If you fridge smells especially bad and you’d like to absorb a great deal of odor at once, pour out a full box of baking soda across a baking sheet and place leave it in the refrigerator overnight. Then discard the baking soda.
After the 4–6 hours have passed, remove the vinegar mixture and pour it down the drain. Once it’s been boiled, apple cider vinegar absorbs unpleasant odors and replaces them with a pleasant fruity smell.
During this time, you’ll need to keep your food in a second refrigerator or in a few ice-filled coolers. Once the 3–4 days have passed, dispose of the coffee grounds, wash the baking sheets, and put your food back into the fridge.
Purchase unscented cat litter at any pet store or large supermarket. Some home-improvement stores will also stock cat litter.
Activated charcoal can be purchased from pet stores or drugstores. Unlike with the coffee grounds method, you can use activated charcoal while your food is still in the fridge.
Try to start and finish the entire job within 4 hours. The USDA warns that food left out for over 4 hours may spoil or become unsafe to eat.
Add ice to the cooler if it will be out for over 60 minutes. This will keep the food well preserved.
If the mixture loses its potency or the sink fills up with food bits, throw out the batch and mix up a new one. You can also use a solution that’s equal parts vinegar and water to clean the inside of your fridge. [14] X Expert Source Heather IsenbergHouse Cleaning Professional Expert Interview. 27 August 2019.
Also be sure to look underneath the vegetable bins. Sometimes bits of food and old water can accumulate beneath the bins and create a foul smell. Avoid using the scrubbing side of a sponge on glass or plastic since it may leave scratches. [17] X Expert Source Heather IsenbergHouse Cleaning Professional Expert Interview. 27 August 2019.
Not all refrigerator models have a drip pan. If yours doesn’t, you can skip this step. Do take the time to scrub the bottom of the fridge, though.
Try looking right before you take out the trash. That way, you’ll be able to get the spoiled, smelly food out of your home as soon as you’ve noticed it.
For example, keep meat at the front of the top shelf, and keep fruits and veggies on a lower shelf where they’re easily visible.
Were you to set the fridge temperature to 32 °F (0 °C) or lower, of course, the food would freeze.
As an extra measure to keep food from spoiling in your fridge, label and date leftovers when you store them. Tear off a piece of masking tape and stick it on top of the airtight container and write, for example, “February 14; chicken parmesan. ”
