How to sanitize your refrigerator

If you had romaine lettuce stored in your home refrigerator prior to this month’s health warning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following procedure for cleaning the refrigerator. These five steps hold true after any refrigerated food is recalled:

* Put the recalled food, as well as any foods that may have touched it, in a bag. Seal the bag and toss in the garbage. If the recalled food was stored in a reusable container, wash it in warm, soapy water before reusing.

* Empty the rest of the refrigerator, including shelves, drawers and any other removable parts.

* Wash shelving, drawers and other removable parts in warm, soapy water. Dry with a clean towel.

* Wipe the inside of the refrigerator with warm soapy water. Wipe with clean water to rinse soap. Dry with a towel. Sanitize fridge after washing by wiping it with a solution of 1 tablespoon bleach in 1 gallon of water.

* Reinstall shelves, drawers and other removable parts. Wipe outside of food containers with warm, soapy water and return to refrigerator.

Use warm, soapy water to wash surfaces where you placed food while cleaning fridge. Put cleaning cloths in laundry. Wash your own hands well when done.

— Sources: CDC.gov; Dr. Teresa M. Hartmann, Millersville University

Credit: JENNIFER KOPF | Staff Writer