How often should you clean your fridge to keep food bacteria away? - National Post

For food safety, it's important to stay on top of expired foods and spills and in your refrigerator. Photo by file photo /Getty ImagesWe independently select everything we recommend. Buying through us may earn us a commission, which supports our work.

Cleaning your refrigerator isn’t the most fun task, but it’s a necessary one, especially when food safety is concerned.

While it’s important to stay on top of spills and dispose of expired products, you may not have to do a deep clean of this appliance as often as you think.

Salim Hourieh, founder and CEO of ItsGlo Cleaning in Toronto, says that deep cleaning a fridge every four to six months is sufficient on top of routine cleaning.

“What we see works best is for people who are not neglecting their fridge and leaving food to expire in their fridge — people who are using it regularly and disposing items as essential — usually once every quarter. Once every four months-ish would be the ideal sweet spot to do the cleaning,” Hourieh said.

“However, going up to six months is usually OK. Most of our clients … people who care for their home, people who have cleaning services coming in, I’ve seen people request a fridge cleaning every six months.”

A key part of keeping your fridge tidy and avoiding foodborne illnesses is ensuring that food is properly stored. Health Canada advises that raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood be kept on the bottom shelf of your fridge separately from other foods, either in sealed containers or plastic bags.

Hourieh also recommends placing cut fruits and vegetables in containers and lining door shelves with paper towels to avoid leaving behind residue that could cause stains.

“A great tip is basically to place paper towels underneath where you put the (sauce) bottles and just changing that paper towel every now and then,” Hourieh said.