Let's face it; no one wants their refrigerator to have a stench. Strange smells can signify many problems, from mold to rotting food. And, with bad smells come harsh cleaning chemicals that only work for a few days but potentially cause lasting damage.
Of course, most people are familiar with the idea of using bleach and warm water to clean their homes; however, harsh chemicals aren't suitable for your appliances in the long term and only work for a few days maximum.
If you are looking for natural ways to eliminate the smell in your refrigerator, here are some eco-friendly cleaning hacks you can use when it comes to your most important kitchen appliance.
Is Your Refrigerator Clean?
Sometimes, common causes of a smelly refrigerator can include rotten or spilled food. This is why it's essential to ensure that your refrigerator is clean before using the following methods to eradicate a smell. Below are some cleaning tips that you can do first, to ensure the smell isn't coming from leftover food.
Clean Under the Veggie Bin Trays
Even if you can clearly see all your old fruits and veggies have been thrown away, sometimes juice or bacteria lingers. And yes, you've guessed it, inside the fridge can cause a bad smell.
In order to ensure everything is clean, it's important to pull out all your refrigerators bins and deep clean them. This can be done by using peroxide or even white vinegar. Doing this will ensure that no leftover smell can be found inside your fridge.
And, in order to ensure smells from faulty containers don't happen again, investing in eco-friendly kitchen products could do the trick in the long run.
Clean the Drip Tray
If you have yet to hear of a drip tray, then this may be the culprit for your smelly fridge. Found under every fridge is a drip tray that collects leftover food that has dropped or spilled food from your fridge.
By looking at your fridge’s user manual, you will quickly and easily be able to locate your appliance's drip tray and clean it out. When you have pulled it out, using warm water with dish soap or peroxide for cleaning is recommended.
Check Under Your Refrigerator
This is something that you will need to remember to do; check under your refrigerator. When you are using your fridge normally and moving items in and out, things are likely to spill or drop, ultimately getting caught under your refrigerator.
With a bit of help moving your fridge off the wall, you can see the leftover food that was hiding underneath, which can easily be cleaned. This should be done with a basic floor cleaner or warm soapy water.
Cleaning Your Smelly Fridge
Don't worry; if you have followed the cleaning tips we listed above and your refrigerator still smells, there’s hope! We have formulated the best ways to clean your smelly fridge naturally. Below, we will walk you through some home remedies that help with ensuring your refrigerator is clean and stench free.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is one of those things that seem to help with any home problem you could have. And it works wonders for a smelly fridge. This substance gets rid of the smell within a few days.
All you need to do is follow the steps we will give you below:
- Get a fresh container of baking soda, and put a bit into an open bowl or plate.
- Put this open bowl or plate of baking soda on a shelf of your choice and leave it for a few days.
- Every day or so, add another open container of baking soda to another shelf.
- Repeat this process for a few days until all your shelves are filled up with baking soda trays.
You will find that after a few days of adding baking soda, the unpleasant smells will magically go away. This is why baking soda is an easy way to ensure that your fridge is in its best form.
Lemon
Lemon is another common cleaning ingredient that will do wonders for various aspects of your home. The scent of lemon is not only refreshing but long-lasting. And, using it is easy to get rid of smells, which can be done by following a few simple steps.
Take a lemon and cut it in half. One-half of this lemon should be squeezed onto a dishtowel of your choice and used to clean the inside of your refrigerator. Then, the squeezed half and fresh half of your lemon can be placed in an open container in your fridge, which will eliminate the smell.
In a few days, not only will the smell be gone, but it will be replaced with the fresh, clean scent of lemon.
Coffee
Not only will coffee grounds wake you up, but they can also awaken a clean fridge! This natural odor eliminator needs to be left in a small saucer or in a bowl in your refrigerator for a few days to deliver its beneficial effects.
Vanilla
This may be the easiest trick in the book to use when getting rid of a foul smell. All you need to get is get a cotton ball and soak it in vanilla essential oil. From there, just leave the soaked cotton ball in your refrigerator for a few days, and reap the benefits of a nice smell for the long term.
Newspaper
Yes, you read this correctly; newspapers can actually help you get rid of the smell in your fridge. First, locate some old papers that you have lying around on the table, and put them to good use.
Once you have the extra newspapers, follow the listed steps below:
- Wipe down all your refrigerator's plastic with white vinegar.
- Roll up the newspaper you have and put it in your refrigerator.
- Let these rolled-up newspapers sit in the refrigerator for three to four days without touching them.
After four days, the newspaper will absorb odors and leave your fridge smelling fresh.
Don't Believe Us? Try It Out Yourself!
Eliminating odors from smelly clothes is a breeze, but sometimes eliminating a stench from our appliances leaves us puzzled. As much as we hate to admit it, sometimes, no matter how hard we try, food just goes bad or is left behind, stinking up the refrigerator.
Quick and easy cleans will sometimes do the trick, but in some cases, these cleaning hacks need to be used. But, while our list of these natural cleaning methods may seem too easy, they actually do work.
Don't take our word for it; give these tips and tricks a try! You won't regret it and will have a fresh-smelling refrigerator in no time.
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