If you have opened your refrigerator to bad odors, you know how sickening it feels. We know unpleasant smells coming from the fridge may be a sign of a bigger problem than just spoiled food. A clogged drain tube or mold or bacteria, perhaps? and if you’re wondering, “How to remove bad odor from refrigerator?” Let’s explore.
This guide explores practical ways to eliminate odors from your fridge and prevent them from returning.
What Causes a Bad Odor in a Refrigerator
You may notice bad smells coming from your refrigerator and wonder what causes them. There are various reasons your refrigerator smells, including:
Spills
Spills from food can create a tacky layer. It offers ideal conditions for bacterial growth if you don’t wipe as soon as they happen.
Clogged Drain Hole or Drain Tube
A clogged drain hole or drain tube is a common cause of refrigerator odors. A drain hole discards excess moisture.
When it gets blocked, dirt, stagnant water, food residue, and mold grow inside, causing odors.
Mold or Bacteria
Moisture from food, spills, and areas around the seals can give rise to mold and bacteria. This produces smells in the refrigerator.
Expired or Rotten Food
Spoiled food in the refrigerator also leads to a bad odor. It results when the food is not stored properly or the temperature is set incorrectly.
Overlooked unseen Areas
When you leave areas while cleaning, such as door seals, the remains in these areas become the source of bad odors in the fridge.
Temperature or Filter Issues
Incorrect temperature can spoil food stored in the refrigerator, causing smells. Similarly, when the air filter is not cleaned or replaced regularly, it can create odors.
How to Remove Bad Odor from the Refrigerator
When your refrigerator smells awful, it’s understandable that you wouldn’t want to store your food inside. To get rid of the bad odor from your refrigerator, you need a plan in place. but how to remove bad odor from the refrigerator and how to make a fridge smell better?
Here is a guide to help you get rid of odors from your fridge through cleaning and natural deodorizers.
Step 1: Find the Source of Bad Odor
It’s crucial to identify the source of the smell in your refrigerator when getting rid of a bad odor. Many foods, such as fish, onions, and scallions, contain a very strong odor. If you haven’t sealed them properly, they might be the culprit. You can determine the source by understanding what a specific odor means.
Here is what each smell signals:
- Fish smell: if you haven’t stored fish, it is likely that moisture has built up somewhere in your fridge.
- Burnt plastic smell: your refrigerator is getting hot. Dust often clogs vents or fans in the fridge. It disturbs the refrigerator’s ability to cool properly.
- Rotting meat smell: it may be mildew growing inside your refrigerator.
Step 2: Deep Clean the Refrigerator Properly
Deep cleaning the refrigerator the proper way is an essential step to eradicate bad odor. Here is how you should do it:
Get Rid of Spoiled Foods
Throw away any spoiled or expired food, as the odor from them remains in the refrigerator. Additionally, check your vegetable and fruit drawers to remove any rotten ones.
Clean or Replace the Air Filter Regularly
Regularly cleaning or replacing air filters according to the manual instructions can help eliminate odors.
Clean the Inside of the Refrigerator Thoroughly
Cleaning the fridge thoroughly is the most important step when removing unpleasant smells. Spills and dirt often leave the fridge smelling weird.
Here is what you should do: Switch your refrigerator off and empty all contents. Clear the spills from the shelves. Now clean the inside of the refrigerator with warm water and dish soap.
Then rinse with clean water. When you’re done with rinsing the refrigerator, make sure to dry it properly.
Clean the Exterior of the Refrigerator
While cleaning the interior of the refrigerator, don’t forget about its exterior. Make sure to wipe the display panel with a clean soft cloth. You must clean the doors and handles with mild detergent and water using a soft cloth.
Air Out Your Refrigerator
Once you have cleaned your refrigerator, air it out with the door open for a day before switching it on.
Step 3: Inspect the Hidden Areas that Often Catch Bad Odors
Some areas we often neglect while cleaning, such as the drip pan or gasket. Locate them and schedule their maintenance.
Clean the Drip Pan
Another source of refrigerator odors could be the dirty drip pan. Cleaning it more often can help remove any smell and keep it from coming back. Wash it with dish soap and warm water. Rinse and dry it thoroughly with a towel.
Clean the Gasket
The gasket is the seal on the inside of the refrigerator door made of rubber. Cleaning it also helps eliminate odors. You can clean it with dish soap in warm water using a cloth. Rinse the gasket with clean water and dry it with a towel.
Clean the Drain Hole
When cleaning the inside of the fridge, make sure to clear the blockages, such as dirt or food particles, in the drain hole using a stick-like tool. The drain hole or tube is located at the bottom of the refrigerator. Now clean the drain hole thoroughly. You can also pour warm water to flush out any remains.
Keep Up the Built-In Deodorizer
If your refrigerator contains a built-in deodorizer and there is still a bad odor, your cartridge likely requires cleaning. You can clean it by soaking it in warm water for four hours or more. Then place the cartridge outdoors to dry for about eight hours, and then put it back in the fridge.
Avoid soaking or drying it in a closed space to prevent odors from roaming inside the room.
Step 4: Use Deodorizers After Cleaning to Eliminate Stubborn Odors
Here are some natural deodorizers to help you eliminate odors from your refrigerator.
Baking Soda
Baking soda for fridge odor is an effective home remedy. It is widely used as a natural deodorizer that erases bad refrigerator odors.
All you need to do is place a box of baking soda in your refrigerator once you have thoroughly tidied it.
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal also acts as a fridge deodorizer and is considered one of the best refrigerator odor eliminators.
Here is how to use it: Put a bowl of activated charcoal on one of your refrigerator’s shelves. It absorbs all the unpleasant smells from your fridge.
Coffee Grounds
The porous texture and nitrogen in coffee grounds help in neutralizing odors. Place a bowl of coffee grounds on one of the shelves.
It absorbs the bad odor and leaves a little roasted odor in your fridge.
White Vinegar
Vinegar is an effective natural deodorizer for persistent odors. Prepare a mixture of white vinegar and water and wipe the interior of your refrigerator with it.
Lemon Juice
Once you have cleaned the refrigerator, gently wipe the shelves with lemon juice using a towel. You must rinse the interior with water afterwards. Also, placing a few lemon slices in your refrigerator leaves a refreshing smell.
Uncooked Oats
Oats can also be used to eliminate odors from the refrigerator. The porous starch structure of this breakfast meal physically absorbs moisture and molecules of odor from the environment. You can place uncooked oats in a container with its lid open on the shelf.
Step 5: Prevent Bad Odors From Returning
The following are some tips to keep bad odors away from your refrigerator:
- Clear spills as soon as they happen.
- Keep foods with strong odors in sealed containers.
- Keep a weekly check on your food.
- Use food bins for items with short expiry dates.
- Store the oldest items at the front to avoid food waste.
- Maintain your refrigerator’s temperature. The correct temperatures for the refrigerator and freezer are 4°C (37.4°F) and -18°C (-0.4°F), respectively.
- Place less-perishable items, such as non-dairy products and condiments, on the refrigerator door.
- Store your most perishable items, such as dairy products and raw meats, in the lower shelves.
In the End
Removing stubborn refrigerator odors may seem challenging, but you can achieve it by deep cleaning and deodorizing. Storing food properly and maintaining a weekly check helps keep the smells at bay. Likewise, using natural methods like baking soda or activated charcoal is an effective way to keep your refrigerator smelling fresh.
FAQs
Why does my refrigerator smell like gas?
There are multiple reasons your refrigerator smells like chemicals or gas, and one potential cause can be refrigerant leaks. Modern refrigerators use particular refrigerants such as R600a (isobutane), R134a, to keep the fridge cool. These are usually sealed to prevent gas leakage.
However, if you rupture the fridge wall during defrosting or an old copper line erodes, the gas escapes.
How to remove odors from fridge after a power outage?
A power outage stops cold air circulation, increasing the temperature in the refrigerator. Perishable food can go bad quickly, becoming the source of unpleasant odors. To remove odors once the power returns, clean the fridge thoroughly and disinfect it with 1 tablespoon of bleach in 1 liter of water. Then dry it completely.
It’s important to know the steps to follow during a power outage.
- Note the duration of the power outage. If it was less than 4 hours and the door was closed, most food will remain safe.
- Check the temperature of the refrigerator. If it is still below 4°C, the food is safe.
- Get rid of the food that has been at a temperature above 4°C for more than 2 hours.
- You can store non-perishable items such as condiments, pickles, and unopened drinks safely in the fridge.
How long does it take for fridge smell to go away?
While mild refrigerator odors take a few hours to go away, stubborn smells may take a few days or weeks. It may take several cleaning and deodorizing sessions before the fridge smells fully dissipate.
My fridge smells bad even after cleaning. Why?
If you are dealing with strong odors, they might take some time to go away. Additionally, your fridge probably smells bad even after cleaning because some smells absorb into the refrigerator’s insulation. This often leads to changing the appliance. Make sure to discard the older one safely.
Clogged evaporation coils can also be the culprit for stubborn odors inside your refrigerator. These are located at the back of the fridge and provide cold air to its compartments.
How does baking soda remove fridge odors?
Smells in the refrigerator are typically due to volatile fatty acids, so when a food goes bad, it discharges butyric acid, which is a nasty odor. We all know that bases neutralize acids, and baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a base.
To remove odors, sodium bicarbonate reacts with butyric acid and forms sodium butyrate, which doesn’t have a smell as it is not volatile.
You may also find this related blog post very useful:
How Long Do Eggs Last in the Fridge? (3–5 Weeks + Storage Tips)
Leftovers and Food Safety: How to Store and Reheat Leftovers Safely
What refrigerant is used in refrigerators?
