Looking for the best way to clean a freezer? Just grab a few common cleaning essentials and follow these steps to thoroughly clean your freezer.

When it comes to cleaning, freezers are often forgotten. Many homeowners will routinely clean their refrigerator but forget to sanitize the freezer. But to avoid food-borne illness and to keep your machine running efficiently, it is important to understand how to clean a deep freezer or refrigerator freezer correctly and to check it often. In this article, you will learn a simple method for doing both.

Step 1: Remove All Contents from Freezer

Remove food items and place them in the refrigerator to keep them from de-thawing while you clean. If you do not have enough room to store items in your fridge, put them in a cooler with ice packs or ice cream.

Take removable shelves and attachments, such as door bins, out of the freezer and place them aside. If you are unsure which shelves and attachments are removable, check your freezer’s product manual.

Step 2: Spray Interior of Freezer with a Cleaning Spray

Use an all-purpose cleaning spray or a DIY cleaning solution and apply it to the inside of your freezer, including its walls, gaskets, and base. Allow this to sit for several minutes to kill any bacteria that may be present.

Step 3: Wipe Freezer’s Interior with a Microfiber Cloth

After the cleaning spray has had time to sit, wipe off excess spray from the walls, gaskets and base of the freezer with a microfiber cloth.

Step 4: Address Caked-On Messes and Stains

Not all debris will clean up easily with a cleaning spray and microfiber cloth. For any frozen residue, like ice cream stains or other sticky messes, use a small scrub brush, an old toothbrush or the abrasive side of a sponge dipped in hot water to help lift the mess.

Step 5: Clean Removable Shelves and Attachments

To clean your freezer’s removable shelves and attachments, place them in your sink with warm water and dish soap. Use a sponge or scrub brush to lift any food particles or stains.

Allow removable shelves and attachments to reach room temperature before applying water to them. This will ensure that the plastic will not crack.

Step 6: Dry the Freezer’s Interior and All Removable Parts

Use clean cloth or paper towels to dry the interior of the freezer as well as all removable shelves and parts. Once the interior of the freezer is dry, replace all attachments.