). The FDA recommends an appliance thermometer, since many dials just say 1 to 5 and don't tell you the actual temperature. Put it in the middle of a shelf and read it after the fridge has been closed for a few hours.
A fridge that can't hold 40°F after a clean needs attention: check that the door seals properly (a gasket that doesn't grip a sheet of paper closed in the door is leaking cold air), that the vents inside aren't blocked by food, and that the coils aren't caked in dust. If those are fine, call for repair.
The other fridge jobs#
A few jobs run on their own schedule. If your freezer has frost building up on the walls, see how to defrost a freezer. If your fridge has a water dispenser, the water filter needs changing about every six months. Food that doesn't need the cold goes in the pantry; our pantry check covers that.
A weekly clear-out is easiest when it's tied to something you already do, like writing the shopping list. A recurring reminder in ChoreLists.com for the night before you shop works too.