How to remove the smell from the refrigerator if the appliances no longer please you with freshness is a rather pressing question. The refrigerator is perhaps the most irreplaceable thing in the kitchen, and with proper care it will ensure the proper preservation of food for many years. Today we’ll talk about what to do if unpleasant foreign odors appear inside. Here are effective and safe recipes for detergents that help get rid of stench.
What causes a smell in the refrigerator?
Before eliminating extraneous odors, you need to understand the root causes of their appearance. The culprits of the stench can be:
- Improper storage. If you place food inside without proper packaging. For example, sources can be dishes with garlic, onions, or various smoked meats that are stored open.
- Overdue. If food or goods have expired and are not removed from refrigeration chamber during. Most often, unpleasant “surprises” come from cottage cheese, eggs, and raw meat.
- Dirty container. It often happens that packaging material is damaged in store sales areas. Workers remove unusable goods, but their remains are not always thoroughly wiped off from the goods lying nearby. This often manifests itself in packaging made from foam trays and film. This may result in a musty meat smell and bruising.
- Dirty shelves and drawers, as well as other parts of the device. Spilled and dried droplets of milk or meat broth can emit an unpleasant odor, although at first glance they are invisible. Monitor the condition of door rubbers, where bacteria and mold accumulate.
- New unit. The amber from the factory occurs when the parts are initially heated. Within a month, the unpleasant smell in the refrigerator disappears.
- Disconnection from the network. During power outages or during holiday periods in the most hard to reach places refrigeration equipment may develop mold.
- Medicines that are not tightly covered with caps. When combined with other product aromas, it can create an unpleasant cocktail.
- Sometimes the refrigerator stinks due to malfunctions or problems with defrosting and drip system. In this case, you need to contact the service center.
Odor Elimination Methods
Today we will tell you how to remove odor from the refrigerator easily, simply and for a long time. Which methods to choose depends only on your personal preferences and the available tools that you have at your disposal. So, to fight for freshness at home, use:
- Specialized detergents. It is imperative to follow the instructions for use and not exceed the norm. Make sure there is no contact with food.
- Industrial odor absorbers get rid of nasty odors. The absorber is produced in the form of a ball or egg, inside of which a bag with the active substance is placed. It is very convenient to put the absorber in the egg storage compartment. The odor absorber needs to be changed periodically, so even the stench from rotten fish will not be scary to you.
- Traditional methods. If you make a product to eliminate odor, you will get fragrant freshness for pennies.
- Ozonizers. The ozone supplied to the chamber allows you to prolong the freshness of food and stops the spread of pathogens.
- If the stench comes from freezer, then be sure to take out all the blown ones from there and check each one for expiration. Some types of fish are not intended for long-term storage. Remove the smell of mold by thoroughly washing all rubber bands and corners.
Important! Before you start washing, be sure to unplug it, remove food and all drawers with shelves.
Chemicals and absorbents
When using household chemicals, you need to be extremely careful; be sure to study the instructions for use in detail. Remember that some drugs leave behind a pungent “chemical” odor that only disappears over time. Let's consider those drugs that do not leave a specific trace.
- Feedback. Pros: safe even in the presence of small children, pets, pregnant women, the product is hypoallergenic.
- Oro Fix 02012. Pros: copes well with stagnant odors.
- TOP HOUSE. Pros: does not require additional rinsing with water, reliably kills germs and bacteria, prevents their appearance.
Combined products
- Method 1. Cut a small lime or lemon into two halves with a knife and remove the pulp. Pour soda into each of the cups, then place these filled halves and place them on the shelves. After 7 days, remove the lemon and discard. Instead of soda, use activated charcoal or charcoal.
- Method 2. Mix a couple of tablespoons of Epsom soda (sold in pharmacies under the name “magnesium sulfate”) in equal proportions with soda. Add 50 ml of water and 10 drops of aromatic essential oil. Transfer the mixture into a small jar and place it in the machine.
Traditional methods of dealing with stench in the refrigerator
If you want to remove the stench from inside the refrigerator simply, effectively and affordably, then you should use folk remedies that have been tested by the experience of grandmothers and mothers. Eliminating stench, which can render stored food unusable, involves using the following recipes.
- Combine vinegar and water in equal proportions, pour a spoon into the solution sea salt. Wipe all the walls and shelves of the device with a cloth soaked in vinegar.
- Inside the chambers, place crusts of rye bread, tea bags, a cut onion or half an apple - they successfully absorb the fetid odor.
- Prepare a cocktail from vodka and lemon juice in a ratio of 10/1. This will help kill the rotten smell that may be left behind by fish or meat. Wipe the inside of the unit with a cloth in the solution.
- Leave a saucer with fine salt or sugar inside - these are wonderful “extracts”.
- Pour some filler into a small container cat litter. The product will perfectly “pull out” the unpleasant odor.
- If you purchased a new unit, you can eliminate the unpleasant technical smell by combining 2 tablespoons of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and 0.5 liters of hot water.
- Place in the refrigerator to remove the smell, you can also put jars of aromatic herbs - basil, tarragon, thyme or cloves.
Fighting for cleanliness with coffee
There are many recipes on how to eliminate stench from refrigeration equipment using coffee.
- Place a container with ground beans inside.
- Brew an aromatic drink and place the cup on a shelf to cool. Do this several times.
- Fry the grains in a frying pan, then let them cool in the machine.
How to prevent stink
Here are some simple rules that you can follow to prevent the appearance of an unpleasant odor. If these recommendations become a habit, your refrigerator will become a model of cleanliness.
- Ventilate regularly - turn it off and leave the doors open.
- If you spill something, wipe the shelves immediately.
- Check the condition of the products at least once a week.
- Cover food containers tightly with lids or cling film.
- When defrosting food, place it in a deep bowl.
- Place only clean containers inside.
- Leave a jar of crushed activated carbon or soda in the corner. These are excellent sorbents.
You can eliminate the stench in cells using both chemical and traditional methods. Proper care behind household appliances will allow you to maintain the freshness of products and extend its service life.
Video: Life or not life? Refrigerator without smell
Greetings, dear blog readers! I think every housewife knows that in any closed room, sooner or later a specific smell appears. The refrigerator is no exception.
But before you start rubbing the unit with all available detergents, you need to figure out what is the source of the “aroma”. This will make it much easier to deal with the problem, and it will also save you from some troubles. Therefore, I propose today to talk about what to do if there is a smell in the refrigerator and how to get rid of it quickly.
So, let's imagine that you just bought new equipment. As soon as you take your purchase out of the box and install all the shelves and drawers, you will definitely smell the plastic. This is normal, because before that everything plastic parts were closed and had no access to air. To eliminate this problem, you need to thoroughly rinse the new unit.
Attention! You need to wash it before turning it on. And after you finish, leave the doors open for a couple of hours to ventilate the technical insides as best as possible.
How to clean a new refrigerator? You can do this either with regular dishwashing detergent, or use soda diluted with water or a weak solution of ammonia (a few drops per liter). It is advisable to use both products to ensure that you get rid of odors, germs, and stains. Because the technique is not dirty, it will be quite simple and quick to do.
After you have treated all the walls, fixtures, containers and shelves, rinse off cleaning solutions clean water and wipe with a dry cloth, then leave to air for several hours.
BUT! If you have been using the refrigerator for some time and suddenly notice that there is a distinct chemical smell in it, then immediately remove the food and call a specialist!
It is possible that some kind of breakdown occurred that led to penetration chemical substances into your device. This is very dangerous and can have an extremely negative impact on your health!
How to deal with food odors
Even if the refrigerator is regularly washed and defrosted, an unpleasant odor may still appear in it. The fact is that some products themselves have a strong odor. For example, garlic, fish or strong marinades. How to remove them, especially if the flavors are mixed? There are several folk remedies:
- Vinegar. Make a solution of 9% vinegar (a tablespoon per glass of water), wet a clean cloth and wipe all the insides of your device.
- Lemon. Squeeze the juice of one lemon and wipe everything inside (especially the shelves). Then, cut the whole lemon into 3-4 parts and leave it in the refrigerator for several days.
- Rye bread. After washing the device, place pieces of rye bread in the corners (on a saucer or napkin). This method will absorb all unpleasant odors! Also, raw potatoes and rice do an excellent job with this task. Just leave them inside for a few days.
- Activated carbon. This method also allows you to collect all the “flavors” from the air. To do this, you need to crush 40 charcoal tablets (4 packs) and leave it on one of the shelves.
What to do to avoid smelling like a pharmacy
Many housewives store medicines in the refrigerator. And even if all the packages are closed and are in a strictly designated place, then all the same, both the equipment itself and the food stored there one day begins to smell strongly of all this pharmacology. What to do?
- Place an open pack of baking soda in the refrigerator to help absorb medication odors.
- Place cat litter on one of the shelves.
- Use a store-bought product - hardware stores have quite strong and safe absorbents designed specifically for this equipment.
This was the situation with my grandmother's refrigerator. Various bottles of medicine were stored on the side of the flap, and although they were closed, over time an unpleasant odor appeared. Thoroughly cleaning the refrigerator did not help for long, the technician came several times, they thought there was some kind of leak. In the end, he recommended removing everything medical supplies, and after some time the smell completely went away!
What if the smell is very strong?
Sometimes the refrigerator can develop not just an unpleasant smell, but a real stench. For example, you left for several days, and at that moment your electricity was cut off and all your food spoiled. Or you accidentally left it unlocked big piece blue cheese.
Sometimes the smell is so unbearable (especially from rotting fish or meat) that simple remedies, which we use at home, will not save us. We will delete it like this:
- Rinse the refrigerator several times with dishwashing detergent. It is advisable to take it with a refreshing effect.
- We wash it as thoroughly as possible, without missing a single shelf, container or fastener.
- Afterwards, we rinse our device with clean water and dry it with a dry cloth.
- Wipe everything inside with lemon juice.
- We ventilate for a day, or maybe two.
- Thoroughly wash all dishes that were near the source of the “aroma.”
- We place the odor absorber described above on one of the shelves.
- After a few days, you can replace it with a natural flavor (coffee, orange peel, gauze swab soaked aromatic oil and so on.).
Prevention
I think you will agree that it is better to prevent a problem than to deal with its consequences. How should you store food?
- When putting food in the refrigerator, make sure all lids are tightly closed.
- Try to pack food in foil or bags.
- By the way, foil perfectly replaces the lid (if suddenly there is none).
- Defrost and clean your refrigerator regularly (even if you have the No Frost function).
- Don't forget to wash the rubber bands and drain.
- If the product begins to deteriorate, it is better to get rid of it immediately.
- Try to leave free space in the freezer so that air can circulate freely.
- When planning a trip, it is better not to leave food in the freezer. Try to use them as much as possible, and it’s better to give away the rest.
As you have seen, there are many ways to get rid of unpleasant odors in the refrigerator. The main thing is not to forget to regularly care for your equipment, and it will serve you for a long time and reliably. Do you know any other methods to solve this problem? I'm waiting for you in the comments!
Until we meet again,
Anastasia Smolinets
The refrigerator is the central element of every kitchen. It stores food, so it is very important that it is in proper condition. First, you need to adhere to the simplest rules so that the problem of how to remove an unpleasant smell from the refrigerator never bothers you. First of all, you should put out stale food items on time, and also regularly wash and defrost the refrigerator. This article will cover all possible methods caring for this household appliance, ranging from household and professional chemicals to folk remedies (soda, vinegar, ammonia, etc.).
Root causes of stench
In order to effectively deal with the problem, you need to know about the causes unpleasant odor. First of all, pay attention to the contents of the refrigerator, since it is the missing food, coupled with peeled garlic, certain types of cheese and rotten meat and fish that are the main sources of stench. The resulting mold is not only a bad smell, but also one of the most dangerous household allergens.
- Storing food in airtight containers will greatly limit the spread of odor.
- Timely disposal of spoiled and expired products.
- Regular defrosting of all refrigerator compartments (once every three months). Owners of models with the “No Frost” function should also engage in defrosting. If there is an excessive amount of frost, the load on the equipment increases, which reduces its service life.
- Use odor absorbers to eliminate mustiness. As an alternative remedy, use a container filled with salt, soda, ground coffee, activated or crushed carbon. A similar effect is achieved by half a lemon or a piece of rye bread placed in the refrigerator door.
How to remove unpleasant smell from the refrigerator (folk methods)?
Professional tools for eliminating unpleasant odors
If traditional detergents do not fulfill the task, then you need to pay attention to specialized products. It helps eliminate unpleasant odors in establishments Catering, grocery stores and food factories. As an example, we give the following household chemicals: “OdorGone”, “Indesit d/cold. C00091233", "TOP HOUSE". The cost of these products ranges from 200 to 600 rubles.
An odor absorber is a device shaped like a small plastic ball or cube with holes. Inside the structure there is a special substance - a sorbent that can absorb unpleasant odors. Certain models of air absorbers are shaped like an egg. This is done in order to put it in the refrigerator with real eggs. There are models of absorbers that need to be hung between shelves, similar to air fresheners in cars. Various absorbent substances are used as fillers for absorbers: crushed charcoal, tuff, gel, etc.
The operating period of the device is not limited. All that is required from the user is to deliver the absorber several times a month and dry it under the sun or on a radiator. Popular models: “Igloo Fresh d/RF”, “Zumman 3103”, “TOP HOUSE”, “Merloni d/RF”. The cost of the device ranges from 150 to 500 rubles.
An ozonizer is an electronic device that runs on AA batteries, specializing in eliminating stench, bacteria, mold and fungi. The versatility of the presented device is ensured by its antiseptic properties.
The ozonizer operates in automatic mode. When you use it for the first time, it turns on full power to get rid of harmful microorganisms. Subsequently, the device maintains the concentration of substances at the optimal level. Please note that when you open the refrigerator, you will smell a pleasant and fresh smell. You might want to take a deep breath. You shouldn't abuse this. In large doses, ozone is toxic to the human body.
An ozonator is the best remedy in the fight against the problem of how to remove the unpleasant smell from the refrigerator. The device runs on four AA batteries with an estimated service life of two months. The most popular models: “Air Comfort GH-2139”, “AirComfort XJ-100”, “CYCLONE CN-15”. Cost of the device: from 700 to 800 rubles.
Before eliminating the stench, find and eliminate its source. Throw away spoiled food or identify any damage, then proceed to wash the camera. At the end of the treatment, go through soda, vinegar, lemon, ammonia, potassium permanganate or beer.
Separately soak and wash trays and shelves. Wait until completely dry before loading food. You can also spray on surfaces special means: Topperr, Electrolux, Luxus, Magic Power, Top House, Sano Refrigerator Cleaner, Bon, Sidolux Professional.
To prevent the situation from repeating itself, put ready-made or homemade unpleasant odor absorbers inside. Buy absorbent napkins Potter, Top House, Topperr, capsules with absorbent substance Topperr, Barrier;, Fridge Balls, Helfer, OdorGone, Electrolux, Breesal, Zumman or air ionizers Super Plus;, Tinydeal, Air Comfort, AirTec, Neotec.
Keep soda, rye bread, activated carbon, coffee grounds, tea bag, citrus peels, boiled rice, spices or essential oils.
The source of stench in the refrigerator is not always spoiled food. Proper care of equipment and timely repairs will prevent the appearance of odor. The established amber will be removed industrial products And traditional methods. Let's find out more about how to get rid of the smell in the refrigerator.
Causes of unpleasant odor in the refrigerator
Odors in the refrigerator most often appear due to improper storage of food.
Missing food is one of the first causes of unpleasant odors.
Expired milk, stale chicken, soup that has turned sour in a pan, or moldy berry compote become a source of unpleasant stench, which “healthy” foods also absorb.
First, find and eliminate the source of the stench. Conduct an audit of stored products. Throw away spoiled food. Wipe down shelves: Spilled liquids can also give off a rotten smell.
Subtle and rare causes of stench
If the food is thrown out, the shelves are wiped down, the freezer is cleaned to a shine, but the smell still gradually accumulates inside the refrigerator, call a professional. Most likely, the reason is the incorrect operation of the equipment. What could have happened:
- the freezing system is broken;
- the compressor does not work;
- the drain is clogged;
- The thermostat is not set correctly.
If the refrigerator does not freeze well, ice accumulates inside. a large number of condensation and increased humidity. Because of this, the food goes rotten and starts to stink. Besides, high humidity– a good environment for mold growth. A technician will help you find and fix the problem.
Many people are familiar with the unpleasant odor that is felt when opening the refrigerator door. Before you figure out how to get rid of the smell in the refrigerator, you need to understand why it occurs. After all, even if you constantly monitor the products lying in it and prevent them from spoiling, a specific aroma still arises. Eliminating the cause of the problem will be the main step to solving it.
There are many different cleaning products sold on store shelves to help clean up the mess and restore freshness to your refrigerator. But you can also use home cleaning methods, they are no less effective. How to wash the inside of the refrigerator is up to each housewife to decide for herself; it is important to get the expected result so as not to wrinkle your nose every time you open the door.
How to quickly get rid of odor
The simplest and effective method Getting rid of an unpleasant odor is “general” cleaning. It assumes that it is necessary to get all the contents, carry out complete cleaning and load back good, unspoiled products. The sequence of actions is simple:
- Disconnect the device from the network or press the button that stops freezing.
- Remove absolutely all products from the compartments and door of the unit.
- Remove the shelves and internal parts; they must be washed separately.
- Clean internal surfaces using suitable cleaning agents.
- Dry all dismountable parts and shelves, wipe the internal surfaces with a dry cloth. Leave the door open for a couple of hours and ventilate the interior.
- Load everything back, throwing away spoiled food. Place odor remover inside in the refrigerator. Such measures will help to quickly eliminate any unpleasant odors; after just a couple of hours it will be pleasant to open it. It is important to understand how to prevent this problem from occurring in the future.
It’s not difficult to decide what to put in the refrigerator to remove unpleasant odors, since there are quite a few options. These may be special absorbers purchased at the store. Or you can use homemade sorbents, which do the job just as well. TO folk remedies absorption of unpleasant odors include: ground coffee, soda, black bread. By placing a small container with one of these products in the background and changing it periodically, you can significantly increase the time interval until the next general cleaning. 
