At a Glance:
Consider Investing in a Fridge Deodorizer
Prevent Future Odors in Your Refrigerator
How to Make Your Fridge Smell Better
Troubleshoot Additional Refrigerator Issues
A bad smell in your fridge rarely stays in your fridge. Every time you open the door, the malignant odor can creep into your kitchen and linger in your house. Is something rotting? Did your leftovers spill? Either way, you are left avoiding your refrigerator in hopes you don’t have to confront that smell again.
This guide can help you understand how to get rid of the smell in your fridge. Follow these steps to identify and remove the odor and then prevent any future smells that may plague your food storage system.
Why Does My Fridge Smell?
The first step when you discover a bad odor is to identify its source. One of the main causes of bad smells in refrigerators is rotting food. Even if you use the most advanced refrigeration technology, your food items will eventually spoil. The smell that greets you when you open the door is likely the result of mold and bacteria growth.
Your first step to getting rid of the smell in the fridge is to sort through your food items to find the culprit. Look at each item to make sure it hasn’t spilled or isn’t rotting. Even if you find the offending item, you may want to use this opportunity to clean out your refrigerator and remove any items you don’t plan to eat — or completely forgot about.
If an item has spilled, remove the food from the refrigerator and clean the interior of the fridge. Depending on the model you have, liquids can easily seep through cracks and down various shelves. These spills could keep the odor present long after you remove the stinky food.
Consider Investing in a Fridge Deodorizer
Not all smells in your refrigerator are bad. You may open your fridge and notice the smell of leftovers from last night’s dinner or pick up on herbs you picked that morning. However, you should strive for a neutral smell in your refrigerator. If you are regularly greeted by odors when you open the refrigerator door, consider investing in a deodorizer to catch these smells.
Whirlpool Refrigerator Deodorizer
Overall, deodorizers are affordable accessories for your home. This deodorizer by Whirlpool is only eight dollars and can reduce the presence of smells for up to three months. The high absorbency activated charcoal is 50 times more powerful than baking soda and rests comfortably on your refrigerator shelves – never taking up too much space.
This deodorizer can extend the shelf lives of your produce, poultry, and fish by capturing unwanted odors and the bacteria that come with them. You never have to worry about one meal making the rest of your food stinky.
Frigidaire® PureAir Ultra® Air Filter
One of the most popular models of refrigerator deodorizers is the PureAir Ultra® air filter by Frigidaire®. This product is only $14 and lasts in your refrigerator for six months. Replace the filter twice per year — whenever you change the clocks for daylight savings time and replace your smoke alarm batteries.
These filters use carbon technology to catch odors and protect the shelf life of your food. This small investment can help you save throughout the year because you will throw less food out, and you can spend more time enjoying what you eat.
This filter also doesn’t have a complicated installation process. It sits on a shelf in your refrigerator and takes up the minimal amount of space. There is even a space on the box for you to write the month when you bought it, so you know when it’s time for a replacement.
Prevent Future Odors in Your Refrigerator
No one wants to drop what they are doing to clean a refrigerator. While a fridge deodorizer can reduce the presence of bad odors, you can also take steps to prevent them from forming in the first place. A few ways to target different smells include:
- Wrap up your food items carefully. A cucumber placed in a container will last longer, and won’t leak onto your other produce if it starts to rot.
- Place shelf-sensitive items in the front of your fridge. You don’t want to forget about the leftovers you brought home or the fish you caught a few days ago. Place these items at eye level and near the front of the refrigerator, so you remember to eat them.
- Add dates to sensitive items. Take a page from the restaurant business and label your food with dates. Write the purchase date on the produce you buy, the meats you marinate, and the eggs you store. This way, there is no confusion as to how old those items are.
- Let food cool before storing it. If you place a container of hot soup in your refrigerator, it could be so warm that it raises the temperature of items around it. You could accidentally curdle your milk without realizing it. Leave food on your counter to cool before you store it.
These are all minor steps that shouldn’t take up much time. Small habits and consistent actions can add up and prevent items in your refrigerator from rotting before their time.
How to Make Your Fridge Smell Better
Along with healthy habits, there are other ways to make your refrigerator smell better. Consider investing in drawer liners that collect small food particles that fall in your fridge. This makes cleaning easy as you simply remove the liners and wash away anything that has spilled on them. Liners are ideal for homes with kids who are notorious for spilling things throughout the day.
You should also try to catch foul odors before they become serious. A bad smell won’t simply go away. The best answer to “how to make fridge smell better” is to prevent smells before they get serious. If you can throw away foul items before they start to stink, then you won’t have to worry about lingering odors that stay in your fridge after the food has been removed.
Remember, as soon as you identify the source of a bad smell, remove the food item from your house entirely. You will make the problem worse if you throw out a stinky item but don’t take out the trash immediately after. The rot and smell will get even worse as the item reaches room temperature.
Troubleshoot Additional Refrigerator Issues
Rotting food is the most common culprit for a stinky fridge, but there could be other issues that contribute to bad odors. If you have an older refrigerator, the thermometer could be broken. This means your refrigerator is reading a certain temperature and thinks it’s doing fine, but the reality is your fridge could be several degrees warmer. As a result, food rots faster.
A higher temperature could also be caused by human error. If you raised the temperature in your refrigerator at one point but forgot to lower it again, your food could go bad faster than expected.
If the odor reminds you of mildew, check the ice maker. There could be leaks in your ice and water filtration systems that are causing mold and mildew. You can either look into replacement parts for these systems or repair the leaks so water won’t pool in your refrigerator or on your floor.
All these issues could be warning signs that your refrigerator is nearing the end of its life and may need to be replaced in the near future.
FAQ
How can you get rid of smell in fridge?
If there is a bad smell in your fridge, start with the usual culprits. Look at items that rot quickly, including vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, and dairy. Remove items that are close to expiring or have already expired. Then clean any spills or leaks from food items that could cause odors.
Why does the food in my refrigerator keep going bad?
There are many reasons why your food is expiring faster than it should. Your refrigerator might be set at too high a temperature, or the cooling system could be breaking. Adjust the settings to a lower temperature and consider placing a thermometer in your refrigerator to check that the temperature is accurate compared to what the appliance says.
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Shop Fridge Deodorizers at East Coast
There is a reason we are dubbed “The Discount King” — for unbeatable deals, shop fridge deodorizers online at East Coast Appliance. Our friendly associates are always happy to help you learn how to get rid of smell in fridge, whether you call us or use our online chat feature. Better yet, stop by one of our showrooms to see why we are the best appliance store in Virginia. Visit us today!
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