Cleaning out the fridge is one of the most laborious household chores.

You have to take everything out before putting it all back in again - so it's little wonder that many of us don't wipe down our fridge shelves as often as we might clean our kitchen countertops.

But with so much food in there, the fridge can be one of the dirtiest places in the whole kitchen - and no part is more unhygienic than the drawers where you traditionally keep salad and vegetables.

Scientists have warned that the salad drawers in refrigerators can contain nearly 8,000 bacteria for every square centimetre and 750 times the levels of bacteria considered safe for humans.

The drawers can harbour potentially killer bugs such as salmonella, E.coli, and listeria, especially if we keep decomposing and rotting vegetables in there for too long.

So it's little wonder that our fridges contain so much harmful bacteria.

There are simple ways to avoid consuming so many germs and potentially contracting serious illnesses, however.

Washing all fruit and vegetables before using them will remove some of the harmful bacteria.

It's also advisable to clean out your fridge, particularly focusing on wiping down your salad drawers, at least once a month in lots of hot, soapy water.

And keep an eye on when something in your fridge is going out of date. There's nothing worse than going to open a delicious packet of raspberries, only to find the berries are all covered in furry mould.

If you're really concerned about cleanliness, try covering the bottom of your fridge and drawers in a layer of foil and cling film. You can then easily remove and replace the protective layer every week when it starts to get dirty.