How to clean the fridge drawer for vegetables to last longer

A fridge vegetable drawer is essential to keep food fresh longer. In view of this, it is important to ensure that these are cleaned regularly in order to avoid the growth of mold and contamination by damaged products. 

How often should you clean the vegetable drawers?

Without regular cleaning, the vegetable drawers in your refrigerator accumulate food waste, odors and other waste.

Robin Murphy, director of cleaning at Maid Brigade, revealed to Martha Stewart's website that it is essential to do faster cleaning of drawers every week and a deeper one every month. 

If you notice the presence of liquids or if any food starts to spoil, then this cleaning should be done immediately. 

How to clean the vegetable drawer

1. Empty the drawers: remove the food from the drawers, discarding the damaged items and separating everything you want to store elsewhere from the refrigerator.

Murphy recommends checking the fresh products thoroughly. If any of the items are going bad, inspect everything you've been in contact with him.

2. Remove drawers: pull the drawers from your refrigerator carefully;

3. Let the drawers reach room temperature: placing a plastic drawer or very cold glass in contact with hot water may cause cracks; 

4. Remove loose waste: remove all food crumbs or leaves of fruit and vegetables. Use a dry microfiber cloth to clean the corners;

5. Hand washing: Wash the drawers in the sink with warm water and a few drops of detergent. Use a sponge or cloth, paying attention to corners, handles, vents and any cracks where waste can accumulate. For incrustrated waste, leave the soak drawer for a few minutes; 

6. Rinse well: pass the drawers through water making sure that it removes all soap;

7. To eliminate persistent odors: if you smell anything in the drawer, make a paste with a spoon of sodium bicarbonate and warm water, rub and rinse well. 

8. Dry and put it back in place: dry the drawer well with one year of microfiber and then put it back in the refrigerator. 

Common errors to avoid

While cleaning drawers is relatively simple, there are some common errors to be avoided. 

– Use abrasive sponges and aggressive cleaning products: abrasive sponges can damage the protective finish of the drawer, making it less effective in the long term. Also avoid using intense cleaning products such as bleach;

– Put the drawers in the fridge still wet: put the vegetable drawers back in the fridge while not yet wet brings an unnecessary moisture. This may contribute to the formation of unpleasant odors: 

– Do not remove the drawer: whenever you remove the drawer to clean it, do not forget the back, because that is where the liquids accumulate.