Is your refrigerator handle looking less than its best? A discolored, yellowing handle tends to make even the nicest fridge appear tired, old and downright dirty. But don’t fret, you can take care of it. Here’s an ingenious fridge handle hack.

About Fridge Handles

Refrigerator handles are often made out of hard-to-clean, textured, rubberized material. Unfortunately, they are not UV-protected, so with sun exposure, fluorescent light, and/or age, handles tend to discolor. Even if you scrub with your favorite tried-and-true cleaning tools such as baking soda, bleach or a Magic Eraser, your fridge handle will still stay yellow and dingy.

Remove Limescale

Are the fridge handles unevenly crusted with ick? Then limescale water stains may be the culprit. That’s a buildup of minerals from water that comes in contact with the handles. Remove it using vinegar or a descaling liquid. (Don’t leave on too long or it might eat through the paint.) If that doesn’t work, it’s time to think out of the (ice)box.

Think out of the (Ice)Box

If you can’t clean off the stain, why not cover it up? That’s right – you can freshen fridge handles’ appearance by simply spray painting them. It’s a quick, relatively easy DIY fix, which is cheaper than shelling out for replacement handles … and keeps one more item out of the landfills.

How to Paint Fridge Handles

1. Make sure you choose a spray paint made for plastics. Rustoleum is a well-known brand of paint for specialized surfaces. Purchase white to restore the original appearance or a contrasting color for a fun new look in your kitchen.
   
   
2. Unscrew and remove the fridge handles. Check manufacturer’s directions if you are unsure how to do this.
   
   
3. Your fridge handles are probably good and clean already from all the scrubbing you did to try to whiten it in the first place, but even so, you should give them a good going over with a degreaser and a non-scratch scrubbing pad to get off every last bit of dirt.
   
   
4. Rinse well and dry thoroughly.
   
   
5. Protect the surface and ventilate the room where you will be spraying. (Better yet, take your project outside.)
   
   
6. Spray the refrigerator handles with an even, thin coat of paint.
   
   
7. Let dry for at least 30 minutes before applying a second coat, if needed.
   
   
8. Allow the paint to ”cure” for 3 hours before reattaching the fridge handles.
   
   
9. If you decide you love the new look, why not paint the whole refrigerator?

 
Photo credit: Ehow.com.

Updated August 30, 2018.