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How to Deodorize a Refrigerator Quickly

Close up of a woman looking into a fridge while holding her nose

Weird odors can happen at any time. They usually appear when you least expect or want them to show up. The reason you need to get rid of those foul or weird odors as they can influence how your food items taste. This is known as taste transfer.

This taste transfer can affect how your family sees your cooking skills. It is best to take care of those foul odors as quickly as possible, so their opinion of your cooking skills is not diminished.

In order to get rid of those odors quickly, just continue to read our article. it has the information you should know about.

How to Deodorize Your Fridge Quickly

Step 1 – Give it a Good Cleaning

Woman with hair in a bun, wearing purple gloves, and wiping out the fridge with a green rag.

This may be past due and the different food items have piled up in your fridge and they are all sharing their odors with each other. Clean out the fridge and wipe it down with vinegar or a good commercial fridge cleaner.

Make sure to completely clean your fridge and remove all stains, etc.

Step 2 – Keep Those Odors from Coming Back

Check your fridge and any leftovers you may have inside every few days. Leftovers do not last as long as you may think, even when placed in sealed containers. Toss out any that are starting to smell bad or have mold on them.

The best time to do this is before you go grocery shopping. That way your fridge will be odor-free when you return.

Step 3 – Use Baking Soda

Baking soda on a wooden spoon laying across a glass bottle of baking soda. Cork stopper laying to one side.

This is going to be your quickest solution. Just open a box and put it inside your fridge. Baking soda loves to absorb odors and your fridge should smell fresh and clean in no time.

Leave the baking soda in for a month or two, then exchange it for a new box. Or if you do not have a full box handy, you can put some temporarily on a plate or in a bowl and let it remain for 24 hours in your fridge. That will give you time to go and get a new box for the fridge.

Step 4 – Turn to Coffee Grounds

Like baking soda, coffee grounds can absorb those nasty odors for you. You do not have to use the expensive brands; the cheaper brands will work just fine. All you need to do is spread a little on a plate and place it in a key spot in your fridge for about 24 hours.

After that time period is over, do not throw the grounds away as they can be used as fertilizer for your garden.

Step 5 – Adjust Your Fridge Temperature

Wooden thermometer with black writing laying on a fridge shelf

If your fridge and freezer interior temperatures are too high, then you may experience food spoiling a lot faster than you had hoped. Too high or even too low of a temperature will ruin your food quickly. To avoid that situation and the odors that come with spoiled foods, re-set your fridge and freezer temperatures.

Use a fridge thermometer to help you set the appliance sections to their right temperature levels. That way you will get an accurate level that will help protect your food.

Step 6 – Cotton and Vanilla

If you really want a nice odor in your fridge, just soak a piece of cotton in vanilla extract. Then place the cotton inside your fridge for about 12 hours. The vanilla should cover up any foul odors, even vinegar odors, and leave you with a nice smelling fridge interior.

The new smell may be temporary so you may want to repeat this step a few times each month.

How to Avoid Odor Transfers

Whole fish lying on a wooden plank on a darker wood table.

There are some very strong-smelling food items that can ruin the taste of your other food items in your fridge. Garlic, fish, onions, and so on all can overpower better tasting ingredients.

The way to stop these odors from taking over and creating a bad food transfer, just seal them up in tight containers. Not all plastic containers seal tightly so make sure you save the ones that do for those strong-smelling ingredients or dishes.

Also, do not forget to clean up any spills that happen as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the further those odors can spread.

You do not need commercial cleansers with a lot of hazardous ingredients to get rid of those foul odors. The above steps or options will do the same task without adding any risk to your food or family. The quicker you enact these options the quicker your fridge or freezer will smell better.

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