When’s the last time you cleaned your refrigerator?

But when should you carve out some time to deep-clean the biggest, messiest appliance in your home?

Tackle those messes immediately.

Hands in yellow gloves cleaning inside of fridge

Another good habit to form is a weekly purge of old food.

Commit to a day every Monday or Friday evening, for example.

When that day comes, scan the fridge.

Woman throws out expired food

Then, grab some sponges, towels, paper towels, and any of your other favorite scrubby materials.

Then, use a sponge dunked in hot, soapy water to clean the inside of the fridge.

Don’t forget to wipe down the outside of your fridge, too!

Woman cleans inside of her refrigerator

When you’re done, dry everything with a towel.

Be sure to wash your hands and wipe down any tables or counters that touched food from the fridge.