An unpleasant odor quickly appears in a closed space. The refrigerator is no exception. There are a few recommendations about how to get rid of the smell in the refrigerator, and we will get right to them.
The first is washing!
In the new refrigerator, the cause of the smell is the plastic being in a closed box for a long time. To get rid of the smell, make sure to wash the appliance you just brought from the store inside and out before turning it on. All shelves, all containers, and fastenings need to be washed. For this, you can use regular dish soap. You can also use a solution of baking soda, or a very weak solution of ammonia (a few drops per liter).
Baking soda is used because it is safe for health, it removes dirt well, and is a light antiseptic. Ammonia does not leave streaks on the surface; it dissolves grease very well and kills microbes. In addition, these household remedies eliminate the unpleasant smell of plastic.
After using any household cleaner, you need to wash the surface again with just clean water and wipe the fridge dry. You can wipe all the inner surfaces with alcohol (vodka), then your refrigerator will be surely rid of microbes. Leave the fridge for several hours with the doors open to ventilate it well.
Removing food smells
Even with normal operation and regular defrosting of the refrigerator, from time to time it becomes necessary to carry out a deep clean. Some food has a very strong smell that you can smell even through a sealed package. It is not very pleasant if one aroma mixes with another. The presence of fish, soft cheese with mold, peeled garlic are always noticeable in the refrigerator.
Here are some tips on how to get rid of the bad odor in the refrigerator with the simplest detergents.
- A solution of table vinegar will help cope with the problem. Take out all food and wipe the walls and shelves with a cloth soaked in the solution (a tablespoon of 9% vinegar per glass of water). Do not make the solution strong, because the acid can damage some elements of household appliances.
- You can also use lemon juice for this purpose. Squeeze out a little bit of lemon juice, moisten a clean cloth in it, and wipe the shelves. Then slice the lemon and leave it in the fridge for 2-3 days. Lemon is especially effective with removing the smell of fish.
- Rye bread is a natural adsorbent. Cut it into small thin slices and lay them out in the corners of the refrigerator on paper napkins or saucers. The bread absorbs all volatile substances; it allows you to keep the refrigerator fresh for several hours.
- Peeled raw potatoes, rice and onions cut into several pieces have the same effect as the bread. All these products, except for the rice, should be changed every 2-3 days so that they do not have time to spoil.
- Some housewives advise putting crushed activated charcoal on the shelf of the door. For any noticeable effect, you would need to crush 3-4 packages (about 40 tablets). Activated charcoal can be stored longer than the onions or bread, many special detergents that are sold in stores contain it.
Getting rid of strong smells
We have to say a few words about getting rid of the unpleasant odor in the refrigerator that is strongly set. This happens if the electricity was suddenly turned off, and you were not at home at that time. Or your fridge could have broken down, or you accidentally turned it off, which led to unplanned defrosting and, as a result, the appearance of an unpleasant smell. The cause of the smell could be some of the following foods:
- spoiled meat;
- rotten fruits and vegetables;
- the smell of fish;
- certain types of cheese.
The smell of spoiled fish is especially unpleasant. The only thing worse is spoiled meat.
Sometimes the smell of meat or fish is so strong that you want to wear a respirator. In this case, soda and warm water will not get rid of it, and we should look for other ways.
First, you should check that the refrigerator is unplugged from the outlet, and take all the food out of it. After this, wash all internal surfaces using dish soap, preferably one with a refreshing effect.
The next step is to rinse thoroughly with clean water, dry with a soft cloth and wipe with lemon juice. Most likely, this will not completely to get rid of the smell, so you will have to ventilate the refrigerator for several days.
There are home remedies which have people putting a cat litter box into the empty refrigerator, as kitty litter has good adsorption properties. Some people burn incense sticks or use coffee grounds, orange peels, etc.
You can buy a scent absorber and put it in the fridge. A good absorber can eliminate even the strongest odors of fish, garlic, or spoiled soup.
In order to quickly get rid of a stubborn odor, a liquid professional detergent is used. First, the surface of the refrigerator washed and dried in the usual way, then sprayed with the smell absorber. Usually, such a procedure should be repeated several times. Buy an expensive professional detergent if nothing else helps.
Here is a table of the detergents, which shows how well they absorb the smells.
| Detergents | Effect |
| Baking soda + warm water + regular detergent | It helps during a planned cleaning |
| Dark bread, raw potatoes, rice | Remove the simple odors |
| Lemon, weak solution of table vinegar | Remove the pretty strong odors |
| Activated carbon, scent absorber | Remove the strong odors |
Measures against the appearance of odors
Let’s go over ways to store food in the fridge that will help you avoid unpleasant smells:
- All bottles, pots and other containers should be tightly closed.
- Wrap food items in foil, plastic wrap or paper if it is not possible to store them in containers. The same materials can be used in place of a lid.
- Regularly defrost and thoroughly wash the refrigerator with warm water, not forgetting the sealing rubber and the drain. During the procedure, take out all the food so that the water from defrosted fish or meat does not get into the cracks because this is often the cause of the strong smell, which is practically impossible to remove.
- Wash the refrigerator, even if you have an automatic defrost function.
- Try to get rid of spoiled food immediately.
- Do not clutter up your freezer too much. This prevents the air from circulating normally and raises the temperature. As a result, the mode of operation is violated, and the food deteriorates faster.
It should be remembered that the unpleasant smell is easier to prevent than it is to remove.
Some people who could not remove the smell, will carry the refrigerator to the holiday cottage. Sometimes it takes several months to ventilate your household appliances.
To avoid this, we advise you to never leave meat in the freezer if you are away from home for a long time. Afraid to stay hungry upon your return – buy canned food. And most importantly, of course, regularly wash your refrigerator and be mindful of the expiration date of the food.