A clean work fridge makes a healthy soul

My desire to make everything look fantastic goes far beyond décor. I am pretty obsessed with fashion and general cleaning too. I admit, I judge people on the looks of their home, their wardrobe AND the cleanliness of their fridge.

Invite me over and I am sure the type to secretly check out your medicine cabinet.

So after being grossed out by my work kitchen and more so the horrific, filthy, smelly fridge for two years (and 40 hours a week) I took action. I tried to recruit others, but alas, no one showed. Hum? Here’s what I wrote to all in an e-mail:

Here is your chance to help your community! Work with me to clean out the Seneca Fridge Monday 9- 10:30am

I will supply the cleaning supplies and gloves (oh yeah gloves are needed for this!) and you just bring your psycho cleaning self. We will throw out anything, and I mean anything that appears to look like it should be thrown out and give the fridge a good scrub. I love a good purge, so if you do to don’t hesitate to help out. It will be lonely if I have to do this alone! Please help! It’s sure to be fun!

When: 2/23

Where: 9am-10:30am

Who: me & you

I should have taken before and after photos. One co-worker came in for a minute, put on the rubber gloves and took one look and left. Other people were buzzying about in the halls but no one offered to actually help.

"I never use the the fridge, ever" was one response. LIER!, I thought.

People thanked me, and that felt really good, but really, I LOVED cleaning alone. At this point, I once again realized that my desire to clean is abnormal. Ask my girlfriend, she will tell you. We have a military-like list that is to be checked off weekly and I never forget to check it.

I found very strange items that don’t have any buisness in a staff fridge: a used band aid, a open frozen meal from over 5 years ago and several vacuum sealed- raw frozen salmon fillets. Fish fillets at work? hum. We don't have an oven.

I highly recommend using non toxic cleaners if you try this at home/work. In that tiny work kitchen I would have possibly died if I used anything but. I used Ms. Myer’s Basil Basic cleaner. Worked like a charm. I can still smell it on my clothes and the herby aroma is wafting in my cube because I used my recycling container as my water bucket.

All that quality time cleaning the staff fridge has me feeling care for the health and future of it. I can't wait to walk into the staff kitchen tomorrow, check in on it as I pour my first cup of work coffee...and of course, put my lunch in the new clean fridge. I'll take a (long and glaring) look to see what people have added taking note of what to throw out and when.

So don't you worry Ms. Fridge, I've got your back.