Every once in a while, you may find that a strange odor emanates from their fridge when you open it. This may be caused by a variety of reasons, chief among them being that the fridge was switched off for long periods of time because of a power blackout. Whatever the reason for these smells, it is important that you get rid of them or else you might find yourself avoiding the fridge or even not eating any food placed in the fridge. You should therefore take steps towards getting rid of these awful smells. Below are steps that one can take to rid their refrigerator of any bad smells.
1. Clean your fridge:
the first and most important step to getting rid of bad smells emanating from your fridge is to completely clean the fridge. Take time to take away all the removable parts of the fridge which will include the bins, shelves and trays and take time to clean each of these items separately. Place them outside in the sun so that they may dry properly. While they are drying, clean the inside of the fridge and make sure that any lime or wetness is completely gotten rid of. This should help with the removing bad smells from your fridge.
2. Get rid of rotting food:
it is common for food to be left in a fridge for long periods of time before it is consumed or removed from the fridge. It is also common to completely forget about food kept in the fridge until it starts rotting. Rotting food in a refrigerator can be the source of not so pleasant smells. Taking out all food that have passed their expiry date or food that has already started rotting plays a big role in starting to get rid of bad odors emanating from your fridge. This will leave only fresh smells from fresh food coming from your fridge.
3. Defrost your refrigerator:
although this is not known to many, but defrosting plays a big role in helping you get rid of bad smells from your refrigerator. Some of the bad odors that come from rotting foods and other causes of bad smells can condense together with ice in the refrigerator. That is why if a refrigerator is not defrosted from time to time, it might still smell bad regardless of getting rid of all rotting food from the refrigerator. Not only does defrosting help with getting rid of bad smells but it also removes the thick layers of ice which reduce the fridge’s food preservation efficiency.
4. Store food properly:
improper storage of food plays a big role in the refrigerator producing bad smells. Different compartments of the fridge have different temperatures meant for different types of food. These compartments will therefore preserve the flavor, aroma and freshness of food in these different compartments, differently. This makes it imperative that food is stored in their respective compartments otherwise there will be a never ending pattern of bad odors emanating from your fridge. Not only does proper storage keep bad odors at bay, but it will also makes sure that foods do not go bad earlier because they were not exposed to the right kinds of temperature.
5. Ensure maximum air circulation:
bad odor is partly caused by failure to have maximum flow of cold air in your refrigerator. Adequate flow of cold air will help preserve your food for longer and therefore help keep bad smells at bay.
6. Use baking soda to clean your fridge:
baking soda is one natural ingredient and easily available that can be used to get rid of bad odors from your fridge. Sprinkle some baking soda on a damp sponge and use the sponge to clean your fridge. After cleaning the fridge with baking soda, spread some baking powder on a baking sheet and place it in the fridge. To make sure that all the smell is removed, close the fridge door for several hours while the baking soda is still in the fridge. This will help completely get rid of bad smells from your fridge.
7. Vinegar:
a vinegar solution of equal parts vinegar and water can be used to clean the fridge. This easily eliminates all odor from the fridge. You may also place an open bowl of vinegar in the fridge which will help a great deal in getting rid of bad smells from your refrigerator.
8. Use oats to remove bad smells:
oats can also be used in much the same way as white vinegar only that oats cannot be used to clean the fridge the same way that white vinegar can be used to clean the refrigerator’s interior. Place an open bowl of oats in the fridge and close the fridge door for a couple of hours without opening it. The oats are going to absorb all the bad smells leaving only good odors coming from the fridge.
9. Use of coffee grounds:
place fresh coffee grounds on a baking tray and place it inside the refrigerator. Continue using the fridge as you would normally do although you should try keep opening the fridge door at the minimum. The coffee grounds will absorb the bad smells in a few days’ time.
10. Use charcoal:
activated charcoal can be used to absorb all the bad odors in a refrigerator. Place a few bowls containing activated charcoal in different parts of the fridge. Leave the fridge door closed for three days. After three days, your fridge will be completely be free of any bad smell.
11. Use vanilla extracts to clean your fridge:
vanilla extracts can be used to clean and deodorize your refrigerator to keep all bad smell at bay. Use a solution of equal parts water and vanilla extract to clean your fridge. This will leave the fridge smelling fresh. To deodorize the fridge using vanilla extract, dab a few cotton balls in vanilla extract and place them at different places within your refrigerator. Not only will the cotton balls absorb any lingering odors, but they will also provide a fresh scent to the fridge.
