Cleaning Wood Paneled Refrigerators

When designing a kitchen, there are many things to consider: colors, floors, counters, cabinets, and more. Of course, selecting the appliances that you will have in your kitchen is one big choice that comes with kitchen design. To help parts of the kitchen better match, many people choose appliances that are paneled and go with the cabinets in the kitchen. This way, appliances are more invisible and instead match the whole kitchen.

Refrigerators are one appliance that can be paneled to blend in with the kitchen around it. With these refrigerators, however, special care must be taken to clean it. Since the refrigerator has a wood surface, it requires different maintenance than other types of refrigerators. To clean the surface of your wood paneled refrigerator, follow these steps:

1. First, consider the kinds of cleaners and methods you might use to clean your cabinets or other wood parts of the kitchen. If the surface of your refrigerator is the same as or similar to your cabinets (which is often the case with paneled refrigerators), you can use the same techniques you would use to clean your cabinets. In fact, you might want to clean the fridge surface at the same time you are cleaning the cabinets.
2. Get a sponge or cloth and wet it with some soapy water. You can also try a vinegar and water mixture for this if desired. Wipe over the entire surface, noting spots or stains that are particularly bad and can't be removed by a simple wiping of the surface. Pay attention to the door handle and the area around it, since it is most susceptible to greasy spots or stickiness from food.
3. Return to any stubborn spots and try cleaning with an all-purpose cleaner that is safe for wood. This can be more effective than just soapy water, but to be safe you might want to try testing the cleaner on an unnoticeable area of the surface first (in case it damages the surface). If the soapy water and cleaner don't work, you might need to keep a wet cloth against the spot for several minutes until the spot is loosened by the moisture. Scrub it away with a cloth, sponge or gentle cleaning brush.
4. Go over the surface again with a cloth soaked in clean water. Dry immediately with a towel.

You can clean your paneled refrigerator at the same time you are cleaning the cabinets in your kitchen, but because of how frequently the refrigerator is used and touched you may want to clean more often. Be ready to wipe the surface regularly, especially the area around the handle.