Why Britons' fridges are less than sparkling

Lax domestic habits mean that the toilet is cleaner than the fridge in eight out of 10 British homes, a survey reveals.

More than 64 per cent of 1,500 people polled admitted cleaning their fridges once a month, while 22 per cent confessed to only doing so twice a year or less, according to the findings from fridge maker Lec. Nearly half only clear out the fridge if there's a spillage inside, and 28 per cent take action only when there's a bad smell.

Even those who do claim to clean their fridge regularly are not doing a good enough job, according to the research. Seventy per cent of those questioned simply wipe the inside with a damp cloth. But as dishcloths typically contain more bacteria than other kitchen items, this just moves the problem around, Lec said.

More than three-quarters found fridges too 'awkward to clean'.