Published on January 9th, 2012 | by Sonya Kanelstrand

5 Natural Remedies for Deodorizing a Refrigerator

After the holidays come the leftovers. But even without big celebrations we sometimes get a bit over the limit with food and the way we store it. Did you know that apart from the artificial deodorizing agents you could employ some healthy and very inexpensive green remedies to get rid of fridge odor? First, try a natural air freshener for your kitchen, then get on with working on your fridge.

You will be surprised to learn that all five options in my list are cheaper than you thought and you already have them in your kitchen, so why not try them next time you smell bad smells coming out of your fridge!

Before taking the first step though, I would like to remind you to place your food correctly in the fridge and to avoid storing food in open containers, so that the smells don’t blend. Once the smells from different foods combine foul-smelling chemicals are produced due to the low temperatures inside the fridge. Regularly check the expiration dates of your stored food and compost it.

5 natural ways to get rid of fridge odor

1. Make sure your fridge is clean. If not, turn it off, take everything out while it is defrosting, store the food on the balcony if it is cold enough outside, or in a cooler. Clean all the shelves and drawers with a thick paste of baking soda and water (here’s an article that will open in a new tab on how to make good natural cleaning recipes). Not only will you remove food stains, but odor as well, and the first step in getting rid of those smells starts with removing the cause, which is often spoiled or spilled food.

2. You can then continue deodorizing your fridge with baking soda. Place an open container with baking soda inside and let it absorb the smells and unstink your refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

3. If baking soda doesn’t help to deodorize the refrigerator, you can also distribute freshly ground coffee evenly on a plate and put it in the fridge for 24 hours. Coffee is known to absorb smells effectively. Instead of throwing the coffee away after the 24-hour stay in the fridge, you can mix it with soil and use it as a fertilizer for your home flowers, and in this way feed your good scents with the results of your fridge deodorizing.

4. Set your fridge and freezer temperatures appropriately (click here to learn how)–too high and you’ll get faster spoilage and more stinkage. Set your refrigerator temperature too low, and you’ll waste money on your utility bill and also contribute to climate change.

5. To freshen the smell of your fridge you can also soak a piece of cotton wool in vanilla and leave inside for 12 hours which will produce a lovely fresh and clean aroma.

With these tips, you can easily keep your kitchen and fridge clean and fresh for a minimum price. Just remember that a fridge smells only as bad as its contents. One of the biggest green living tips you can take on is to go vegetarian: the carbon footprint is much lower and the possibility of really stinky stuff in your fridge is greatly reduced. Not that veggies can’t stink, but nothing rots quite like meat and dairy products. Take care to choose your food wisely and to store it appropriately and you will rarely need to deodorize.

[Woman holding her nose image via Shutterstock]

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Tags: bad smell, deodorize, fridge, green tip, kitchen, Odor, odour, refridgerator, Refrigerator

About the Author

Sonya Kanelstrand Sonya is a photographer and a creative artist sharing her Scandinavian experiences. Her blog Kanelstrand Organic Living has become the meeting point of a vibrant green community of eco-conscious artists and crafters from around the world. Sonya believes that people and nature can co-exist together in a healthy and inspiring union without harming each other. She implements the knowledge gained from studying Philology and Pedagogy in her approach to sustainable and eco-friendly living.