How I did it:

1. I waited to do this before going to the grocery store. That way the fridge wasn't so full. This past week I had been throwing out old food, so that part of the task was already done.
2. I got a set of rags, half that would be damp, the other half saved as dry rags. I filled a tub with slightly soapy warm water. Starting with the top shelf, I removed items from the shelf. I wiped the shelf with a wet rag and then I used a dry rag. Then I returned the items to its shelf, wiping the bottom of those containers.
3. I remembered to inspect the sides of the fridge, for splashes or smears that somehow land there (okay, I'm not mentioning any names here).
4. There weren't really a whole lot of spills, but quite a few crumbs. So those I could basically sweep out with the dry rag, starting from the back and pushing right into my little garbage container. (I wanted to avoid pushing the debris around or smashing the crumbs into clots of stuff.) You could use a cake pan or other tray to collect the crumbs if you don't have a small garbage container to hold up next to the shelves. After sweeping the crumbs, then use the wet rag.

Lessons & tips:

• This goal is about having clean surfaces in the fridge, not simply removing items that shouldn't be there.
• Start with a clean countertop next to the fridge to set your stuff while wiping the interior.
• Don't use too much soap. That way you won't inadvertently leave a film. If you encounter a gooey mess, use some elbow grease (rub at it).
• I like to wipe the shelves with a dry cloth so everything can go right back into the fridge one shelf at a time. You could leave the shelves out to air dry, but in that case, I'd recommend having a cooler to store your items while waiting for the shelves to dry.
• Remember to wipe the bottom of the items going back in; otherwise any dirt on the bottom is going right back in and is potentially spread around when you move them about.
• Once you're done with the interior, you'll feel so motivated, you'll realize the exterior of the fridge needs a cleaning. If you do a lot of cooking, there may be a layer of greasy film that need a good grease-cutter solution.

Resources:

• Watching my mom do this. (Thanks Mom.)
• Using common sense, such as starting at the top so that as stray debris falls down, you're capturing all of it at the bottom.
• Playing some nice music while doing this. Yes, it is a chore, but it doesn't have to be torture.

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Jul 05, 2010, 07:33AM PDT | 3 comments | 7 cheers