The kitchen is a crucial and functional part of your house channeling energy and positivity. Different kitchen appliances make the kitchen functional and it’s important that these appliances are clean to maintain a healthy environment.
Moreover, among different appliances, the refrigerator is the key appliance that eases kitchen use and helps in storing different food items, fruits, vegetables, and many more.
Thus, maintaining the refrigerator clean and odour-free becomes important to assure food safety and quality.
The Importance of a Clean and Odor-Free Refrigerator
Moreover, a clean refrigerator prevents any harmful bacteria and mould growth, maintaining the freshness of the food inside and reduces the food contamination risk by minimising spills and expired items.
Thus, a clean and odor free fridge contributes to better health and hygiene of your kitchen. If you are frustrated with your lingering refrigerator odours and have no idea how to get rid of the smell in the fridge, then here is a complete guide on how to get rid of refrigerator smells and keep it clean.
Understand Why Your Fridge Smells
Before cleaning the refrigerator, it’s important to know the reason behind the smell in your fridge to clean it properly and make it odour-free. There are different reasons for refrigerator odours and when not completely removed may cause the fridge to smell bad even after cleaning.
Common Cause Of Refrigerator Odours
Many common causes of refrigerator odours include:-
- Spoiled Food – This is the most common and obvious reason for a bad refrigerator smell. The smell of food decay is very strong and unpleasant and spreads all over the fridge.
- Food Spills and Leaks – The food or liquid spillage helps in bacterial overgrowth as it becomes a breeding ground and these bacteria cause odour inside the fridge. Moreover, these breeding grounds also cause moulds to grow when not cleaned properly.
- Mold Growth – When there is food or liquid spillage or food is in the fridge for a long time, they can lead to the growth of moulds as moisture in the fridge leads to mould growth especially in corners and on seals.
- Dirty drip tray – The drip tray in the fridge collects condensed water droplets that attract bacterial overgrowth and foul smell. The drip tray has a water accumulation most of the time that creates a layer of bacteria in it giving a terrible smell.
- Strong smelling food items – There are many food items such as fish, onion, garlic, and others when kept in the fridge uncovered that impart a strong unpleasant smell inside the refrigerator. The fridge absorbs the smell and it remains for multiple days if not cleaned.
- Faulty freezer– If your fridge has a defective compressor, then there might be a problem with a bad smell from the fridge.
- Poorly sealed container – If the food containers are not sealed properly, the smell of food covers the entire fridge giving an unpleasant smell whenever opened.
- Defective defrost system – If the defrost system is defective or malfunctioning, then there is frost build-up in the ice area causing a bad smell. The ice trays absorb bad smells and remain for many days.
- Poor ventilation – The poor ventilation system inside the refrigerator doesn’t allow the smell to escape the environment making it more unpleasant for everyday use.
How Bacteria And Moulds Contribute To Bad Refrigerator Smell
If you are looking forward to knowing how to get rid of the smell in the fridge, then it’s important to know that bacteria and moulds play a major role in making the fridge smell bad even after cleaning. Moreover, the food spillage or the food left for a longer period in the fridge creates a breeding ground for bacteria and moulds.
These bacteria and molds then release gases as they start decomposing the food particles creating a bad and unpleasant smell in the refrigerator. In addition, bacteria and mould break down the food particles present inside releasing volatile compounds which are easily detected as smells.
Moreover, the moisture content available in the fridge makes a suitable environment for mould overgrowth and thus, they release a bad smell. These moulds are not easy to clean as they grow in hard-to-reach areas such as under drawers, gaskets, or seals.
Immediate steps to remove bad refrigerator smell
If you have no idea how to get rid of the refrigerator smell immediately, then there are a few steps by which you can easily make it odour-free. It includes:-
Remove everything from the fridge
Removing the entire contents from the fridge is the key step on how to get rid of refrigerator odours. Empty the fridge and check for any food spillage or spoilage causing bad odours. Throw all the food items which are spoiled or expired. In addition, check for food packaging for leaks or spills and remove it if there is any.
Deep clean the fridge
Clean the entire surface of the refrigerator mixing warm water and baking soda using a sponge:-
- Clean the shelves and drawers – Wash the shelves and drawers with soap and water and let them dry with a microfiber cloth.
- Clean the gaskets – Clean the gasket and drip tray using water and vinegar. Dip the cotton swab in this solution and clean the gasket seam. Use a toothbrush to clean the hard-to-reach areas. To remove stubborn stains, you can use vinegar solutions.
- Clean the exterior – Clean the exterior using a solution of water and vinegar. And then, dry with a paper towel. Read the user manual before cleaning the exterior of the refrigerator.
- Clean the coils – Coils maintain the temperature of your refrigerator. So, for better functioning, it’s important to clean the coils regularly.
- Clean the area under the refrigerator – Sweep and wipe the floor under the refrigerator as there may be an accumulation of dust and dirt beneath.
- Arrange your refrigerator – Once all the parts of the fridge are cleaned and dry, arrange all the components and keep items in an organised way to avoid food spillage and leftovers unseen.
How To Get Rid Of Freezer Odors
To clean and get rid of freezer odours, you need to clean the freezer area. There are two processes by which you can clean the freezer that includes defrosting and deep cleaning.
Moreover, defrosting primarily involves removing the ice build-up in the freezer by melting, but deep cleaning includes removing ice and cleaning the area with a solution that removes odour properly. Thus, use the best freezer smell removers such as charcoal, coffee grounds, baking soda, and many other solutions to make your fridge odour-free.
Best Natural Remedies To Remove Refrigerator Odours
Natural remedies are the best answer to how to get rid of bad smell in refrigerator. Moreover, multiple natural freezer smell removers are widely used. It includes:-
- Baking soda – Sometimes the fridge smells bad even after cleaning, so baking soda acts as a natural deodorizer that helps to remove odour after cleaning. Place the box of baking soda on one shelf after cleaning the refrigerator and do the same inside the freezer to remove the smell.
- Activated charcoal – Activated charcoal is a powerful freezer smell remover. Place activated charcoal in a paper bowl inside the freezer and refrigerator shelves to make your fridge odour-free.
- Breath mints – Breath mints help to eliminate the foul odour and food smell inside the fridge. So, place a dampened breath mint on a paper plate inside the refrigerator.
- Newspaper – Newspaper can be of great help to remove the foul odour from your refrigerator. Make a paper ball from the newspaper and place it on a paper plate. Add a few drops of cooking vanilla on each ball and place each ball on different shelves and in the freezer for a few weeks. These paper balls absorb the food smell and keep your refrigerator fresh.
- Lemons – Lemon is the best freezer smell remover and also eliminates the food smell inside the refrigerator. Use a small towel soaked in lemon juice to wipe the refrigerator from inside after cleaning the entire refrigerator. Moreover, you can also put some lemon slices in a bowl for weeks inside the refrigerator to keep it odour-free.
- Coffee grounds – Coffee grounds neutralize the food smells as it contains nitrogen. If you are confused about how to get rid of the refrigerator smell, then coffee grounds can be of great help. Place a small bowl of coffee grounds in your refrigerator, it will help to absorb all the bad smells inside the refrigerator and leave a smell of coffee.
- Vinegar – For stubborn odours or stains, vinegar is the best solution. Mix water and vinegar in equal parts and wipe down the refrigerator from within to get rid of the strong unpleasant smell.
- Oats – Oats can also be a natural deodorizer as it helps to absorb the fridge smell. So, place a bowl of uncooked oats uncovered in the fridge and make your refrigerator fresh and odour-free.
Additional 4 Clever Hacks For Odour-Free Refrigerator
If you are looking for how to get rid of refrigerator smell, then you can try a few DIY refrigerator air fresheners to keep it fresh and odour-free. It includes:-
- Use essential oil dipped in cotton balls to keep your refrigerator smelling fresh. Place these balls on each shelf.
- Freeze orange peels and grind them. Keep these grounded peels on each shelf for a fresh aroma inside the refrigerator.
- Keeping uncooked rice in the refrigerator also traps unwanted and foul odours in your refrigerator. Place a bowl of uncooked rice inside to neutralize the bad smells.
- You can also use refrigerator deodorizer packs that are available in the market.
Preventive Measures To Keep Your Fridge Smelling Fresh
Prevention is better than cure is a well-known fact. So, if you want to know how to get rid of refrigerator smell, then you must follow the preventive measures. It includes
Store food properly to avoid odours
Store the food properly in air-tight containers to avoid the escape of food smell inside the refrigerator. Moreover, organise your refrigerator properly so that there is regular airflow inside. Consume the food before it expires or gets spoiled.
Cleaning Schedule for a fresh fridge
Clean the fridge thoroughly once a week maintaining hygiene. Moreover, deep cleaning of the refrigerator including coil cleaning should be done every 1-3 months.
How to keep ice from absorbing bad smells
Regularly clean the freezer removing any contaminated ice. Moreover, to prevent ice from absorbing bad smell, keep a container of baking soda in the freezer. In addition, use an air-tight or covered container isolating ice from other freezer items.
Managing fridge temperature & humidity
High temperature leads to food spoilage and low temperature may waste energy. So, it’s important to maintain the fridge temperature while controlling the odour. Moreover, utilising humidity control is important to make the fridge odour-free.
Preventing odour in a fridge while on vacation
Clean the fridge throughout from the inside before leaving for vacation and keep the fridge door slightly open allowing air circulation. Moreover, place an open container of baking soda to eliminate the odour inside the fridge.
Advanced fixes for persistent smells
If your refrigerator is not keeping food cold enough, or there is excessive frost, water leaks, or any other problems, then it is a sign that the refrigerator needs servicing and it’s best to call a professional.
Common Mistakes To Avoid While Cleaning Your Fridge
Improper cleaning may cause the fridge to smell bad even after cleaning. So, it’s important to avoid common mistakes while cleaning the fridge. It includes:-
- Neglecting regular cleaning – The stains and smell will be more gross if there is no regular cleaning of the fridge. Moreover, there might be chances of food-borne disease from the remnant of spoiled or expired food items inside the fridge. So, it’s important to have regular cleaning of the entire fridge.
- Using harsh chemicals – The use of harsh chemicals while cleaning the fridge may contaminate your food particles. The harmful constituents may leave residue behind even after wiping it causing harm to your food items. So, avoid using harsh chemicals and use natural freezer smell remover.
- Storing food in an open container – The common mistake people usually make is storing food in an open container that allows good smell to escape causing foul odour. Also, there may be bacterial overgrowth when food is left for a longer duration. So, always use a closed and airtight container to store food.
- Ignoring door seals– There is a lot of dirt and mould overgrowth in the door seal. So, it’s a huge mistake if you leave the door seal ignored while cleaning. Also, the door seal helps to maintain temperature so proper cleaning will help in the proper functioning of the refrigerator.
- Not replacing old baking soda – The baking soda kept to remove foul smell always needs to be replaced regularly. Avoiding this may make the fridge smell bad even after cleaning.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Fridge Smells?
There might be various reasons for the foul smell even after cleaning the fridge. It may include dirty drip pans, moulds in hard-to-reach areas, leaking containers, expired food items, and many more.
Yes, you can use essential oil to freshen up your fridge. Dip the cotton ball in essential oil and keep it on every shelf in some open container or plate.
There should be regular cleaning of the refrigerator to avoid bad smells and improve food quality. Moreover, you should deep clean the refrigerator once every 3-6 months.
There are multiple homemade fridge smell removers that include vinegar, lemon, essential oil, coffee grounds, activated charcoal, and many more.
To remove the mould smell from the fridge, it’s important that you thoroughly clean the interior with a solution of warm water and baking soda. Clean all the surfaces, hard-to-reach areas, door seals, and gaskets.
Yes, store-bought fridge deodorizers are also effective. It instantly neutralizes the lingering food smells and keeps your refrigerator fresh.
Regularly clean your ice maker and water filter to prevent the weird taste of ice cubes. Moreover, use filter water to make ice cubes and keep strong-smelling food away from the freezer.
Yes, activated charcoal works better than baking soda as it absorbs and eliminates the odour more efficiently.
It depends on the severity of the smell. Strong smells may take days, whereas baking soda and other fridge smell removers may reduce smell in a few hours.
Use homemade or store-bought fridge smell removers such as coffee grounds, baking soda, lemon, activated charcoal, and others to remove the smell from the fridge.
