Oh, a topic close to my heart. Sticky and stinky are adjectives that will never be applied to describe my fridge! I follow 3 golden rules…

1. Wipe as you go! Never put away sticky jars or leave splashes to go stale.

2. Stock check at least once a week. Before you go to the shops, check for unused, opened products and out-of-use-by-date items. Be wary of eating anything past its use-by date, but please be mindful of waste. I abhor waste. If you need help with food menus and planning, I recommend seeking help from an expert like Delicious and Real Weekly Meal Planning.

3. Go deep 3 or 4 times a year. I tend to clean my whole fridge just after a big event, when my fridge is at its least full – so after Christmas and Easter, and again at the end of Summer.

• Empty the fridge of all its contents, wipe down the entire fridge. I like to use warm, soapy water but you can use water mixed with bicarbonate of soda or vinegar.
• Wipe down the shelves and interior walls of the fridge with the same solution. Make sure everything is thoroughly dried.
• Wipe everything down before returning it to the fridge – no drips please!
• You can place a pot of bicarbonate of soda on one of the shelves to keep food smells at bay. This will need to be replaced every three months, so make sure you clearly date the pot!
• Close the door, and wipe down the outside of the refrigerator with your refreshed soapy cloth.
• Every 6 months or so I like to vacuum the dust from the grill at the bottom of the fridge. I’ve been told this can help to improve the fridge’s efficiency, so it’s definitely worth the effort!

Et voila!