My Brilliant Trick for Cleaning Under My Fridge Without Breaking My Back (or Moving It!)

If you can’t remember the last time you gave the space under the refrigerator your full attention for a thorough cleaning, you’re not alone. If your kitchen gets the most traffic in your home, it’s probably also the place you clean the most with all the spills and splatters that happen with food prep, hosting, and midnight snacks. But it’s important to address the gunk and grime hiding above, behind, and under your kitchen appliances.

I spoke to experts to gather the tips you need for cleaning the hard-to-reach space under your kitchen’s hardest working appliance — and why you really need to.

You’re not going to see it, so why does it matter? It’s not just to keep it looking good. “It’s important to clean under your refrigerator as this is where the condenser coils are located,” says Emily Spaeter, Whirlpool kitchen brand manager. “Maintaining your refrigerator’s condenser coils can help to regulate its temperature and prevent food from freezing inside of the fridge.”

Refrigerator coils, also known as condenser coils, are an important part of a refrigerator’s cooling system. Located at the back or bottom of an appliance, these coils work to help the refrigerator operate and maintain proper temperatures. 

Experts recommend cleaning the space beneath and behind major appliances once or twice a year (or at least every 6 months). Consider how often you cook and your daily kitchen traffic to estimate a productive cleaning schedule. If you do a lot of cooking with oil, or have a cat or dog that sheds, a deep-clean may be needed more often.  

This is the easiest way to clean under your refrigerator — including the coils — according to Spaeter:

1. Start by unplugging your refrigerator or disconnecting the power source.
2. Vacuum around the bottom part of the refrigerator and behind the appliance to pick up crumbs, dirt, pet hair, and other debris.
3. Reach under the refrigerator with a Swiffer or flat-handle tool (like this retractable gap cleaner) to clean the floor. (You can also attach a dry cloth — or sock!— to the end of the tool with a rubber band and slide it under your fridge to catch stray crumbs and dust. Next, use the same tool with a cloth damp with warm water to clean under the appliance.)
4. Go over the surface one more time with a dry cloth on the tool.
5. Spaeter then suggests removing the base grill located at the bottom of the appliance, which resembles a car grill. Do this “by opening both doors, placing both hands on either side of the grill and pushing in on the top of the grill while pulling up on the bottom.” Once it’s removed, use a vacuum with a soft brush to gently clean the grill, the open areas behind it, and the front surface area.
6. Spaeter says you might consider using a specific refrigerator coil brush (like this one) for the job. 
7. Replace the base grill by lining up the support tabs with the metal clips, and push the grill firmly to snap it back into place. 
8. Lastly, plug the appliance back in or reconnect it to power.

“It is best practice to always refer to the owner’s manual for information on how to clean the condenser coils for specific refrigerators, as some models do not require them to be cleaned and others can only be cleaned by a certified technician,” Spaeter says.

“Routine condenser coil cleaning is not typically needed in a normal home operating environment. However, if the environment is particularly dusty, greasy, or subject to significant pet traffic, they should be cleaned every 2-3 months for maximum efficiency.” If you were looking for a sign to clean under your fridge, this is it!

Do you have any tricks for cleaning under your refrigerator? Let us know in the comments below!