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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2015 7:06:13 GMT
Cleaning out the refrigerator is not one of my favourite jobs, and I rarely do it thoroughly. However, this morning I decided to take the bull by the horns and do a good job. As usual, I made a number of disgusting discoveries, and the vegetable drawer had some of its usual ghastly surprises -- a mummified cucumber and some totally blacked carrots tied for first prize. Luckily, the vegetables are almost always in their individual plastic bags, so the nasty things do not contaminate anything else. For example, there were some perfectly delightful fresh carrots that I bought two days ago hiding the other items. The main camouflage, however, was the semi-wilted remains of a bunch of celery. Celery can hide a lot of things! Even though most of the celery was still comestible, it went in the rubbish with the toxic items just for being an accomplice. Then I scrubbed out the drawer and put the good stuff back in.
Next I decided that any jars or containers that I had not touched for at least two months were no longer welcome. Out went the Korean barbecue marinade, the sauce algérienne in its squeeze bottle, the jar of Provençal onion sauce... which is delightful but which I absolutely never think of using, so goodbye... A few other items just got off with a stern warning this time to jump into my hands within in the next week or two or suffer the same fate.
Frankly, cleaning the sides of the refrigerator is not such a big deal, and I'm sure it is just the cleaning products lobby which pressures people into doing this every month if not every week. I really can't remember the last time I removed the shelves to clean everything properly and frankly that part was not really dirty. The shelves themselves were a bit worse due to various leaks over time.
So the job is done, but I have one last complaint. The refrigerator now smells like the detergent aisle at the supermarket instead of like food.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Aug 10, 2015 20:33:41 GMT
Well done Kerouc.
I clean out my fridge the day before we do our weekly shop. I'm a devil for not chucking out store cupboard stuff like tins or dried food that is out of date. Yesterday I threw out some tinned potatoes (I never buy those...they came from Dad's cupboards)that expired in 2013, a bag of rice flour that expired n 2010 and lots of other stuff...the only fridge item that went in the bin this week was a half used chorizo pecorino that had been festering at the back of the fridge ever since I used the other half in a jambalaya a fortnight ago....
btw if you put a lemon in your fridge it's suposed to absorb any smells....not tried it myself.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2015 20:38:57 GMT
Because I haven't spent a lot of time this summer in Vancouver, my fridge is suffering. Of course, I try to keep it almost empty, but because it isn't opened and closed regularly it has an offputting chemical odour which I'm guessing is the relatively new (cheap) fridge and its synthetic "gassing off" as they say. Whole different problem. I'd almost welcome some rotten food.
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 22:05:03 GMT
Kerouac, who else but you could write about cleaning out your refrigerator and make it sound like the noblest of adventures.  |
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Post by lagatta on Aug 11, 2015 0:36:08 GMT
Surprisingly, I also cleaned out my little fridge early this morning. And discovered that I didn't know how to remove the glass shelves (those just slid out in any other fridge I'd owned). I cleaned it as well as I could, using sponges and sponge towels to soften any hardened spills. It is much cleaner than it was, but it isn't perfect.
I had been looking for a jar of good local mayonnaise I couldn't find, and was afraid to find it either mouldy or reliquified, but it was in the fridge, and fine. Also a piece of feta, in its brine.
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Post by mich64 on Aug 11, 2015 11:10:12 GMT
I cleaned out my fridge about a month ago in preparation for our annual horseshoe tournament as I need as much space as possible for all the food guests bring for dinner. This was my most successful clean ever and it filled our recycle bin! I pledged to attend to it weekly as Cheery does and so far I have kept to it. I like looking in and seeing how bare it is with just the staples and my neatly stacked Tupperware.
We also cleaned out all our drawers in the kitchen and our freezer, that felt good too!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2015 16:11:40 GMT
My husband's fridge is small and has the freezer on the bottom, so that when you open the shelves are waist high to head high. It's hard to miss things!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2015 16:45:02 GMT
Whereas I have one of those half-size European city models and have to get on my hands and knees to make a proper inspection.
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Post by lagatta on Aug 11, 2015 17:23:26 GMT
k2, I had one of those for years; I was fine with the fridge size but needed a slightly larger (and more effective freezer compartment). I'd love to have the freezer on the bottom, but any I found were much more expensive.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2015 18:17:56 GMT
This is basically what we have: LG fridgeAvailable in Montreal and Paris! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2015 18:27:08 GMT
I would have to buy a new apartment before I could fit such a thing in my kitchen.
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Post by lagatta on Aug 11, 2015 21:31:49 GMT
Because there are counters atop where the fridge sits? It is very narrow.
I'd love to have that fridge; not enough money these days. Though I might find it second-hand some day; the fridge the same size I bought was second-hand but practically new. The young couple who had it thought it was too small... I could do with an even smaller one, but I do like having a separate freezer compartment; it works better and seems more energy-efficient.
A friend here has that model; he really likes it. Yes, I've seen those in Europe as well.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Aug 12, 2015 18:38:41 GMT
Whereas I have one of those half-size European city models and have to get on my hands and knees to make a proper inspection. Our fridge and freezer are the same Kerouac...and I've often dreamed of having a kitchen where all the cupboards and appliances can be gently maneuvered up the walls to eye level at the push of a button...to prevent OUCH EEEH AAAH syndrome as people past a certain age drag themselves to their feet after groveling on their hands and knees to get into the back of low level cupboards, shelves and the like. I hasten to add (in case my beloved reads this) that I am still completely enamoured of the kitchen he built last year.... |
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