They didn’t ask how often you clean your fridge, they asked how often you clean it out, which I interpret to mean How often do you throw dead food away. Weekly. However, I rarely clean the fridge. I admit it.
@Fuzzalini exactly what i was going to say - i clean mine out every week either the day before or day of grocery shopping, which lines up with when we put trash out.
i would say i actually take out all the shelves and wash it all in soapy hot water once a year or every other. i’m more of a spot clean person if i come across any spills or crumbs or whatever.
That’s sort of a rolling target. Stuff goes in, other stuff comes out. I virtually never clean the entire fridge at one time. Spills get wiped up when they happen (or get noticed) food that gets to be unrecognizable/inedible gets tossed when discovered. We try to use the FIFO method of inventory control.
The previous owners of my house left their fridge, a really nice Kenmore Elite side-by-side. About 8 years into my home ownership, one of the light bulbs went out so I decided to replace it. The refrigerator side has two bulbs, an upper and a lower. The lower bulb is behind this plastic shroud that has to be removed. I removed the shroud and found a nice little present. One of those individually wrapped cheese sticks. Looked like one of these:
It was all shriveled and curved up, presumably from being so dried out, but it still looked like a cheese stick. No mold, and it was still orange and somewhat pliable. I have no idea how long it had been in there, but it had to be at least 8 years, because we don’t buy those cheese sticks.
Sometimes when I am taking out the trash, and the bag has room for more stuff, I remember about the things in the fridge that are… distressingly ripened.
@mike808 isn’t that what chest freezers are for? It’s always fun to shop for them by telling a stranger they look about the right size and asking them if they will let you see if they fit inside.
When I need to make room for more batteries.
The uncleaned fridge and his conflict with the cleaning lady was a wonderful side story in the book Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.
There’s a great scene at the end wherein the fridge attains sentience.
Monthly. My fridge is for keeping food fresh, not for challenging me at backgammon.
@PocketBrain Admit it, you’re just afraid you might lose.
I cleaned mine the hard way last week. It broke down, I put it on the curb, it disappeared, and I bought a new one. Clean fridge.
@moondrake I wouldn’t call that the hard way. The expensive way, yes, but probably among the easiest of ways.
Unless that trip out to the curb is a bitch.
They didn’t ask how often you clean your fridge, they asked how often you clean it out, which I interpret to mean How often do you throw dead food away. Weekly. However, I rarely clean the fridge. I admit it.
@Fuzzalini exactly what i was going to say - i clean mine out every week either the day before or day of grocery shopping, which lines up with when we put trash out.
i would say i actually take out all the shelves and wash it all in soapy hot water once a year or every other. i’m more of a spot clean person if i come across any spills or crumbs or whatever.
That’s sort of a rolling target. Stuff goes in, other stuff comes out. I virtually never clean the entire fridge at one time. Spills get wiped up when they happen (or get noticed) food that gets to be unrecognizable/inedible gets tossed when discovered. We try to use the FIFO method of inventory control.
Gross story alert:
The previous owners of my house left their fridge, a really nice Kenmore Elite side-by-side. About 8 years into my home ownership, one of the light bulbs went out so I decided to replace it. The refrigerator side has two bulbs, an upper and a lower. The lower bulb is behind this plastic shroud that has to be removed. I removed the shroud and found a nice little present. One of those individually wrapped cheese sticks. Looked like one of these:
It was all shriveled and curved up, presumably from being so dried out, but it still looked like a cheese stick. No mold, and it was still orange and somewhat pliable. I have no idea how long it had been in there, but it had to be at least 8 years, because we don’t buy those cheese sticks.
And, no, I didn’t open it!
@jsh139 I wouldn’t have been able to resist the urge to try at least one. 8-year-old cheddar? That’s the kind of stuff people pay top dollar for!
@Dweezle it was only one stick. I regret not at least opening it. I also didn’t take a picture. Total failure on my part.
When something has leaked potentially dangerous substances…
@duodec Do not suggest that batteries would do this. Just don’t go there.
@shahnm
/giphy leaky batteries
Sometimes when I am taking out the trash, and the bag has room for more stuff, I remember about the things in the fridge that are… distressingly ripened.
When the smell quells my appetite. Eventually it overcomes my hunger.
I take a little bit out every day.
@lazyideas Ah. Like bowels.
When you need to make room for another body.
@mike808 isn’t that what chest freezers are for? It’s always fun to shop for them by telling a stranger they look about the right size and asking them if they will let you see if they fit inside.
@djslack @mike808 I thought the chest freezer was for the chest; where do you put the limbs/head?
When I have more than one shelf full of baking soda boxes to absorb the horrid scents on the others.
Not so infrequently that I need a 55 gallon trash bag to do so!
@rtjhnstn What? Your freezer isn’t full of UFO’s (unidentifiable frozen objects) that need tossed due to freezer burn?
@Kidsandliz @rtjhnstn that’s what the meh Foodsaver vacuum packer is for!
I have never cleaned out my fridge. When one dies, I empty it and haul it to the dump, but I don’t think that counts.
This, except mine’ll get hauled away & recycled by the folks who deliver the new 1 (in 6 days
)
When items I try to take out are stuck to the shelf due to my kids spilling and not cleaning up the mess. Biweekly I’d say…
Technically, I never clean the fridge. My spouse does that chore.
I clean it when I notice something looks messy. I cull items a few times a week.
When people who come in the house ask,
“What’s that smell?”
/youtube can you smell that smell
I pretty much just don’t put food in it to begin with.