Last week, I shared how I cleaned my car interior using only an AutoRight Steamer and it only took me 1 hour to complete. This week, I cleaned out our fridge using only my AutoRight Steamer and a few cloths. I decided to only use the steamer because I’ve done some reading and found out that cleaning products should be minimized when used around food. Foods can absorb chemical products leading to consumers ingesting those chemical products through their foods. This project only took me 45 minutes and was completed while my little one was napping.
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Supplies Needed:
Fridge Organizers (optional)
How to get started:
1. Plug in the Steamer and let it heat up
I started by unscrewing the safety cap, pouring water into the AutoRight Steamer (being careful not the overfill), replacing the cap and connecting the adaptor. Next, I turned the machine on. Then I allowed the product to build up steam pressure under the recommended 8 minutes (again, making sure the product was turned off). Once the steamer was ready to go, the orange pressure light turned off. Time to clean!
2. Wipe up any obvious spills
I cleaned out of fridge last year right after we moved. Our fridge was used and relatively clean, but it needed some extra cleaning, so I cleaned it then. Most of our spills were things that were yucky and sticky that I’ve tried to remove in the past, but weren’t easy to remove. Nonetheless, anything that was a recent spill, I wiped up before starting my cleaning project.
3. Vacuum/sweep out crumbs
I used a paper towel to “sweep up” any loose crumbs so that my steamer didn’t blow them around the fridge. If you have a portable vacuum, this will come in handy to sweep remaining debris from inside the fridge.
4. Go shelf by shelf; top to bottom
I started my project by removing my food/food trays one row at a time. I didn’t want all my food to sit out for too long while I cleaned, so going row by row was more convenient so I could replace the food once I finished that particular row. I DID NOT remove any of my shelves/drawers during this cleaning process. I used this angled attachment that helped clean hard to reach places.
It was also more convenient to go top from bottom. If I had a lot of dirt, it didn’t get blown unto a shelf that I had recently cleaned. Also, steamer water ran unto the lower shelves as I cleaned. Going from top to bottom made it easier to clean to wipe/clean as I went along.
5. Use your Steam Cleaner
The high blast of the steam helped to remove hard to reach and tough stains that have been difficult to remove due to colder refrigerator temperatures. The above attachment made it easier to reach the back of the fridge as well as areas in-between the glass shelves and plastic fridge holders.
6. Replace Items
Once you are all finished, replace your item back into your fridge. I recently purchased some refrigerator organizers to make our fridge a little more organized. They also helped me to keep inventory of remaining products. The clear organizers helped bring everything to the front (away from falling into the back of the fridge) and being clear is helpful for everyone to see what’s remaining. We even have a shelf for my little one so she can easy reach her items.
A few disclaimers:
- I cleaned out our fridge the night before. We had a larger grocery order and I knew it would be perfect timing to get rid of old food. I tossed out old food and organized how I wanted the fridge to look so that after my steam cleaning, I could put everything back exactly how I had organized.
- Last year, before we moved into our new place, I deep cleaned our fridge. Our fridge was used and relatively clean, but it needed some extra cleaning, so I cleaned it then. However, even had being cleaned last year, it was still dirty from a year of neglect.
- I only cleaned the fridge. I didn’t get to the freezer. To get a deep freezer clean would require to unplug and thaw the freezer, and “ain’t nobody got time for that.”
- We have a top freezer so our fridge is on the smaller end. If you have a fridge with two drawers and a bottom freezer- this project could take a little longer than an hour to complete.
How long did it take?
From opening the refrigerator to closing, it took me 45 minutes. I did list in my disclaimer that our fridge is on the smaller side and I organized it the night before, so if you have a larger fridge, it could take a little more than an hour to complete.
What are the recommended/required supplies?
In a few days, I will release include some optional items. It will include where I found my refrigerator organizers.
Would this project wake my kids?
I completed this project while my little one was sleeping and it didn’t wake her. The steam cleaner is about the same volume of a vacuum (if not a little quieter) so if you feel comfortable vacuuming while you’re little ones are sleeping, you should be fine to complete this project during nap time.
Would I do this project again?
Absolutely!!
Moving forward, whenever I clean my refrigerator, I’m using my steamer. I’ve read that cleaning products can absorb into foods and them more easily ingested. Steam cleaning uses only high powered steam minimizing consumption of harmful chemicals.
Also, steam cleaning allowed quick cleaning since the steam helped release tough food stains that colder temperature set. I only needed one product to complete the task minimizing prep time and gathering multiple supplies.
