How to Clean the Refrigerator for the Holidays

When it comes to the holidays, a lot of new things come into the house. Everything from cookies and candy to new toys and clothes. If you’re having friends and family over, then cleaning is probably on your to-do list. Even if you’re not entertaining, you’re going to be enjoying a lot of delicious food and your refrigerator needs to be ready! Figuring out how to clean the refrigerator doesn’t have to be daunting!

Follow these five simple steps and you’ll have a refrigerator that is ready for all of those delicious holiday goodies.

This post has been sponsored by Art of Green^®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

HOW TO CLEAN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR THE HOLIDAYS

This year I’ve been tackling little projects and working to get our house feeling a bit cleaner and more organized. I’ve discovered that tackling the little areas that get disorganized and messy really helps. Plus it’s easier to stay on top of once you take care of it the first time.

The refrigerator is one of those things in my house that I feel like I organize and before you know it, it needs to be done again. November is the perfect time to tackle that project. The holidays are so much easier to handle when you have a clean fridge to put all of those holiday leftovers in!

CLEAR OUT THE OLD

Before you get to actually cleaning the refrigerator, taking an inventory of what you have inside is the smartest thing to do. No matter how often I think I’ve checked expiration dates, it always seems like I find plenty of items that we’ve missed the dates on.

Yogurt is one that gets me fairly often. A stray yogurt cup will get hidden behind something else and won’t get used. 

So the first step is to look in your refrigerator and get rid of any old leftovers, foods that have expired, or anything that might have gone bad. Set everything else off to the side to put back in the refrigerator when you’re done.

CLEAN THE DRAWERS

Once you’ve cleared out the refrigerator, you’re ready to start cleaning. I always start with the drawers to get them out of the way and give them a chance to dry before I put them back in. Plus, it’s easier to clean the rest of the refrigerator when the drawers are out of the way.

If you take them out, you can also clean underneath them. I was surprised to discover that the inside of the refrigerator underneath our drawers was one of the dirtiest areas of our fridge!

Recently I started using Art of Green cleaning products and I’ve really enjoyed using them in our refrigerator. The products are 98% naturally derived with no harsh chemicals. The non-toxic formula is free of parabens, phthalates, glycol solvents, artificial
color or phosphates. The products are also dermatologically tested and safe for sensitive skin but still tough on dirt, grease, and grime.

Art of Green is available in:

• Sprays
• Wipes
• Pourables

You can choose from Lavender Eucalyptus or Citrus & White Flowers scent for all three products.

I’m a fan of the Art of Green Spray and Wipes in Citrus & White Flowers. I opt for the sprays and wipes because those are the types of cleaners I find myself reaching for most often. They also work great in the kitchen, especially the fridge.

So with my Art of Green Spray and Wipes in hand, cleaning the refrigerator is easy. 

For the drawers, I spray them with the Art of Green Spray and let it sit for about five minutes (perfect time to start working on the rest of the fridge), then wipe them down with water.

WIPE DOWN SHELVES

Our refrigerator has large shelves and smaller bin shaped ones in the door. The Art of Green Wipes work well for the job. I’m able to easily wipe down the large shelves as well as the smaller bins. 

The wipes are easier than using bigger cleaning cloths which means I can get the cleaning down quicker!

I’ll be honest and admit that I hadn’t cleaned our fridge lately. I try to do it once every few months but it’s been awhile. It looked like it needed to be cleaned too.

Although we’re not doing any holiday hosting this year, we will have a few friends over during the holidays. We’ll also have leftovers from meals with our family and goodies like candy and cookies!

So taking time to clean out the refrigerator really does make a difference.

Check out the shelf from the photo above after I cleaned it using Art of Green cleaning wipes.

ORGANIZE TO PREPARE

Once the inside of the refrigerator is clean, you’re ready to put everything back inside. If you’re trying to make more room for holiday food, keep that in mind. Before Thanksgiving, I usually do my best to organize the refrigerator to make room for the food I know I need to store before the big meal and the leftovers we’ll have for the few days after Thanksgiving too.

This year I’ve been researching some different ways to organize and I think in the new year I’m going to try some organization hacks for the fridge too. I saw one where someone put small baskets with suction cups on the inside walls of the refrigerator to hold smaller items that seem to get lost. 

But that’s a project for the new year! 

MAKE THE OUTSIDE SHINE

Don’t forget to wipe down the outside of your appliances to make them all look clean and ready for the holidays.

The fresh scents of the Art of Green products are perfect for leaving your kitchen clean and smelling great!

Check out how nice our refrigerator is looking these days. I have to admit that I’m really thankful I followed my own advice on how to clean the refrigerator and got it done!

Art of Green cleaning products are available at H-E-B. Visit your local store to stock up and help get your home ready for the holidays.

I’m loving our refrigerator and cannot wait to have it filled with all of our favorite holiday foods!

ART OF GREEN GIVEAWAY

Thanks to our sponsor, Art of Green, one lucky reader will win a great Art of Green prize package!

The prize pack includes:

• Art of Green products
• $100 H-E-B gift card

It’s the perfect prize to help you get ready for the holidays! The giveaway is open to US residents, 18+, and ends on December 12, 2019.

HOW TO ENTER: Leave a comment on this post and tell me about your favorite holiday food or tradition!

For an extra entry, RT the tweet below and leave a comment with the link to your tweet!

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