Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: How to Get Rid of Spoiled Food and Odor
• Method 2 of 3: How to use odor removers
• Method 3 of 3: How to prevent odors
• What do you need
• Tips
• Warnings

Over time, in any refrigerator, a not very pleasant smell usually accumulates. Despite the repulsive "aroma", the products themselves are not in danger. If you still want to get rid of the smell and prevent it from permanently absorbing into the inner lining of the refrigerator, you should first throw away any missing food. You can also leave 1–2 types of deodorant products, such as coffee grounds and activated charcoal, on the top shelf. To prevent unpleasant odors, throw away spoiled food in a timely manner and always store food in airtight containers.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: How to Get Rid of Spoiled Food and Odor

1. 1 Unplug the refrigerator. Find the outlet where the refrigerator is plugged in to remove the power plug from it. If you leave the refrigerator on while cleaning, then you run the risk of an incredibly large electricity bill in a month!
   • Some newer models of refrigerators have a shutdown button. In this case, you just need to press the button and do not disconnect the unit from the outlet.
2. 2 Remove all food from the refrigerator. Inspect all storage areas such as shelves, drawers, and door trays to make sure nothing is left. Look carefully at all foods and throw in the trash any food that has gone missing, started to rot, and oozes an unpleasant odor. So, almost always the unpleasant smell is caused by spoiled food.
   • Try to get all the work done in four hours. According to the recommendations, if the food has not been in the refrigerator for more than four hours, then it may go bad.
3. 3 Store good food in a cooler bag or cabinet. Depending on the amount of food in the refrigerator and the duration of cleaning, good food may remain warm for a while. To prevent spoilage of food, store it in the refrigerator bag or cabinet while cleaning. Close the bag or camera lid to keep the temperature from rising.
   • You can also add ice to keep the temperature low and preserve food.
4. 4 Spray the walls and shelves of the refrigerator with a solution of water and baking soda. Dissolve 1 cup (130 grams) of baking soda in 4 liters of warm water. Soak an ordinary dish sponge in the solution, squeeze out the liquid a little and treat the inner surfaces of the refrigerator. Wash all sides, top and bottom. If necessary, soak and remove dried food residues or stains.
   • If the solution stops working or there is a lot of food debris in the water, prepare a new portion of the solution.
5. 5 Remove and wash shelves, trays, drawers, and other removable parts. Remove all accessories and compartments, including shelves and vegetable drawers. Wash them with solution and rinse with clean water, then dry thoroughly and reinstall.
   • Also, don't forget to look under the vegetable drawer. Sometimes food debris and melt water accumulate there, which give off an unpleasant odor.
6. 6 Remove all food leftovers from the pan. The pallet is a thin plastic tray at the bottom of the refrigerator. Carefully remove and remove the pallet to discard all waste. Dip the sponge in the baking soda solution again and wash any stains on the drip tray before placing it back in the refrigerator.
   • Not all refrigerators are equipped with pallets. If so, you can skip this step. However, be sure to wash the bottom of the refrigerator thoroughly.

Method 2 of 3: How to use odor removers

1. 1 Leave an open container of baking soda on the shelf under the wall. Baking soda itself is odorless, but it absorbs and neutralizes other odors very well. Want to get rid of fridge odors? Open a bag of baking soda and leave it on the top shelf at the back. If the unpleasant odor reappears in the refrigerator, replace the old packaging with a new pack of baking soda.
   • If there is a very strong smell in the refrigerator and you want to get rid of it as soon as possible, then you should pour the entire pack of soda on a baking sheet and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, the soda will need to be thrown away.
2. 2 Use boiled apple cider vinegar. Mix 1: 3 apple cider vinegar with water. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and bring to a boil. After boiling, remove from heat and pour mixture into a heat-resistant glass or metal bowl. Put in the refrigerator, close the door and leave for 4-6 hours. The liquid must absorb unpleasant odors.
   • After 4-6 hours, the vinegar mixture must be removed and poured into the sink.
   • After boiling, apple cider vinegar absorbs the unpleasant odor and replaces it with a pleasant fruity aroma.
3. 3 Place coffee grounds on 2–3 shelves if you have a lot of time. Coffee grounds are good at absorbing unpleasant odors, but it takes longer. This method is suitable for those who are ready to do without a refrigerator for several days. Spread dry, fresh coffee grounds on 2–3 trays. Place each baking sheet on a different shelf. The smell should completely disappear in 3-4 days.
   • All this time, the food will need to be stored in another refrigerator or container with ice.
   • After 3-4 days, remove the grounds, wash the baking sheets and put the food back in the refrigerator.
4. 4 Place 2-3 trays of odorless cat litter on separate shelves. Coffee grounds can leave a slight coffee smell in the refrigerator. If you want to get rid of all odors, then use cat litter. Place a layer of clean filler on 2–3 low baking trays and place on separate shelves. Leave the fridge turned on for 2-3 days without any fillers to remove odors.
   • Odorless cat litter can be found at any pet store and large supermarket, as well as at some hardware stores.
5. 5 Use activated charcoal if other methods fail. Fill 3-4 small cloth pouches with one cup (130 grams) of free-flowing activated carbon. Leave these bags on separate shelves. Set the refrigerator to a low temperature and open the door as little as possible. The smell should go away in 3-4 days.
   • You can buy activated charcoal at a pet store or drug store.
   • Unlike the coffee grounds method, this time the food can be left in the refrigerator.

Method 3 of 3: How to prevent odors

1. 1 Throw away expired foods weekly to avoid odors. To prevent future odors, audit weekly and throw away all expired products.Such a preventive measure will avoid the appearance of third-party odors. It is much easier to prevent odor than to deal with it later.
   • Check the refrigerator before taking out the trash. This way, you can take spoiled food out of the house right away.
2. 2 Store fresh food in a visible place so that it does not spoil unnoticed. Fresh food such as fruits and vegetables can spoil easily and imperceptibly if placed in drawers or hidden under the back wall on a shelf. Instead, store them in a visible place. If they start to look unsightly, then such products should be thrown away immediately.
   • For example, store meat on the front of the top shelf and fruits and vegetables prominently on the bottom shelf.
3. 3 Set the refrigerator to 2-3 ° C. In this range, food will not spoil. Only spoiled food begins to give off an unpleasant smell, so at this temperature, the refrigerator will always have a fresh aroma. At temperatures above 4 ° C, bacteria begin to develop and cause odor.
   • If you set the temperature to 0 ° C or lower, the food will just freeze.
4. 4 Store all leftover food in airtight containers to prevent odor from spreading inside the refrigerator. If you leave food uncovered or wrapped in a takeout carton, it will go bad quickly. The faster the food deteriorates, the faster it starts to give off an unpleasant odor. Store leftovers in an airtight container to keep them fresh for longer while retaining a good smell.
   • As an additional measure, you can indicate the cooking date on leftover containers. For example, stick a piece of masking tape onto a container and write "February 14th, grilled chicken."

What do you need

• Refrigerator bag or chamber
• Ice
• Baking soda
• Warm tap water
• Sponge
• Coffee grounds
• Cat litter
• Apple vinegar
• Activated carbon
• 3-4 bowls made of metal or heat-resistant glass
• 2-3 trays
• Sealed containers
• Pen
• Masking tape

Tips

• Whichever method you choose, do not refrigerate food until the odor has been removed.
• After cleaning the refrigerator, also wash the sauce jars and food containers. Sometimes the smell is absorbed into the container.
• If you need to leave the refrigerator turned off for a long time (for example, during a two-month trip), then remove all food, wash the surfaces and support the door, as an unpleasant smell can also appear in a closed, warm refrigerator.
• Do not use charcoal instead of activated charcoal. These types of coal are not interchangeable.

Warnings

• Never wash a cold glass shelf with hot water. Wait for the shelf to warm to room temperature or use warm water. A sudden change in temperature can damage the glass.
• Do not use abrasive materials (such as steel wool) to clean the refrigerator. They can easily scratch plastic and glass surfaces.