How to Clean Your Fridge and Keep It Fresh

Why Does Cleaning Your Fridge Matter?

Because a clean fridge keeps food safe, stops odors spreading, takes load off the compressor, and helps the appliance last. A full clean every few months is the recommended routine.

Throwing out spoiled, expired, and nearly-off items lowers the risk of cross-contamination and keeps harmful bacteria away from fresh food.

Spills and spoiled ingredients announce themselves fast. Strong-smelling foods also pass their scent to everything nearby and can change how other items taste, so if you store them, keeping the interior clean matters even more.

When interior surfaces, coils, and vents are dirty, the compressor has to work harder to hold the temperature you set. Clean them and it eases off, and energy use stays down.

Regular cleaning helps you avoid problems from clogged drain lines and restricted airflow. A fridge that can breathe cools evenly. It also has a better chance of lasting.

Clear out the spoiled stuff and you can see what is left, and what to buy next.

How Do You Clean a Fridge Step by Step?

Empty the fridge, unplug it, and start soaking the removable parts. Then clean the interior, door seal, coils, and vents in that order, wipe the exterior, and put everything back once it is dry.

1. Empty the fridge and bin anything spoiled or expired. Keep the food you are saving in a cooler while you work.

2. Unplug it. That avoids electrical accidents and keeps you and your home safe.

3. Pull out the removable shelves, drawers, and bins and soak them in warm soapy water. Soaking loosens grease and dried-on spills before you start scrubbing.

4. Wipe the interior with a sponge or cloth dipped in warm water and dish soap, walls and door compartments included. If a stain will not budge, mix baking soda and water into a paste, spread it on, leave it a few minutes, and scrub it off.

5. Wipe the gasket, the rubber seal around the door, with a cloth soaked in warm soapy water. It collects a lot of dirt and debris, so take your time with it.

The coils are metal tubes that do the cooling. They are usually at the back of the fridge, or underneath near the front. Grab a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment, a long-handled brush, and a microfiber cloth first.

6. Vacuum the loose dust and dirt off the coils with the brush attachment. For stubborn dirt, loosen it with the long-handled brush, vacuum again, and finish with a wipe from the microfiber cloth.

7. Clear the vents, the small openings that keep air moving through the fridge. They are usually on the back wall or at the top of the compartments. When they are blocked, you get uneven temperatures and weak cooling. Brush debris out with an old toothbrush, soak any removable vent parts in warm soapy water, then wipe the vents with a damp cloth and a mild detergent mix.

8. Wipe the doors, handles, and control panel with a damp cloth, then dry them with a dry one.

9. Rinse the soaked shelves and drawers, scrub any stubborn stains with a sponge, and let everything dry fully before you put the fridge back together.

10. Load the food back in and plug the fridge in.

What Do You Need to Clean Each Part of a Fridge?

You probably have most of it already: a sponge, a soft cloth, dish soap, and baking soda. Only the coils and vents need a vacuum with a brush attachment and a couple of extra brushes.

How Often Should You Clean Your Fridge?

Give the fridge a full clean once every few months. Monthly is not necessary, but do wipe up spills as soon as you spot them.

Spoiled and expired food needs quicker attention, since it causes odors and food safety problems first. And if you store strong-smelling foods, do the full clean sooner, because those smells affect the taste of everything around them.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

The routine is short: empty, unplug, wash the removable parts, wipe the interior and seal, clear the coils and vents, dry, restock. Repeat it every few months. Deal with spills and spoiled food as they turn up.

The coils and vents are the parts most people skip, and they matter for cooling and energy use. For more upkeep advice, browse LG's appliance tips and guides .

Thinking about replacing an older fridge? LG's inverter models use compressors built for steadier temperatures, quieter running, and faster cooling, and LG's guide to the smart refrigerator explains what the connected models offer.