Your Fridge Will Never Stink Again Thanks To This 2-Step Solution

Has your fridge been smelling not-so-fresh? Removing odors starts with checking food and condiments for spoilage, looking for any spills, and seeking out forgotten leftovers hanging out at the back of the fridge. One of these culprits could be the source of the bad odor emanating from your fridge. If the odor is still there, it's time to clean out your fridge. 

Remove everything when cleaning out your fridge — all items, shelves, and drawers. The first step is to clean all of this with hot water and soap (dish detergent works well here). The second step is to rinse everything with a bleach and water solution (use one gallon of water with one tablespoon of chlorine bleach). You should also wipe the inside of the fridge with a similar two-step process: hot water and baking soda solution first, followed by a rinse with the same bleach and water mixture. Dry with a cloth and put everything back, checking to ensure food items are clean on the outside and sealed well to prevent more smells. Once you get rid of old food and clean up your fridge with this method, you should have gotten rid of those nasty smells. But in case the smell does still linger, you may need to follow more steps

A lingering bad smell could be an indication of some leftover mildew that the soap solution didn't get rid of, so you're going to use a vinegar solution this time. Mix equal parts water and vinegar together, and work section by section through the inside of your fridge. Spray with the vinegar solution and wipe with a cleaning cloth. The acid in the vinegar will kill any remaining mildew. 

If the odor lingers even after this, there are a couple of methods you can use to absorb the smell. The first one is stuffing your fridge full of rolled-up newspapers. The newspapers should absorb any lingering odor and moisture left over. Leave them for a couple of days, then discard the paper and clean with vinegar-water. The second option is filling a sheet pan with either baking soda or coffee grounds and leaving that on the bottom shelf inside your fridge. Discard after a couple of days. Another option is leaving the fridge door open for a few days to air it out completely. If that doesn't work, you might need to just get rid of your fridge and buy a new one. Many times, you can have the old one hauled away when you get a new one delivered. 

That said, the key to preventing such an instance is keeping your fridge clean. Once a week, before you go grocery shopping, check for spills and spoilage and give it a good wipe down. Then, every three to four months do a good deep clean by removing everything and cleaning as mentioned before with the soap wash and bleach rinse. Don't forget to clean your water dispenser if you have one. Cleaning regularly will help keep smells away.