6 Effective Ways to Remove Smell From Fridge Naturally

Absolutely nothing is worse than a smelly refrigerator in your kitchen. Sometimes it doesn’t even matter whether there is spoiled food in there anymore or not: it still stinks to high heaven no matter what you do. If you are sick and tired of such odors but don’t want to use chemical-containing cleaning solutions, let me show you how to remove the smell from the fridge naturally!

Remove odors with baking soda

If your fridge smells bad, do not lose hope. To start off your non-toxic odor-removal journey, you can use baking soda. If sticky stains are causing the odors, formulate a thick paste-like mixture using baking soda and water; scrub all affected areas with it including drawers, drip pans, shelves, and those hard-to-reach corners, then wipe it off with a damp clean cloth.

Alternatively, you could also place a medium-sized container filled with baking soda on a shelf inside your fridge. Give it plenty of time to soak up the smell; leave it there for at least 24 hours, but if you want, you can keep a small cup of it in the cooler all the time. It is all-natural so won’t release toxins but help to absorb odors keeping your fridge free of odors and helping to maintain a fresh-smelling kitchen.

Deodorize with vinegar

Vinegar is yet another natural odor absorber that is safe to have around food and helps get rid of bad smells in the refrigerators naturally. Since it is quite strong, you should only use a small amount of it, preferably half a glass for a regular fridge diluted with an equal part of water.

Spray this solution on the inside of your fridge and start wiping down it from top to bottom to neutralize odors. Alternatively, you can place a bowl of the solution inside your cooler and let it sit there for a few hours.

If you don’t like the sharp odor of vinegar, you should not be worried about it; it will go away as soon as the surface dries. Should you want to make your vinegar cleaning solution smell less like vinegar, you can add a little lemon juice to it. Or else, buy a ready-to-use vinegar cleaning solution that is already scented!

Author’s Tip: Read my other vinegar-baking soda cleaning tips too: Cleaning garbage can with vinegar, How to deodorize a stinky kitchen drain, Removing odor from pots and pans

Neutralize bad smells with activated charcoal

If your cooler smells to the point you don’t even want to open it, then there is no better way to get rid of that unpleasant stench than using activated charcoal as a fridge deodorizer. You might have already heard about charcoal’s fantastic odor neutralizing benefits and how much air fresheners can help get rid of pet odors or stop garbage smell in the kitchen, but if haven’t known yet how to use it to deodorize your fridge, here I tell you.

Just generally keep your cooler fresh-smelling and treat mild, everyday fridge odors, get an activated charcoal deodorizer and put it on the shelf just like you do with another fridge freshener.

If the smell issue is really bad, then you should unplug, empty, and clean the cooler and get activated charcoal granules or powder. Fill shallow dishes with charcoal and place them strategically throughout the fridge.

Make sure you leave the doors closed for several days to allow the charcoal to fully soak up and lock all those bad smells. When the odor is gone, rinse the inside of the fridge, let it fully dry so you can turn it on, and use it again.

Refresh your fridge with lemon

A non-toxic, chemical-free natural fridge odor absorber is lemon that will not only deodorize your cooler but make it nicely smelling too. A few slices of this citrus fruit will help turn any smelly freezer into a pleasant space for storing foods.

Simply cut your lemon (or lime if you have that), place it on a dish, and then leave it inside your cooler for 2-3 hours. Those slices will absorb the unappealing stench caused by bad foods by the end of that period, leaving a fresh citrus smell behind. In other words, when life gives you lemons, try cleaning a smelly fridge with them!

Use coffee to remove foul smells

Another effective natural fridge freshener is the use of coffee beans. Since it contains nitrogen, it quickly and safely neutralizes smells.

You simply have to place a bowl of coffee beans inside your home cooler and leave it there; it will absorb unpleasant aromas caused by rotten or expired foods. And the good thing is that you don’t have to spend much money buying the beans, you can use used coffee grounds too. Putting coffee in the fridge is an effective, non-toxic, and chemical-free way of stopping odors that does not endanger your health or the environment.

Eliminate odors with oats

Perhaps the most cost-effective natural method to eliminate household odors is using oatmeal since it is very cheap and can be found in almost any home.

Oats are very absorbent; all you have to do is put some oats in an open container or bowl in the fridge. Over time, they will absorb the stench leaving your cooler smelling good. You can use this method in any room in your house that needs a little refreshment.

When you finally managed to get rid of bad smells, keep checking your fridge on a regular basis from now to prevent odors from forming again. With proper maintenance (removing stale or spoiled food, cleaning up spills, keeping the temperature low, making sure the doors are fully shut, etc.) and applying a few, quick and easy deodorizing tips I explained above, your fridge will remain delicious smelling and your food will remain fresh longer!

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