Why Are People Putting Wax Paper On Top Of Their Fridge?

You may notice little specs of food on your stove when you cook in your kitchen, but it isn't contained to just that one appliance. Particles of food, sauce, and grease can get to parts of your kitchen that you wouldn't have thought of. The top of your fridge is one of those places. Refrigerators are often near the stove, so it's convenient when preparing food, but this also means that you may notice a layer of grease sitting on top of them.

Skylar Global explains that when you heat oils on your stove, particles evaporate into the air and stick to surfaces like the top of your cabinets and fridge. It can also fly through the air when you are frying food. Over time this layer of grease can build up, leaving your surfaces sticky and a magnet for dust. A hack to prevent oil from landing on your kitchen surfaces is to put down a layer of wax paper.

People put wax paper on their refrigerators to prevent grease from building up in such a hard-to-reach place. Instead of finding a step ladder and frequently cleaning this area, you can lay down some wax paper. Then when it is dirty, simply discard it in the trash and replace it with a new sheet. Angi recommends doing this every few weeks. It works as a physical barrier between the grime and your appliance. This method also works if the tops of your cabinets are exposed.

Before using wax paper, you will need to remove any of the existing dirt and grease. Use distilled white vinegar or an all-purpose cleaner to do this. Vinegar works because the acidity will cut through the thick layer of oil. Soak a sponge in the vinegar and wipe the top of your fridge. Once you're done, use a sponge with water to rinse it. Then use paper towels or a rag to dry the area. Now you can cut and put a sheet of wax paper the size of the space on your fridge.

If you think constantly replacing the wax paper sheets on your fridge is wasteful, other alternatives work just as well. For example, newspaper is another option. It's environmentally friendly because it can easily break down in a landfill since it is plain paper. The New York Times explains that the carbon footprint of newspapers is negative. If you already read it, giving it a second use after you're done is better than immediately discarding it. Plus, you won't need to spend extra money on wax paper rolls.

Shiny Modern recommends using it the same way you would use wax paper. Once the area is clean, lay down a couple of newspaper pages. One downside is that it will break down quicker, so you shouldn't leave it on your fridge for long. Although, this can be seen as a plus because it will force you to keep up with replacing it every few weeks.