How to clean a wine fridge

What you need

Avoid bleach, abrasive powders, scouring pads and strong solvents. They can damage plastic liners, seals and some glass coatings, and leave smells that bottles and wooden shelves can pick up.

• Soft cloths or microfibre cloths.
• A bowl of warm water with a small amount of mild washing-up liquid, or a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda in about a litre of warm water.
• A soft brush or an old toothbrush for seals and shelf runners.
• A pipe cleaner or the drain tool supplied with some models.
• A vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment for the vents.
• Towels for the floor and bottom of the cabinet.

Step by step: cleaning the inside

1. 1

   Switch off and unplug the fridge.

2. 2

   Move the bottles to a cool, dark place. A few hours out of the fridge does no harm to wine.

3. 3

   Remove shelves as the manual describes. Wooden shelves usually slide out; some wire racks lift off runners.

4. 4

   If there is ice on the back wall, let it melt with the door open and towels underneath. Do not chip it off. See wine cooler icing up.

5. 5

   Wipe the walls, floor and ceiling with the mild solution, then with clean water, then dry.

6. 6

   Clean wire or metal shelves in the same solution. Wipe wooden shelves with a barely damp cloth and dry them straight away; do not soak them.

7. 7

   Clear the drain hole at the bottom of the back wall with a pipe cleaner or the drain tool, and pour a little warm water in to check it drains.

Note:Unplug the fridge before cleaning, keep water away from the control panel and electrical parts, and never use sharp tools near the back wall, where cooling channels may run.

Door seal and glass

Clean the seal with the soft brush and mild solution, working into the folds where crumbs and dust collect, then dry it. Check it with the paper test: close the door on a sheet of paper at several points; it should grip. A seal that is torn or flattened lets in warm air and moisture, so ask the maker for a replacement.

Clean the glass inside and out with a soft cloth and mild solution or a little diluted white vinegar, then buff dry. Avoid ammonia-based glass cleaners on coated or tinted glass unless the manual allows them.

Vents, grille and condenser

This is the part most people skip and the one that helps performance most. On built-in and under-counter models, vacuum the front grille at the base with a brush attachment. On freestanding models, pull the fridge out carefully and vacuum the rear vents and the condenser grid or panels if they are exposed. Some models have a removable grille cover or a filter; the manual explains how to remove it.

Clean vents help the fridge shed heat, which keeps running times and noise down. Our ventilation guide explains why it matters.

Switching back on and reloading

Dry everything thoroughly, refit the shelves and push the fridge back into place, leaving the gaps the manual asks for. Plug in and let it reach temperature empty, which often takes a few hours. Then reload in stages, putting bottles for keeping at the back and bottom. Loading everything at once can push the temperature up for hours. Our storage guide gives a loading plan.

A quick wipe of drips when you take bottles out, plus a full clean every three to six months, is enough for most homes. Check the drain hole and vents more often if the fridge is in a dusty or busy spot.

Compare freestanding wine fridges →

Frequently asked questions

How do I get rid of a smell in my wine fridge? Clean with bicarbonate of soda solution, dry well, and leave the door open for an hour. An open dish of bicarbonate of soda can absorb odours.

Can I clean wooden shelves with water? Only with a barely damp cloth, then dry immediately. Do not soak them.

How often should I clean the vent grille? Every few months, or more often in a dusty kitchen.

Do I need to defrost when cleaning? Only if ice has built up. See our icing guide.