How to Get Rid of Bad Odors in Your Refrigerator

Storing food in the refrigerator helps keep it cool and prevents spoilage. However, refrigerators are prone to absorbing unpleasant smells. If you're dealing with this issue, check out the following guide on how to eliminate odors in your fridge.

Remove all food from the refrigerator. During this process, you should discard any expired items.

Store usable food in a cooler while cleaning the fridge. If the cleaning process takes a long time, you can add ice to the cooler to help keep the food fresh.

Mix baking soda with warm water. Dissolve ½ cup of baking soda in a sink filled with warm water.

Remove shelves, drawers, and other accessories from the fridge. Clean and dry all fridge accessories thoroughly. Don't forget to wipe the sides and bottom of the fridge, including under the dividing trays.

Clean the drip tray. The drip tray is located underneath the fridge. Be cautious as it holds dirty water. Carefully remove the tray from the bottom of the fridge door, ensuring that the water inside doesn't spill.

Use baking soda. To eliminate odors, you can spread baking soda evenly on a baking tray and place it in the refrigerator. Close the fridge door until the smell disappears, then remove the baking soda tray. You can also leave an open box of baking soda in the fridge for daily odor removal.

• If you want to use baking soda for cleaning the fridge, you can dissolve ½ cup of baking soda in water.

Use vinegar. White vinegar neutralizes odors similarly to baking soda. You can place a cup or bowl of vinegar in the fridge, or mix vinegar with water to create a cleaning solution for the fridge.

Use oatmeal to absorb odors. Place a bowl of oatmeal in the fridge to absorb any unpleasant smells.

Use coffee grounds. Place some fresh, dry coffee grounds in a shallow bowl or spread them evenly on a baking tray. You can leave the bowl or tray of coffee grounds on a shelf in the fridge. The odor will be eliminated within a few days.

Use activated charcoal to absorb odors. Similar to coffee grounds, you can place activated charcoal (avoid using charcoal briquettes) in a shallow bowl or baking tray and place it on the shelves of the fridge. Lower the fridge temperature and keep the door closed for several days. The unpleasant odors will disappear after a few days.

• You can purchase activated charcoal from a pharmacy or pet store.
• Activated charcoal can be reused by heating it in the oven at 180°C for 20 minutes.

Use unscented cat litter with chlorophyll. You can spread this type of cat litter on a shallow tray and place it in the fridge until the bad odor is gone.

• You can clean the fridge using vanilla extract to remove odors. To keep the fridge smelling fresh, you can dip a cotton ball in vanilla extract and place it inside the fridge.
• Try storing food in airtight containers before placing them in the fridge. This will help preserve food longer and prevent odors from spreading when food spoils.
• To prevent future odors, check the fridge once a week or more often to find and discard expired food. Immediately throw away spoiled food in the trash. Don’t leave spoiled food in the trash for too long to prevent odors from spreading throughout the kitchen.
• Regardless of the method you choose, do not return food to the fridge until the odor is completely gone.
• If you need to unplug the fridge for an extended period, thoroughly clean the fridge and remove all food. Leave the fridge door slightly open afterward. Even after cleaning, a warm and closed fridge is likely to develop odors again.
• After cleaning the fridge, be sure to wipe down spice jars and food containers before returning them to the fridge. Sometimes, odors can linger on these items.

• Do not clean glass shelves with hot water. Glass shelves should only be cleaned with warm water or left to reach room temperature naturally. Sudden temperature changes can cause the glass to break.
• Avoid using abrasive cleaning tools as they may scratch the refrigerator.

• Soap and water
• Sponges or dishcloths
• Coffee grounds or baking soda
• Shallow bowl or baking tray
• Baking soda