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Odors In Your Fridge

Hey, here is a new method I just received in the DB:

Take a lemon, cut it in half and scoop out the pulp inside so that it is like a miniature bowl. Then fill it with salt. Place it in the back of your fridge and leave it there. The idea is the salt will absorb the odors from your fridge while the lemon provides a sweet fragrance.

Another method is the use of baking soda.

What is your method?

Fridge Your Odors

I've always used baking soda, including in the freezer section. It works very well, and it's very inexpensive. I've never heard of the lemon and salt method, but I'll be interested to try it to see how well it works!

Roz

Odors In Your Fridge Reviews Consumer & Travel Family Culture

Well, I'll tell you one thing. Baking soda has worked well for me and the lemon idea sounds good too, but we have moved around a lot and there have been times when neither one of them did much to deodorize the refrigerator/freezer. When deodorizing because the odor is too strong to get rid of just by using baking soda, obviously I have to clean out all of the old food first, and sometimes I have to remove everything and give it a good scrubbing out. Several websites I found have recommended scrubbing with baking soda mixed with warm water, which is what I have used in the past and it works well. Here are some other good tips:

"1. Take out removable parts and wash them and door gasket with mild detergent in warm water. Rinse well and wipe dry.

2. Wash interior walls and door liner with solution of 1-2 tablespoonsful of baking soda to 1 quart warm water, and wipe dry. Leave door open and let it air out well, with a fan directed toward inside, and opened windows if climate permits.

3. If odor still remains, try one or all of the following means of odor removal.

a. Spread baking soda out on shallow pans (like shallow glass casseroles, pie plates, or jelly roll pans lined with foil) and put pans on shelves to absorb odors, or on the bottom and in baskets of chest freezer. Leave open and unplugged.

b. Buy activated charcoal (which is specially treated to remove odor molecules from air) at home department store housewares sections, appliance store, or pet shop. Spread out on shallow pans and put on shelves of refrigerator. Turn refrigerator on low setting and run empty a few days so odors will be absorbed. (I have read this suggestion on several websites)

c. Spread cat litter in shallow pan in cabinet, turn on and run empty a few days. If odor is disappearing but is not all gone, replace old litter with fresh litter.

d. Pour several ounces imitation vanilla (not pure extract) in a shallow saucer, put on shelf and let run empty a few days.

e. Put fresh ground coffee in cereal bowls inside the refrigerator and let run empty several days. A slight coffee odor may remain, but will disappear after washing again with baking soda solution.

f. Pack each refrigerator shelf with crumpled newspaper. Set a cup of water on the top shelf or sprinkle the newspaper lightly with water. Allow refrigerator to run for approximately 5-6 days. This method takes a bit longer but has been effective in removal of strong odors.

g. Buy a commercial odor remover, and follow instructions exactly. Several companies manufacture a liquid concentrate which sells for about $3.00 for 1/4 to 1/2 ounce. A couple drops are put on a piece of cotton and placed in the area to absorb odors, in the cabinet or in a room.

Three of many brand names are: "Odor-Away" by Wrap-on Co., available at hardware and hospital supply stores, "SuperCD" IBL Household Products by Crackerbarrel Sales, Avenal, New Jersey, available in pet supply department or special products in grocery, or "Clean-Air" at some appliance repair shops.

Hospital supply stores carry Dow Chemical Hospital Disinfectant and Deodorant Spray. Spray into cabinet and quickly shut the door. Repeat.

4. If none of these methods removes all the odor, then it has probably penetrated into insulation. Contact an appliance service company for an estimate on cost of removing the liner and replacing the insulation. If cost is too high you may prefer to get a new appliance. It could be used for occasional cooling of soda pop where the odor will not get into the beverage."

Website: https://www.pioneerthinking.com/refrigerator.html

Edited: dawnofthenew on 3rd Feb, 2005 - 2:31am

Fridge Your Odors

My method of dealing with odor in the fridge is cleaning the fridge out. Usually if there is an odor in there, chances are I forgot about something in there, and we just need to perform an overhaul

Fridge Your Odors

Wow... I could not imagine what it would cost to replace the entire liner! Hopefully the baking soda or lemon/salt ideas work before it comes to that. It probably would be cheaper to buy a whole new appliance! I use baking soda all the time in my fridge and freezer and I never have problems. Also.. a good tip is to make sure take-out/left-overs don't stay in there for longer than a day. If you live in my house, left-overs are usually eaten about 4-5 hours after dinner that same night - so food doesn't have a chance to stink up the fridge.

Every once in a while I take everything out of it and spray all the liners and shelves with disinfectant kitchen cleaner (like lysol) and it always leaves it smelling fresh. I don't know how healthy that is... but I'm still alive. : )~

Odors In Your Fridge

I'd just empty the fridge out, then use a kitchen detergent spray.I would leave the fridge door open until the inside of the fridge was dry.
It's normally only caused through something being spilt in the fridge, and once that has been eliminated and cleaned, normally the smell wouldn't re-occur.

Odors Your Fridge

I'll admit usually it is a dish of mystery that causes an odor in my fridge. (on occasion worms I forget I had in fall and find mid nov ) But some soap and baking soda always seems to work for me. I unplug and let sit with door open after washing for a bit stuff like milk ect I toss in a cooler outside.

Odors Your Fridge Culture Family Travel & Consumer Reviews

I have always used baking soda and it worked really well until something happened. I got married! My refrigerator looked pretty normal prior to that, but after getting married the contents changed. Now, my refrigerator is filled with Kimchi. If anyone is familiar with kimchi, you know what I mean. For those who aren't, it is rotting (fermenting) korean cabbage. It taste good, but the smell can be pretty powerful. Baking soda is no match for a batch of kimchi that is overfermented and that can happen often, as that is the material used to make Kimchi fried rice (which is delicious). I will try this method, but am skeptical. Basically, I have given up. I use the baking soda, but my ice cubes are horrible!

Edited: Vincenzo on 8th Mar, 2007 - 10:24am