How to clean the inside of a refrigerator to eliminate unpleasant odors

The most important appliance in the kitchen, right after the stove, is the refrigerator. It is he who bears all the responsibility for preserving food in an unchanged, fresh form, available for consumption. Nevertheless, it is by no means a rare situation when, due to improper storage and untimely cleaning, the refrigerator stinks. The situation is not the most pleasant; in addition to purely external unattractiveness and discomfort, this situation is dangerous to health, because unpleasant odors can be caused by mold and dirt, as well as spoiled food.

How to prevent unpleasant odors from appearing in the refrigerator

In order to avoid spending time on washing the refrigerator from the aromas that have settled in it, it is better to carry out regular cleaning and cleaning. You can take the following tips as a basis:

approximately once every two months you need to disconnect the refrigerator from the power supply, open its door and leave it like that for airing for 2-3 hours;
wash the inside of this device once a week;
If liquid is spilled on the shelves, you should immediately wipe it thoroughly with a cloth soaked in warm water;
every day you need to look through the contents of the refrigerator and remove products that have expired;
if prepared dishes are put away for storage, they must be covered with lids or plastic bags;
in containers with vegetables, you need to line the bottom with film or bags;
inside the refrigerator there should always be a container with soda or activated carbon, which must be replaced with fresh ones every three months;
It wouldn’t hurt to put special odor absorbers on the shelf, purchased at hardware stores.
Prepared meals should be stored in the refrigerator, covered.

Natural and chemical odor neutralizers

When they want to remove odor without harm to health, they most often resort to food products. These are the already mentioned soda, vinegar, as well as activated carbon, apple, potato, citrus peel, cinnamon. Another remedy for refrigerator odors is coffee.

You can use it to eliminate the stench in several ways.

Brew coffee and place it hot in the cupboard. Let it sit there until it cools completely. Then change the coffee to freshly brewed coffee.
Place a saucer with ground coffee inside the refrigerator.
Roast the coffee beans and place them hot in the chamber.
Grind the coffee beans, pour them into a small fabric bag and hang them inside the refrigerator.

If you are not opposed to using modern chemicals to keep your home clean, turn to, for example, OdorGone, Indesit for refrigerators, Top House, and Clean Home products.

All of them destroy harmful bacteria and eliminate even persistent odors. Usually they are sprayed and then the refrigerator is washed with clean water. The gels are applied to a napkin and the surfaces are cleaned. Some don't even require rinsing.

Fresheners contain extracts and additives that can neutralize even strong odors, but their particles can settle on food.

Cleaning the refrigerator on a schedule

In order to carry out general cleaning of your “home cold factory” less often, you need to keep its cleanliness under daily control. Every time you take out food or, on the contrary, load a new batch, make sure that there are no stains or drips. If you show up, immediately put everything in order. At the same time, wipe the door handle with an antibacterial napkin, because the handle is one of the dirtiest places in the kitchen.

Once a week, audit the contents of the refrigerator, remove expired products in a timely manner and immediately use those whose expiration date is about to expire.

Once every three to four months, give your kitchen assistant more time and effort and wash it completely. Now you know how to get rid of the smell in the refrigerator quickly at home.

Where to start cleaning your refrigerator

Before you get rid of an unpleasant odor in the refrigerator, you need to identify its source. Conduct a thorough audit of the contents of shelves and trays. Surely you will find stale products, which are responsible for this “aroma”. They should be thrown away immediately.
Empty the refrigerator compartment and freezer of food, and unplug the equipment.
Remove shelves, trays and racks and wash them thoroughly with detergent. Don't forget about the inner walls of the refrigerator compartment and freezer, as well as the tray where liquid is drained during defrosting.
Wipe dry and ventilate the refrigerator.

Before reloading food, place refrigerator odor absorbers on the shelves.

If you clean regularly and monitor the expiration dates of food, you will not have to think about how to get rid of the unpleasant smell in the refrigerator.

And a little about prevention

Store food in containers. Many foods smell strong enough to be absorbed into the surfaces of the refrigerator compartment. Therefore, every product, from chopped onions to leftovers from dinner, needs to be covered with a lid, foil or film, or stored in a container.
Inspect your refrigerator at least once every three days. This way you can dispose of spoiled products in a timely manner.
If you are going away for a long time (more than a week or two), empty the refrigerator and freezer, turn off the appliance and unplug it, wash the compartments, then open the door slightly. If you leave the door closed, mold and an unpleasant odor will form in the chamber due to increased humidity and insulation.

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What to do if the refrigerator stinks

There are many reasons that can cause an unpleasant odor to appear in this important unit. Among them the main ones can be noted:

soiling of walls and shelves;
milk spilled inside and not wiped up in a timely manner;
fish or meat products that have been sitting inside the refrigerator for more than two days;
spoiled food;
the appearance of rot in vegetable or fruit compartments;
storage of some types of cheese.

Naturally, in order to prevent such a situation from occurring, you need to promptly check the freshness of the products stored in this household appliance. Any product that begins to deteriorate should be thrown away immediately without any regret. You shouldn’t leave jars, bags and other food containers on the shelves that are almost gone: the likelihood that someone will finish them is extremely low, but leftovers are quite capable of ruining the smell in the refrigerator.

To quickly get rid of such odors, you can use the following express methods:

Place some ground coffee on the shelves, which has an excellent ability to absorb odors.
An apple can have a quick and guaranteed effect, just cut it and place it on the shelf. Sliced raw potatoes give approximately the same result.
You can put a bag of baking powder in the refrigerator, it will also perfectly absorb unnecessary aromas.
Vanilla sticks placed in trays will emit a wonderful smell, thereby neutralizing the bad one.
Eucalyptus oil, which can be purchased at a pharmacy, can not only remove bad odors, but also disinfect the air inside equipment and act as a preventive measure against its occurrence.

Odor absorbers for refrigerators

Charcoal absorbs ethylene, which speeds up fruit ripening, so apples, bananas and strawberries stay fresh longer.

Odor absorbers will help in the fight against excess aromas. You can find them in home chemical stores or make them yourself. What you can find on sale:

Silica gel granulated. A package of this product will last for 365 days. The granules are placed in the egg compartment and replaced as used.
Product with activated carbon. This absorber will not only cope with the aroma, but will also absorb excess moisture.
Products with helium. Helium, combined with aromatic oils of lemon or seaweed, evaporates in the refrigerator, destroying mustiness.
Salt crystals. Salt is a natural absorbent. Large crystals will provide a fresh atmosphere in the refrigerator for several months.
An ozonizer is a device that effectively cleans the air of all bacteria and fungal spores. It destroys toxic pesticides and disinfects the air, preserving food for a long time. The ozonizer is placed on the top shelf of the cabinet or door where the egg containers are located. The device runs on batteries, so don't forget to change them from time to time.

How to clean the refrigerator from the smell of rotten meat

Every housewife is always faced with the question of how to clean the refrigerator so that there are no odors that cause annoying discomfort to all family members. This is especially true when the meat has spoiled, which creates such a pungent bouquet of aromas that it is quite difficult to deal with.

It is worth noting that the culprits of this smell are bacteria, which themselves are considered uninvited guests in the place where food is stored.

To preserve the internal microflora of the refrigerator, you need to immediately get rid of spoiled meat (you should not put it in the freezer in the hope of giving it to dogs as food, as the smell will also migrate to this compartment). Even the trash can where the rotten product goes should be immediately taken out of the apartment or house.

Next, you should proceed according to this scheme:

Disconnect the refrigerator from the electricity and remove everything that was on the shelves and in the trays. Then, using a detergent, preferably with a strong scent, thoroughly clean all surfaces in the refrigerator. The next step will be to treat the electrical appliance using one of the means listed below:

a solution of soda, which includes 2 tablespoons and a liter of warm water;
vinegar mixed with water in equal proportions;
ammonia diluted in water;
lemon juice diluted with ten parts liquid.

It is best to remove all removable structures and soak them in the bath, carefully washing them with cleaning agents. After washing, these elements can be tightly stuffed with old newspaper sheets and left in this form for some time. As soon as the washing process is completed, you will need to place one of the known adsorbents on the shelves.

Preventive measures against the appearance of unpleasant odors

In order not to rack your brains about how to clean the refrigerator, so that there is no smell, keep it clean. About once a month, wipe the walls with water and vinegar or soda. At least a couple of times a week, audit your products so that nothing lingers on the shelves.

If you do everything as we described, you will never encounter the problem of unpleasant odors in the refrigerator

If you have your own recipes for cleaning refrigerator cabinets, write about it in the comments!

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How to remove fish smell from the refrigerator

Fish, especially when fresh, has a pungent and intrusive “aroma”. How can you remove fishy smell from the refrigerator? To eliminate it, you must perform the following steps:

Defrost the unit. If it is equipped with a “no frost” system, simply unplug and unload all products.
Wash the shelves with detergent and then wipe the surfaces dry.
Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon and thoroughly treat all internal surfaces with it.
Leave the refrigerator for 3 hours and then remove any remaining substance with a damp cloth.
Ventilate the camera for 2-3 hours.
Start the equipment by first installing odor absorbers.

Now all the secrets of how to eliminate unpleasant odors in the refrigerator at home have been revealed. But to prevent its occurrence, it is necessary to carry out preventive actions.

How to quickly get rid of the smell in the refrigerator using chemicals

Household chemical stores will offer you a wide range of chemicals for cleaning gas stoves, sinks or refrigerators. Please note that there is no abrasive in the refrigerator cleaner. Household chemicals will help quickly remove the smell from the refrigerator and disinfect all its internal parts. The washing algorithm with a chemically active composition is simple:

Dilute the product with water and apply with a soft sponge to the inside walls of the cabinet.
Rinse off the composition with plain water.
Wipe everything dry with a towel.
Leave the refrigerator open for a long time until all its insides are completely dry.

An alternative to chemical compounds can be special pastes that do not contain abrasives. You should work with them in the same way as with a chemical agent, with the difference that the paste does not need to be diluted with water

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What to put in the refrigerator to remove unpleasant odors

When a housewife thinks about what to put in the refrigerator to eliminate an unpleasant odor, store-bought products probably immediately come to mind. There are a lot of them now in hardware stores, and you can choose an absorber to suit every taste and budget.

Neutralizers come in various types:

with activated carbon filler (the most common);
gel-like (suitable for those who are looking for a way to quickly get rid of the smell in the refrigerator);
ionizer absorbers (not only allow you to keep the air in the refrigerator fresh, but also prolong the life of products by stopping the rotting process).

The validity period of such absorbers is from 2 months to a year, depending on what type of filler is present in the product and how many replacement capsules are included in the kit. You can read in the instructions how quickly they will cope with the unpleasant odor.

But if you do not want to buy a ready-made composition, check out the methods on how to remove odors from the refrigerator using folk remedies. These include:

Lemon. Just place a few slices on the shelves of the refrigerator. The main thing is to replace them with fresh ones in time. You can use orange in the same way.
Baking soda. Place a few pinches on saucers and place them on the refrigerator shelves.
Activated carbon. Place the crushed tablets in saucers and arrange them inside the chamber.
Salt. This tool does the job well. Salt, like soda, is placed on shelves in small containers.
Crusts of black bread. You need to take those that are already slightly dried and place them in the refrigerator. The main thing is to ensure that mold does not appear on the crusts, and when this happens, replace the “absorber”.
Onion. Despite the pungent and tear-jerking odor, this vegetable is able to absorb other aromas. Cut the onion in half and place on a shelf.

Coffee beans. They absorb foreign odors well and do not “interrupt” the aroma of other products.
Aromatic herbs and spices (basil, turmeric, cinnamon and others). Place the spices on saucers and arrange them on the shelves.
Rice. It will help in the fight against odor if you take the non-steamed version. You can place the cereal in saucers or gauze bags.

When using these products, it is important to know that household “absorbers” need to be changed frequently, perhaps daily.

In most cases, after cleaning the refrigerator, a general cleaning of the apartment with bleach is required. If the smell of rotten meat is still noticeable, there is a possibility that it has penetrated inside the appliance. In this situation, only a specialist who can disassemble the equipment can help.

What products are suitable for washing?

To thoroughly clean the inside of the refrigerator, you need to use disinfectants that are commercially available.

For example, for internal cleaning, you can use several available methods.

Regular lemon juice . You just need to buy a few lemons, cut them into slices and then rub the contaminated surfaces and leave the product for an hour. Then all that remains is to wipe the refrigerator compartment with a damp sponge and water. Lemon will not only rid the refrigerator of an unpleasant odor. It will create an unfavorable environment for harmful bacteria and simultaneously destroy them.
You can clean your refrigerator with hydrogen peroxide . Everyone is well aware of its powerful bactericidal properties. It was after receiving various scratches and cuts that many rushed to treat the damage to the skin with this remedy. It is best to directly dip the sponge into the hydrogen peroxide solution and scrub off various stains with smooth movements. This method is guaranteed to give an unsurpassed result, and you will immediately notice that the unpleasant odor has disappeared.
You can remember the past and turn for help to the soda with which you wiped the refrigerator before starting its first operation. Baking soda allows you to perfectly clean all surfaces of the refrigerator, both outside and inside. She is very careful about the painted and polished surfaces of your product.
If you have vinegar , then its solution can also be used to wash all the internal surfaces of your food keeper. To do this, it is necessary, observing safety precautions, to dilute vinegar in equal proportions with water and the resulting mixture, slowly wipe all surfaces inside and out. Vinegar can be used to clean your freezer very well. However, remember that vinegar should not be used if you have skin lesions on your hands.
Some advise using only specialized cleaning products . Undoubtedly, cleaning the refrigerator with a purchased product is much more convenient, since it is already ready for use and packaged in a convenient container. You can also save a lot of time. However, the effect will be almost the same as in the case of using folk remedies.

How to clean a new refrigerator

A big purchase like a new refrigerator always fills the house with pleasant excitement. In the heat of joy, do not forget that you need to gradually and competently adapt a new family member to life in an apartment and continuous work.

There are several stages in preparing this equipment for work:

Newly delivered equipment must stand for at least 3 hours without being connected to the network.
During this time, you need to wash its internal contents using special cleaning products that are not too aggressive. Ordinary soda can do a good job for this purpose.
After washing, you need to ventilate the refrigerator for 2 hours, and only then connect it to electricity.

It should be noted that taking care of the refrigerator is very important, because it is responsible for maintaining food in an edible state. That is why it is so important to promptly clean it from any contaminants, wash it and ventilate it. If you follow these simple recommendations, you will never notice the unpleasant odor emanating from it.

Traditional recipes for eliminating the smell inside the refrigerator

At home, you can eliminate the stench using the following means:

Soda. Dilute 4 tablespoons in 1 liter of water.
Vinegar. Mix with water 1:1.
Ammonia. 1 ml of ammonia per 100 ml of liquid.
Lemon. Squeeze lemon juice into a liter of water.
Hydrogen peroxide. Spray the product onto the inner surface using a spray bottle, and after 10 minutes, wash off with a damp cloth.
Charcoal. Heat in the microwave, then place in an empty refrigerator. Charcoal neutralizes aromas.

If the refrigerator smells like rotten fish, you need to wipe the shelves with a sponge soaked in beer. Then wipe with a dry, clean cloth and ventilate. The smell of rotten meat can be eliminated with potassium permanganate. It is necessary to dissolve the liquid to a light shade and treat the unit. If it smells like medicine, the following method will do:

crush 6-7 tablets of activated carbon;
make a hole in a whole lemon;
pour the resulting powder there;
place in the refrigerator overnight.

Refrigerator stink neutralizers:

black tea leaves;
coffee beans;
rye bread croutons;
salt;
boiled rice.

You can eliminate the smell in the freezer using citrus fruits. It is necessary to rub the surface with lemon juice, then place orange and lemon peels inside the chamber.