The refrigerator or fridge is a place that we must always keep absolutely clean as it is here where much of our foods are preserved. Due to this, sanitary and safety conditions must be rigorous to avoid the proliferation of bad odours inside the home appliance. In this OneHowTo article we explain how to clean the fridge that smells.
Firstly note that to do a thorough cleaning of the fridge it will be necessary to empty and unplug it. So if you have a fridge-freezer, i.e. a single appliance with both a fridge and freezer, you should try to consume the foods that you have stored in it so they do not spoil or start defrosting the freezer. You can also store the remaining food in the cooler if there's still food.
As the smell may be coming from food that's out of date, make sure you throw any of these items.
This done, we take out the shelves or racks inside the refrigerator and wash them in the sink with a soft pad or cloth dampened in water with washing up liquid. Also, if available in your fridge, you must remove the drawers or trays to proceed with their cleaning.
With a soapy cloth you must also clean the rubber seals and the joints in the door to your refrigerator. These corners are prone to accumulate dirt, so you should pay special attention to remove all traces.
Then you should wash the inside of the refrigerator so that it is completely clean. To do this we recommend also using a soft pad or wet cloth; although you can use cleaning products we suggest using natural cleaners like lemon or vinegar. This way you avoid filling the fridge with the smell of chemicals, which is often disagreeable. Plus the vinegar will also get rid of any smells that may still remain in your fridge.
Also, you must make sure your fridge is clean on the outside. In this way, you have to remove the magnets you may have on the door or side of the refrigerator and scrub the surfaces with a damp cloth.
Once you have cleaned the fridge you can develop a homemade refrigerator freshener to trap odours and to keep the fridge in the best condition possible. To do this, you can use natural products such as coffee, soda or lemon. Leave a bowl of your chosen product in the refrigerator until the smell has finally gone.
This kind of thorough cleaning of the refrigerator should be done on a regular basis and you should also store food properly so they are well preserved and keep the fridge clean.
Similarly, you have to pay attention during your daily life to ensure the appliance does not get dirty. For example, if spots occur inside the refrigerator because some product leaks or has spilled you should clean it immediately.
If you want to read similar articles to How to clean a Refrigerator that smells, we recommend you visit our Maintenance and home security category.