From share houses to teenage kids and work colleagues, there’s always someone who’s guilty of producing festy fridge contents. The sandwich that gets forgotten, the tuna mornay leftover from Friday’s luncheon, or the last slice of cake that no one wants to eat are all responsible for a nasty array of smells and bacterial congregations that may have taken on a life form of their own.
It’s possibly worse than the people who drop their dishes in the sink expecting them to magically clean themselves, and more dangerous. Mould and harmful bacteria such as salmonella, listeria and E. coli can breed easily in this environment, never mind the smell.
Having a clean fridge is so important that there’s even a special day dedicated to it; National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. So, for those grubs who feel it’s perfectly acceptable to leave the milk sitting past its expiry, read on.
Temperature matters
Keep the dial too low in a fridge, and the spinach sitting at the back starts to freeze and disintegrate. Have the temperature too high though, and it’s an open invitation for certain bacteria to multiply, fast.
The more a fridge is opened, the harder it has to work to maintain that temperature. Think of how many times a day that fridge door is opened, and what impact that would have on the temperature and energy usage.
The door seal also plays a role in maintaining a stable temperature, and seals that have deteriorated can skyrocket the temperature and electricity use. A damaged seal can also contribute to mould, creating a whole extra level of grossness in the fridge.
Storage
For basic hygiene, food should always be stored in a sealed container to prevent cross contamination; nobody wants their afternoon tea to absorb the smells and bacteria from an open and expired yoghurt tub. Even then, some parts of the fridge are warmer than others and should be avoided for storing high-risk foods such as dairy, seafood, raw meat and cooked grain.
The door is the warmest part of the fridge and although it’s the most convenient place to store milk, it’s the least safe. Unless consumables have a high turnover rate, keep long-term items on the shelves and defrost foods on the bottom shelves to prevent a trickle of bacteria flowing down from higher shelves.
Check expiry dates for everything. It’s not just the smell of soured milk that’s off-putting. Rancid dairy and rank produce create a breeding ground for bacteria, and an office full of gastro sufferers is not a desirable situation.
Sticky Fingers
The fridge thief is a common occurrence in the office. To the person who’s planned ahead and stored a week’s worth of snacks in there – beware! Some people see a food stash as a free-for-all, and there’s little as disappointing as discovering your Friday afternoon pick-me-up has been guzzled by some self-entitled colleague.
While there’s nothing short of threats that can stop the fridge thief, some deterrents can help to maintain the peace. Labelling food is a good start, and we mean with your name, not a passive aggressive note. Another option is to provide communal basics such as milk, tea and coffee, or fruit for all to share. Using an opaque container can also help, as lunch pirates are likely to take something they can see and identify easily.
Clean it!
Unless you have a cleaner dedicated to cleaning out the fridge regularly, this task is going to fall to someone in the office.
Step one is create a roster, so it doesn’t continually fall to you to be wiping up the spills. This might be wiping one shelf a week, or a monthly deep-clean, depending on what is most practicable – and enforceable. Stick it on the fridge door, get a sign-off every time it happens, and get everyone responsible for the health and hygiene of the office.
A full clean out should clear out any old, out-of-date products, including the lunch box that’s been hiding at the back since last June. Unless you’re brave enough to open and empty it first, but we do recommend personal protection for a task as stinky as that.
An antibacterial spray or wipe is the most effective way to ensure the total obliteration of dangerous bacteria. They don’t just clean the obvious dirt, but also reduce the chance of getting sick from contaminated food.
With so many people sharing precious fridge real estate, there’s always going to be someone who forgets their leftovers, and it’s highly likely that there’s going to be a leak or spill at some point. However, some basic planning can help prevent the worst of it, keeping everyone in the office healthy and happy.
