How To Get Rid Of Refrigerator Smells

Bad odor coming from your kitchen? There’s a good chance it’s your fridge. Sharing my best tips to rid yourself of gross refrigerator smells!

There have been several times in my life when I have smelled around our house and wanted to gag. One time we came home from vacation and realized very quickly we had forgotten to take the trash out. So gross! More often than not, the smell is coming from the kitchen, so once I’ve double checked that the trash has been taken out, I head straight for the refrigerator.

Refrigerator smells are the absolute worst, because sometimes it can be really hard to narrow down what exactly is causing the odor. 

How To Get Rid Of Refrigerator Smells 

The first thing I do is pretty obvious – check for any produce that has gone back. Some of the worst offenders are broccoli, cauliflower, and potatoes. They can smell terrible!

Next, I always check the cheese drawer. I’ve learned my lesson on this one, and I learned it the hard way. Cheese, especially artisanal varieties, will always have a little bit of a smell to them, but one time I had packaged brie that had gone bad. It gave off an almost chemical smell and I could not track it down. Because the brie had been wrapped (from Costco), I never suspected it. Lesson learned! The easiest way to do this is to check the ‘Sell By’ dates and take a good whiff.

Last, check all your condiments. Again, I’ve learned this lesson the hard way with a jar of truffles we brought back from Italy. I had used them on a charcuterie board and to be honest, the remnants in the jar just kind of got lost in my refrigerator. Trust me when I tell you, that smell did not get lost in my nose. SO. FREAKING. GROSS. and it stunk up my whole kitchen for a week before I could figure out what was going on.

How To Remove Bad Odors From Refrigerator

Okay, but what if you find the source of the odor and the smell still lingers? This has happened to me and the only way I’ve been able to pull the stink out of the refrigerator plastic is:

1. Pull out items from your refrigerator shelf by shelf and wipe them down with a mix of baking soda and water.   The baking soda should neutralize the odor. For stuck on stains, I will use a mix of hot water, Tide powder, and bleach, or bleach spray. Because my refrigerator shelves come into direct contact with my food, I use a final swipe of hot water on a rag and let it dry completely.

2. When your refrigerator is wiped down and dry, get a glass jar (I use a small mason jar) and fill it with coffee grounds. Place it on the top level of your refrigerator toward the back with no lid. Because coffee works as a deodorizer, it will absorb aromas in your refrigerator.

If you are struggling with a stinky refrigerator, I hope this post was helpful! Trust me when I say – I have been there and it isn’t fun.

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