Give your fridge a makeover
By BETH BENCE REINKE for Smart
Peek into your refrigerator. If the sticky spots, spills or smells are taking over, you can take part in “National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day” on Nov. 15.
Even though it’s cold inside the refrigerator, bacteria can still create odors and spoilage, said Marcia Weber, an educator with the Penn State Cooperative Extension in York County.
“Refrigeration does not stop bacterial growth; it just slows it,” she said.
Scrubbing your fridge periodically is a great way to remove bacteria and mold that have taken up residence.
Before you stuff it with turkey and all the Thanksgiving trimmings, give your fridge a deep cleaning with these steps:
1. Remove the food. “I pull out everything that I possibly can and stick it in a cooler with ice or ice packs,” Weber said. Milk, meat and eggs should go into a cooler for sure.
2. Clean the shelves with warm water and mild dish soap. Weber warns against harsh detergents or abrasives that can ruin the inside of the appliance. With a side-by-side model, it’s easy to put the shelves in the sink to wash them. With an upright, shelves can be left in place for cleaning.
3. Wipe down the interior sides, back and ceiling with soapy water and then rinse. Scrub inside the door, including all of the little compartments. Wash the gaskets around the door, where mold can hide. Be careful not to break through the gasket or the seal could be compromised, Weber said.
4. Pull out the drawers and wash with warm, soapy water. Scrub the area under the bottom drawers, where spilled liquids and all kinds of mysterious drips seem to collect.
5. Dry shelves and drawers and return them to their proper places.
6. Clean the outside, too! Remove all the magnets, photos and artwork that you have accumulated. Wash the exterior and handles with mild soap or any cleaners that are made for appliances. If you have a front grill at the bottom or a tray underneath that collects water, clean those, too. “Another thing that’s easy to neglect is the condenser coil in the back,” Weber said. Brush it off or use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust to keep your fridge working properly.
7. As you return each food item to the refrigerator, check the dates on the containers. “If it’s past the expiration date or the ‘use by’ date, it is time to get rid of it,” Weber said. On the other hand, she said, milk typically is good for about seven days past the “sell by” date.
If there are things you no longer use or your family doesn’t like, toss them. “It’s a good time to weed out your condiments,” Weber said.
Some refrigerators have special sections on the door for storing eggs. But Weber said eggs should be kept in the carton inside the cabinet of the fridge, not on the door, because the temperature decreases every time the door is opened. She also recommends keeping a thermometer inside your refrigerator and making sure it reads 40 degrees or a little lower. “Between 40 and 140 degrees is the temperature danger zone which is where bacteria grow best,” she said.
For a finishing touch, place an open box of baking soda in the fridge to help eliminate odors.
After you have deep cleaned your refrigerator, remember to maintain it. The trick to keeping your fridge in tiptop shape is to do a quick check each week. “Right before I go grocery shopping, I look in and see what needs to be thrown out,” Weber said.
It’s also a good idea to immediately wipe up any spills or dribbles to keep surfaces from getting sticky. Weber said it is critical to cover raw meats and store them on the bottom shelf to prevent cross contamination.
“If juice from meat drips onto another food that will not be cooked, such as fruit, you could get sick from eating the fruit,” she said.
Weber said readers who have questions about food safety can call their extension educator at 717-840-7408 or check the Web site by clicking here.
On the home page, click on “Food and Nutrition” to get to the food safety information.
Storage times for
refrigerated foods
• Eggs, fresh, in shell — 3-5 weeks• Raw chicken or turkey, fresh — 1-2 days
• Raw steaks, chops, roasts — 3-5 days
• Raw ground meat — 1-2 days
• Fresh fish and shellfish — 1-2 days
• Ham slices, fully cooked — 3-4 days
• Lunch meats, unopened package
— 2 weeks; opened package — 3-5 days• Bacon — 7 days
• Cooked casseroles — 3-4 days
• Soups and stews — 3-4 days
Source: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Food Safety
and Inspection Service
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