A Guide to: Cleaning Medical Fridges

Medical fridges are essential for storing vaccines and medicines properly. They come with a range of features to ensure correct storage, including accurate temperature controls, alarms to alert users to temperature changes and locks to keep the medicines safe.

But one thing users have to keep in mind is how to clean medical fridges correctly. They need to be kept hygienic if they are to be used for storing medicines and vaccines and regular cleaning is essential.

Here is a guide to how to clean your medical fridge properly, to prevent the growth of bacteria and to ensure the safe storage of your medicines.

Clean the Exterior Regularly 

The easiest area of the fridge to clean is the exterior and this should be done regularly. If you use the fridge multiple times during the day, attempt to clean the exterior once a day.

The door handle is the most important part of the exterior to keep clean because it is the part that will be touched most frequently, so aim to wipe it down with a disinfectant at the end of the day.

 As for the rest of the exterior, a quick wipe with disinfectant and a cloth once in a while should be enough to keep it clean, and always clean up spillages both on and around the fridge as soon as they occur.

Clean the Coils Regularly

If you don’t clean the coils, the fridge might use more energy in order to keep cool. Because the coils will work harder, they may not last as long, and you might end up having to repair them sooner.

When it comes to cleaning the coils, you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions because the process will usually be slightly different depending on the model of fridge. Be very careful not to damage them during the cleaning process because otherwise you might need to get your fridge repaired or even replaced.

As a general guide, unplug the fridge and use a soft brush or cloth (or even a vacuum cleaner) to clean the coils, then turn the fridge back on. It only takes a few minutes, so the vaccines should not be affected, but always ensure the temperature is accurate after cleaning.

Clean the Interior

The interior should also be cleaned regularly, but how much depends on how often you use it and the medicines you keep inside. Once a month is usually enough.

To clean the interior, unplug the fridge and transfer the medicines to another fridge if you have one. Then wash the surfaces and shelves with warm soapy water (remove them if you can). In general, avoid using cleaning chemicals, and always check the manufacturer guidelines for specific instructions.

Then dry with a soft cloth, plug the fridge back in and wait for the right temperature to be reached before replacing the vaccines.

You might need to defrost your fridge before cleaning the interior. Some fridges defrost on their own, but if not, you should defrost it and clean it to prevent ice from building up.

Keep a Cleaning Schedule 

Try to stick to a strict cleaning schedule to ensure your fridge stays hygienic in the long term. This could include a daily cleaning schedule for the exterior and a weekly or monthly cleaning of other areas, depending on the amount of time the fridge is used and the manufacturer recommendations.

Other Cleaning Tips

While all medical fridges are different, there are a few standard cleaning tips that usually apply to all fridges:

• Do not use abrasive cleaners that scratch the interior, because these could increase the risk of contamination
• If your fridge has removable shelves, take them out and soak them in soapy water
• Always clean up spills immediately

These are some of the most important cleaning tips that you should follow to keep your medical fridge as clean as possible and in good working order. The exact process you follow will depend on the model, but follow these tips as a basic guide and you should have no problems keeping your medical fridge clean and hygienic.

Speak to your local advisor