After a period of use, the refrigerator suddenly starts to smell bad. This may be a sign that you need to clean the refrigerator immediately because at this time bacteria have invaded the food or spread from the food to the areas causing the refrigerator to smell and infect bacteria.
1. Why does the refrigerator smell?
– Spoiled food: Food that is preserved for too long in the refrigerator can spoil and cause a foul or strange odor. In the case of a sudden power outage, the food can quickly spoil.
– Improper food storage: Fresh or strong-smelling foods, if not placed in a sealed container, can emit a foul odor and spread throughout the refrigerator.
– Refrigerator damage: During use, the refrigerator’s water drain pan often encounters problems that prevent the water vapor from escaping. Accumulated water vapor over time combined with high humidity creates an environment for mold to grow and develop.
In addition, the loose water pipes near the refrigerator are also a similar cause that makes you worry every time you open the refrigerator.
2. Simple and effective ways to eliminate refrigerator odor
– Use orange peels, lemon peels
Orange peels or lemon peels contain natural essential oils that effectively eliminate odors. You just need to clean and dry the orange peels or lemon peels, then place them in the corners of the refrigerator. After about 3 days, the orange peels or lemon peels will naturally absorb the odor in the refrigerator. It is best to continuously perform this simple method to keep the refrigerator odor-free.
– Fresh lemon
The acid in lemon has the ability to remove stubborn stains in the refrigerator, especially tough stains caused by spilled food. In addition, because the refrigerator contains fresh food, bacteria have the opportunity to grow and develop strongly. However, lemon will effectively kill bacteria and eliminate the odor of foods with strong smells or fresh foods, bringing a pleasant aroma.
Instructions: Place a few slices of fresh lemon in the refrigerator, one slice per compartment, so that the natural essential oils in the lemon can spread and help eliminate odors.
– Baking soda
Baking soda is often used for baking, cleaning, whitening, and deodorizing. You just need to put baking soda in a small bag or dish, then place it in the lower compartment of the refrigerator for a few days to a week to eliminate all odors in the refrigerator. You can also add dried lavender flowers to the mixture to make the refrigerator always have a pleasant scent. The natural cleaning duo of baking soda and lavender flowers helps the refrigerator completely absorb odors, giving a sweet fragrance. The simple way to do this is to mix these two ingredients together, put them in a container, and place it in the refrigerator.
– Coffee grounds
Coffee grounds also have good odor-absorbing abilities. When the coffee grounds are mixed with baking soda, this mixture can defeat the unpleasant odor that has been present in the refrigerator for a long time.
– Dried tea
– Preparation: 5 bags of flower-infused tea packed in paper filters.
– Instructions: You just need to put the tea bags in the compartments of the refrigerator. Each layer has 1 tea bag and the essence from the tea leaves will absorb the odor in the refrigerator.
The advantage of this method is that you can use the tea bags continuously for a month. After that, you can dry them in the sunlight and put them back in the refrigerator.
– Vinegar
The simple way to eliminate refrigerator odor with vinegar is because this ingredient is always available in the kitchen. Just take out vinegar in a small bowl or glass jar, open the lid, and place it in a corner of the refrigerator. Note that every time you use the refrigerator, be careful to avoid spilling vinegar, otherwise the metal objects in the refrigerator may corrode and cause rust.
– Bread
Bread has a dry characteristic, so it absorbs moisture relatively well and has a pleasant smell. Place a piece of bread in the refrigerator, and you will be surprised to find that after just 2 hours, the refrigerator odor has significantly decreased!
Another advantage of using bread to eliminate odor is that you can use them for a whole month without worrying about them getting spoiled.
– Clean cotton towel
Find 1-2 clean cotton towels and fold them neatly, then place them in the refrigerator. Cotton towels have the property of absorbing moisture, so they will absorb all the odor in the refrigerator. After a while, you can take out the towels, wash them with warm water, and let them dry to reuse.
– Activated charcoal
Currently, there are many activated charcoal deodorizer boxes available at supermarkets, you just need to buy them and place the activated charcoal in an empty corner of the refrigerator. The advantage of this method to deal with refrigerator odor is that it has a long usage time, and you don’t need to constantly replace it. Just place it in the refrigerator, it won’t affect the quality and taste of the food.
– Oatmeal
If you find that your refrigerator has a foul odor, oatmeal is also a good solution to help you eliminate the odor quite well. Oatmeal has the ability to absorb oil and remove odors quickly. The way to eliminate odor in a refrigerator with oatmeal is very simple: First, take a few tablespoons of oatmeal and put them in a bowl. Then, place the bowl of oatmeal in the refrigerator overnight and feel the disappearance of the unpleasant odor.
According to An Nhiên – Vietnamnet