Keep Your Fridge Smelling Fresh With These 7 Ingredients

Your fridge is susceptible to unpleasant odors, which can spread throughout the kitchen every time you open it. From improperly stored pungent ingredients to forgotten or expired food in the back of the fridge, there are plenty of things that can cause unwanted smells. Fortunately, you don't need to resort to deep cleaning just yet. First, make sure you've thrown away (or properly stored) anything that could be causing the foul odor. If it persists, it's time to rely on other methods, like these seven ingredients. 

The best part is that you'll likely find many of them already tucked in your cabinets, saved for other purposes. There are natural products that you may be using to sanitize kitchen counters and tenderize meat that you had no idea could also deodorize your fridge. Before you know it, your fridge will smell fresh, and you won't have to dread opening the door and getting hit with a wave of nasty odors.

Vinegar is a versatile workhorse in the kitchen that can do everything from brightening up dishes to neutralizing unpleasant odors. Soak a cloth in equal parts water and white vinegar, place it in a bowl on a shelf in the fridge, and leave it there for a day. You can also use the solution to wipe down the interior of your fridge when deep cleaning.

Dig through your pantry and you'll likely find a bottle of vanilla extract. You can use this baking essential to conceal smells in your fridge by generously applying it to a cotton ball, tossing it in the fridge, and letting it do its job for 24 hours. The aroma is gentle but strong enough to mask odors without making your fridge smell overwhelmingly sweet.

Coffee grounds that have gone past their prime can have a new lease on life, as your fridge will smell better with this surprising coffee hack. Thanks to their porous texture, the grounds can actually absorb odors rather than simply masking them with the smell of coffee. Just add them to an open container and leave it in your fridge. You can even place multiple containers around your fridge to target stronger smells.

You can also tackle fridge odors with an unlikely pantry staple: oats. Imagine preparing overnight oats; they soak up liquids, just as they would absorb the scent if you give them some time in the fridge. All you need to do is pour some dried oats in a bowl and place it in the fridge. And because their smell is very mild, you don't have to worry about them leaving behind any odors of their own.

Lemons have a strong, distinct smell that we often associate with cleanliness, so much so that you'll find lemon-scented cleaners filling up the cleaning aisle at grocery stores. And the sliced fruit itself is an effective cleaning companion because of its acidic nature, which allows it to neutralize unwanted scents in your fridge. Simply place a few lemon slices on a plate and leave them on a shelf. You can even create a solution with lemon juice, baking soda, and salt for stronger and more stubborn smells.

Baking soda can keep your fridge smelling fresher, and it is one of the easiest ways to do so. Just place an open box of baking soda in your fridge and leave it there for up to three months. Because baking soda is alkaline, it can neutralize acidic odors, including some nasty odors produced by spoiled food.

While it's not a common ingredient in many households, you can rely on activated charcoal to capture lingering odors, as it's highly porous and has a large surface area. It can be highly effective, so purchasing it in a sachet or as a brick might be worthwhile. Just put it in the fridge and let it sit there, making sure to replace it with a new one if your fridge starts smelling funky again.