Beware of Refrigerator Odors!
Few places in a home hold onto smells the way a refrigerator does. It stays closed and cold, and it holds food at every stage of freshness, which gives odors nowhere to escape. The good news is that clearing them out takes a few basic supplies and about an hour. Here is the approach we recommend to homeowners who call us about it.
Start with the expiration dates
An ounce of prevention still applies. Most refrigerator odors trace back to something that sat too long behind the milk. Once a week, go through the shelves and pull anything past its date, along with anything you must sniff before you can answer the question. That habit alone solves the problem in most homes.
Empty it out and scrub
If you are staying on top of dates and a smell still lingers, the refrigerator needs a full cleaning. Move everything you are keeping into a cooler so you can reach every surface. Wash the interior with warm, soapy water, then rinse with a clean wet cloth. Follow that with a mild bleach-and-water solution to disinfect the surfaces and kill the bacteria causing the odor. Let everything dry before you reload the shelves. Do not skip the door gaskets or the drawer tracks, where spills tend to hide.
Let baking soda do the rest
An open box of baking soda in the back of the refrigerator absorbs odors as they form. It is the cheapest maintenance step available, though it only works if you replace it. Put a reminder on your calendar for once a month, because baking soda loses its punch long before the box looks used up.
Give problem foods their own space
Homeowners with a second refrigerator in the garage or basement have an advantage. Keep everyday items in the kitchen unit and send strong-smelling or long-storage items to the backup. When something goes bad out there, it does not take the rest of your groceries with it.
Do not wait it out
Waiting is the expensive part. A smell that soaks into the plastic liner and the insulation behind it can outlast every cleaning method you try, which leaves you choosing between living with it and buying a new refrigerator. Catch it early and you will never face that decision.
When you need real cleaning help, especially for carpet and hard floors, call your favorite cleaning company for deep cleaning expertise. After all, it pays to call a pro!
Few places in a home hold onto smells the way a refrigerator does. It stays closed and cold, and it holds food at every stage of freshness, which gives odors nowhere to escape. The good news is that clearing them out takes a few basic supplies and about an hour. Here is the approach we recommend to homeowners who call us about it.
Start with the expiration dates
An ounce of prevention still applies. Most refrigerator odors trace back to something that sat too long behind the milk. Once a week, go through the shelves and pull anything past its date, along with anything you must sniff before you can answer the question. That habit alone solves the problem in most homes.
Empty it out and scrub
If you are staying on top of dates and a smell still lingers, the refrigerator needs a full cleaning. Move everything you are keeping into a cooler so you can reach every surface. Wash the interior with warm, soapy water, then rinse with a clean wet cloth. Follow that with a mild bleach-and-water solution to disinfect the surfaces and kill the bacteria causing the odor. Let everything dry before you reload the shelves. Do not skip the door gaskets or the drawer tracks, where spills tend to hide.
Let baking soda do the rest
An open box of baking soda in the back of the refrigerator absorbs odors as they form. It is the cheapest maintenance step available, though it only works if you replace it. Put a reminder on your calendar for once a month, because baking soda loses its punch long before the box looks used up.
Give problem foods their own space
Homeowners with a second refrigerator in the garage or basement have an advantage. Keep everyday items in the kitchen unit and send strong-smelling or long-storage items to the backup. When something goes bad out there, it does not take the rest of your groceries with it.
Do not wait it out
Waiting is the expensive part. A smell that soaks into the plastic liner and the insulation behind it can outlast every cleaning method you try, which leaves you choosing between living with it and buying a new refrigerator. Catch it early and you will never face that decision.
When you need real cleaning help, especially for carpet and hard floors, call your favorite cleaning company for deep cleaning expertise. After all, it pays to call a pro!
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