11 WAYS TO GET RID OF UNWANTED SMELLS IN YOUR FRIDGE
From preserving ingredients for tonight’s dinner to storing the leftovers for tomorrow’s meal, our refrigerators are an essential part of our households.
Keeping your refrigerator smelling fresh is key to maintaining the quality of pricey and beloved foods. Read this guide to learn about the proven methods, including natural remedies, you can use to eliminate refrigerator odours.
WHAT CAUSES SMELLS TO FORM IN A FRIDGE?
A refrigerator can smell unpleasant for many reasons. Some common causes of refrigerator odours include, but are not limited to:
Bacteria
Food spills
Expired items
Food odours
Mould
Eliminating unpleasant smells from your refrigerator isn’t always a challenging task. You can often eliminate an odour with a few easy steps and/or a natural deodorizer.
Review these remedies to help make your fridge smell fresh again.
1. CLEAN THE DRIP PAN
You can potentially remove refrigerator odours by cleaning the drip pan. To do so, follow these steps:
Carefully remove the drip pan from the bottom of the fridge
Wash the drip pan with warm water and dish soap. The addition of baking soda can help neutralize odours.
Rinse the drip pan with water.
Dry it with a clean towel or allow it to air dry
2. REMOVE SPOILED FOOD FROM YOUR FRIDGE
Your refrigerator might smell bad because of spoiled food hiding on a shelf. Remove and discard any item that has spoiled, and do your best to keep the interior of your unit organized. This helps eliminate the chance that you will forget about an item before it spoils. Also, double-check that lids are on tight for foods with strong scents.
3. CLEAN THE INTERIOR THOROUGHLY
You should clean all spills as soon as they happen. Additionally, it’s recommended to deep clean the inside of your fridge twice a year.
Follow these steps to deep clean your fridge.
Unplug your fridge and remove all of its contents
Take out any removable drawers and shelves
With warm water, dish soap, and a soft cloth or sponge, wipe down the interior of the fridge. You want to clean every inch and crevice, including the shelves, door seals, and drawers.
Rinse the interior with clean water
Dry it with a clean towel
Please note that you should not put any of your refrigerator’s parts in the dishwasher, as this will likely damage them.
4. REPLACE YOUR REFRIGERATOR AIR FILTER
Replacing your unit’s air filter per the instructions in your owner’s manual can help it maintain a fresh interior smell.
5. AIR IT OUT
It is crucial to unplug your fridge before starting this method.
Another way to help your fridge smell fresher is to clean the interior with a baking soda paste made from baking soda and water, and a soft cloth. Then, wipe it with a damp cloth, and allow it to air out with the door open for a day before plugging it back in.
6. CLEAN YOUR REFRIGERATOR’S COILS
Dirty or gunky evaporator coils can also give birth to unpleasant odours in your fridge. These coils are often found at the back of the freezer, and their job is to circulate cold air to both compartments.
If the coils are clogged with dirt and dust, it may cause your fridge to not function as it should. It’s recommended to vacuum your refrigerator coils with a brush or crevice tool to help remove as much dust and dirt as possible.
7. REPLACE THE WATER FILTER
An overdue water filter replacement may be the cause of your fridge smelling. Replace your fridge’s air filter according to the manufacturer’s instructions to prevent unpleasant odours from forming.
HOW DO YOU GET RID OF FRIDGE SMELLS USING NATURAL REMEDIES?
Some natural remedies may be adept at helping keep your fridge smelling fresh. These may include:
Baking soda
Activated charcoal
Newspaper
Lemons
Vinegar
1. BAKING SODA
After deep cleaning your fridge, put a box of baking soda on one of the shelves. This natural deodorizer is designed to absorb and eliminate smells before they linger for too long, and it can also be used in your freezer. If the smell returns, try replacing the baking soda with a fresh one.
2. ACTIVATED CHARCOAL
Put one paper bowl filled with activated charcoal on a shelf in your refrigerator and another inside the freezer. For stronger odours, you can try using an additional bowl per compartment. Leave the bowls in the two compartments and replace them if any smells return.
3. NEWSPAPER
The carbon in the newspaper ink can help eliminate unpleasant smells.
Roll a few newspaper pages into loose balls, put them on a paper plate, and then add a drop of cooking vanilla to each ball.
4. LEMONS
To use this method, clean the source of the smell and then wipe your shelves with lemon juice on a towel, rinsing when you are done.
Take it a step further by also leaving a few lemon slices in a bowl on a shelf in your fridge for a few hours or up to a week for more pungent smells..
5. VINEGAR
To get rid of stubborn fridge odours, you can try to gently clean the interior with a mixture of white vinegar and water. Vinegar’s natural deodorizing properties can potentially neutralize persistent smells.
WHAT IF MY FRIDGE STILL SMELLS BAD AFTER I CLEAN IT?
Truly pungent or stubborn odours often take time to go away. Some can even sink deep into your refrigerator insulation. If you can’t remove a smell from your fridge, you can try cleaning your fridge’s interior with lemons, vinegar, or baking soda. Another option is to put charcoal or lemons inside the fridge for a longer time.
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES TO STOP YOUR FRIDGE FROM SMELLING
After your fridge is clean and free of odours, you can try to prevent smells from recurring by following these steps:
Clean up messes and spills as they happen
Tightly wrap or cover all food in your fridge
Clean both compartments monthly
Discard all spoiled or expired food regularly
Organize both compartments, including every shelf and drawer, so items are accessible and won’t get lost behind larger bottles and jars.
Clean under the refrigerator, removing anything that got trapped there.
Some Maytag® refrigerators are equipped with an air filter that is 15 times more powerful than baking soda at minimizing common food odours that form in a refrigerator.
If your unit has an air filter, replace the filter according to the indicator tab or recommendations in your owner’s manual.
HOW TO ELIMINATE FREEZER SMELLS
The remedies used to remove unwanted smells from a refrigerator can also be used for a freezer.
Start by wiping up any spills and messes and then clean the freezer’s interior, including door seals and gaskets. If your freezer has frost buildup, you should defrost it before cleaning the interior.
If these steps do not remove the smell, try natural remedies such as vinegar, baking soda, newspaper, or activated charcoal.
SHOP MAYTAG® REFRIGERATORS
If you’re ready to upgrade your refrigerator, consider a dependable model from Maytag brand. Browse select models designed with impressive features like the Wide-N-Fresh™ Deli Drawer, ideal for trays or platters of food, and the PowerCold® that quickly drops refrigerator temperatures.
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