Top tips to clean the fridge and oven

Spring summer autumn or winter, there are two seasonal jobs everyone loves to hate – cleaning the fridge and oven. A messy fridge is embarrassing if guests (or your mother-in-law) come over and want to help by getting the milk out for coffee. It also makes putting the groceries away a nightmare, wastes money as good food rots away at the back of the shelves and can lead to some pretty nasty food poisoning episodes. Then there’s everyone’s “favourite” job – cleaning the oven. It’s messy, time consuming and traditionally involves some very nasty chemicals. That’s why we tend to put it off as long as possible. But left too long, the result can be an oven fire if grease and oil lying on the bottom catches alight. Fear not however. Follow the following simple steps and make this spring cleaning season a breeze.  

6 quick tips to clean your fridge

1. Set a date to clean it out on the first weekend of each season. Turn off the power and empty all the contents, throwing out anything that’s out of date.
2. Remove all the shelves and drawers then wipe down the inside of the fridge using two tablespoons of bicarbonate soda dissolved in one litre of warm water. Soften up hard, crusty stains and spills by laying a warm damp cloth or paper towel on top. Use an old toothbrush to clean those tricky crevices in the seals and corners.
3. Wash the shelves and drawers with the same solution of warm water and bicarbonate soda.
4. Wipe down any containers, jars and bottles before replacing them in the fridge.
5. Clean the outside of the fridge using the same bicarbonate soda and water mixture for an enamelled surface, or a few drops of baby oil on a soft cloth for stainless steel.
6. Vacuum the dust from the fridge coils to ensure the fridge continues to operate at maximum efficiency.

   

3 quick tips to clean the oven

1. The easiest method is to fill a baking dish with hot water and place it on the bottom oven rack. Turn the oven on high and let it simmer away for 30 minutes.

Remember to keep an eye on things through the glass to make sure the dish doesn’t become empty. Top it up only if you have to, because if you open the door, the steam will escape. The steam clean will loosen all the grease and grime build-up. After half an hour, turn the oven off and allow it to cool down. All that’s left to do is use a damp cloth and wipe everything away.

2. If you still don’t feel the oven is clean unless you’ve scrubbed it, try mixing bicarb soda with water to make a thin paste. Wipe it over all the oven’s surfaces (except the elements) and leave it to dry for a few hours. Then simply wipe it all away with a damp cloth.
3. If you prefer a store-bought solution, give Gumption a go. It’s a gentle paste that will get most surfaces clean.