Is there any good way to get a smell out of a refridgerator?

Question

Someone left food in a refridgerator for a few days and it rotted. I cant get rid of the smell, tried some cleaners and baking soda, but it still smells awful. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

dw1307

Steps

One
Remove all items from the refrigerator. Take out any removable parts of the refrigerator and clean them separately.

Two
Mix together 2 tbsp. baking soda with a quart of warm water. Wipe down the inside surfaces of the refrigerator with this solution.

Three
Try a solution of 1 c. vinegar and 1 gallon of water, if the odor remains. Make sure to rinse and dry all surfaces before trying this solution.

Four
Mix 1/2 c. chlorine bleach with 1 gallon of water and apply to all surfaces, if the odor persists. Once again, rinse and dry all surfaces before applying this solution.

Five
Leave the door open and allow the refrigerator to air out.

Don't mix solutions; use them one at a time, rinsing and drying all surfaces between applications.

Hope this Helps!

Answer 2

I agree that baking soda doesn't work that well. Here's an inexpensive and fragrance free solution that is perfect for your problem. - It is a natural fragrance free carbon product called FRIDGE IT odor absorbers -little purple cube with an incredible activated carbon filter inside that is really, really, great and eliminates odors for a long time. It works so much better than baking soda all those sprays, and fragrances that just cover up smells and doesn't get rid of them. Just place a couple of these in fridge and freezer and that's it. . No spills or chemicals or powder to worry about. Each only costs a couple of dollars. I use this product everywhere including car(smoke and pet smells), storage, closets, my fridge and also under sinks, near trash and have friends that use it on cat litter box and also diaper pails - it's that good. I really recommend it. You can buy it in kitchen gadget sections in stores like linens and things. I also think camping world sells it and Internet at [e-mail].
Definitely worth trying

Answer 3

shojo answer is great! Under the drawers collect overage of liquid and then....under the older style refrigerators there was a pan that held overages there as well. So remove the drawers and wipe down with 100% lemon juice - do not dilute. You can buy it in the fruit section all ready to go in a plastic lemon shaped container. Be sure the refrigerator and the freezer are both cleaned because the freezer cools the refrigerator and depending on the style of cooling it has it can pass air back through later. Good Luck!

Answer 4

If you've done all that and can't get rid of the smell, I suggest you take out any drawers and clean under them. Most likely, the decomposing food turned liquidish, and dripped down. But, it does take more than a few days for food to rot to the point of smelling up the fridge.

Answer 5

I think you have to remove every single thing from your fridge, remove the drawers, wash it with a strong cleanser. Some of the other items in your fridge may have the smell of the rotting food. You may have to clean jars and bottles too before returning them to the fridge. Smell these and throw out any that continue to smell bad.

Answer 6

First of all remove all the food, and wash it down with 2 cups of white vinegar 1 cup of water and a squirt of dawn dish detergent. The vinegar is an odor eater and will definitely remove the odor. If you don't want to go through this, then take a bowl and fill it up with just vinegar and leave it overnight to absorb the odor.

Answer 7

Freezer Baking Soda, and Refrigerator Baking Soda, sold at Wal-mart works. Also a lump of coal will work.. Especially if you have a lingering smell of onion or something really strong.

Answer 8

I would remove everything and clean out the fridge with white distilled vinegar. Vinegar will kill germs and deodorize. Just spray liberally with a 50% vinegar 50% water solution. Then let it sit for about 5 minutes, then wipe it out. Discard anything old and put the rest back into the fridge. The vinegar smell dissipates as it dries, so it won't smell like vinegar.

Answer 9

Every 3 months or as "needed" I give my fride a good scrubbing I take the racks or glass plates out and I soak them in the bathtub full of hot water and a bit of bleach... While the racks/shelves are soaking. I go through my condiments/food and dispose of anything "questionable" and pitch..It's usually good to do this the day before trash day.. So, the food doesn't sit outside and get stinky... Wipe the walls of the fridge down as well dry and replace racks and shelves.... I always keep a container of baking soda in the fridge to absorb any smells.... Good luck

Answer 10

i used to move furniture for a living. we allways reccomended that a shipper use a box of tea bags. open several and hang in fridge for a few days . or you could try a bag of charcoal, open it and place in fridge. do not use the match lite kind that will make the stink worse. seriously the dry tea bags should work. your fridge will smell like tea bags for awhile better than spoiled food. you should clean first with a mild soapy water. never use harsh cleaners in the fridge.