Neither every month, nor every two months, the refrigerator should be cleaned much more often to avoid bacteria. But how long?
The refrigerator is one of the most used household appliances. It keeps our food fresh and preserves their quality, but if it is not maintained regularly, it can become a real bacteria nest. The simple fact of opening the door regularly creates temperature changes and an air current that disperses the spores. “Your fridge is dirtier than you think, because it stores fresh food likely to deteriorate quickly,” says expert Ying Cai, product and marketing manager at TCL.
Many people think that monthly cleaning or even every two months is enough to maintain a clean fridge. However, this is far from sufficient. Why wait a month to clean your device? You just have to clean it when it is dirty, for example if a product flowed in the fridge, or if the vegetables start to wither. The humidity contained in a refrigerator promotes the proliferation of bacteria, in particular salmonella and listeria, which can cause food poisoning. It is therefore essential to maintain the fridge well.
Ying Cai recommends “a simple weekly cleaning and a monthly deep cleaning” to avoid the accumulation of germs and mold. His secret for a clean fridge? The use of white vinegar, or “dissolve a teaspoon of baking soda in water”. But beware, if cleaning the inside of the fridge is really important, “don’t forget the outside of the refrigerator” explains the expert.
You also have to think about cleaning the door, the door seal, the handle, the small evacuation hole inside the refrigerator, but also all the dust around the device to promote heat dissipation. In addition to weekly and monthly cleaning, it is recommended to regularly sort food to avoid the accumulation of expired products.
How to keep a clean and healthy fridge? Start by completely emptying your device. Remove all the foods and throw out those that are outdated. Then start by cleaning the surfaces. Use a mixture of lukewarm water and white vinegar to disinfect the walls, the shelves, the bins, but also the small water drain hole located at the bottom of the device. Do not forget the joints and the handles. These areas easily accumulate bacteria.
You can also use the hot water mixture and white vinegar. For impeccable joints, we advise you to use an old toothbrush. Wipe with a clean cloth before putting the food back. Finally, check the temperature: a well -adjusted fridge (between 0 ° C and 4 ° C) limits bacterial proliferation.