How to Eliminate Smell from a Refrigerator

Scrub Your Refrigerator with Vinegar

Vinegar is a great odor-buster. It's also a non-toxic (potable) cleaning fluid that is safe to use in food prep and storage areas. Vinegar kills mold, can clean up stains, and will definitely remove any unwanted smells that are lingering in your fridge - no matter where they came from or how long they've been there.

At least once a year, and after any serious spill or mess, clean the entire inside of your fridge with white vinegar.

• Mix a spray bottle of 50/50 white vinegar and water.
• Remove everything from your fridge shelves, drawers, and door racks
• Spray the entire inside of your fridge, including the side walls and base/floor
• Wipe down every shelf and surface with more vinegar.
  • You can remove shelves, drawers, and racks to make them easier to clean.
  • A removed shelf or drawer can also be scrubbed with soap and water in the kitchen sink if there's a bad spill.
• Dry the shelves
• Restock the fridge
  • If necessary, wipe down each sealed container with a fresh vinegar cloth.

Note: Don't worry about the vinegar smell. It will dissipate within a day.

Place a Baking Soda Box in the Fridge

Have you ever wondered why some people keep an open box of baking soda in the fridge? It's to absorb ambient food smells. Baking soda naturally absorbs odors and stops smells from accumulating inside your refrigerator. They even make fridge-pack boxes of baking soda with a punch-out hole or mesh screen to prevent powder spills while the baking soda does it's thing.

Replace your box of baking soda every few months.

Keep Items in Sealed Containers

Invest in some good Tupperware that seals properly. When you pack up ingredients and leftovers, make sure each container is properly sealed. This will hold in any odors that the food creates. You can keep your food flavors isolated (no more "tastes like fridge" flavor) and will prevent odors from becoming a part of your fridge environment.

A good variety-sized set of Tupperware is extremely useful, dishwasher safe, and can ensure your refrigerator is always clean and well-organized. Whether you prep fragrant ingredients (like chopped onions and garlic) to speed up your weekly cooking or like to save leftovers from delicious meals and restaurant trips, the right Tupperware will keep all those flavors exactly the way you like them - separately - in your fridge.

Repack Your Restaurant Leftovers

Whether you order food delivered or bring home leftovers from a restaurant, takeout boxes often don't seal tightly. Styrofoam shell boxes and folding cardboard takeout boxes will release odors into your fridge. While your food may smell delicious, all those smells mixed together into your fridge can be less great.

Repack your takeout into sealing Tupperware before you put it in the fridge to keep food smells locked in with the respective foods. That said, the plastic takeout boxes with sealing lids can be super handy. If they're durable, you can even wash them and add them to your Tupperware collection.

Throw Out Spoiled Food

When food spoils, the odor it creates can become powerfully strong. Built-up gasses from bacteria in the food can even pop a sealed container so that bad smell escapes. Regularly checking to make sure spoiled food is thrown out can help prevent bad smells from entering your refrigerator. Removing spoiled food can also help eliminate smells from a refrigerator, even if you hadn't realized the source before.

Don't forget to check your condiments and salad dressings. Those jars and bottles in the door of the fridge are more likely to go off without anyone noticing. Especially if you haven't used an ingredient in a long time.

Clean Your Fridge Before Each Grocery Trip

Another great way to keep your fridge clean and odor-free is to give it a quick cleaning before new groceries arrive. This works for two reasons. First, your fridge is always easiest to clean when you're low on supplies. That means fewer things to take out and put back in. Second, it ensures your fridge environment is fresh when new food is stocked up.

Before you go to the grocery store (or order your groceries delivered), clear out your fridge and give it a quick vinegar wipe. This is also a good chance to check for spills and make sure they're cleaned up before fresh food is placed in the fridge for the new week.

Start With a Clean Fridge in a New Apartment

When moving into a new apartment in St Louis, one of the advantages is a fresh, clean refrigerator. At Southpointe apartments, we are proud to ensure that each apartment has a freshly cleaned and sanitized refrigerator that is pristine when you move in. This allows you to start new with a clean fridge and apply all your skills to ensure smells never accumulate in the first place. Contact us to inquire about availability, tours, and to check out our beautifully appointed apartment kitchens for yourself.