We've done a lot of refrigerator cleaning lately: one top-to-bottom cleaning when we moved out of our old apartment, and another full cleaning when we moved in to our new space. Both times, we removed the shelves and drawers, washed them in the sink with soap and hot water, and wiped down the inside of the fridge with Mrs. Meyers all-purpose cleaner. But if you've done all that and your refrigerator still smells a little funky, what do you do? Click below to find out.
After removing any expired food and cleaning all surfaces (with baking soda and water or another green cleaner), use baking soda to remove residual odors. Line a cookie sheet with a layer of baking soda, put it in the bottom of the refrigerator, and keep it there for 24 hours. To keep the refrigerator odor-free, clean it regularly and stow an open box of baking soda inside, replacing the box every few months.
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Coffee grinds also work!
a teaspoon of vanilla extract on a cottonball/pad (from Martha Stewart and it works great)
2nd the coffee grinds tip. They work great!
i'm gonna try the vanilla on cotton idea...
**sidenote-- that little blue butter container is adorable!!!!**
Squeeze some lemons into a bowl of water and vinegar and leave it in the frig over night.
Also works great to microwave it slightly to loosen stuck ons in your microwave, and will also rid microwave's odor...and then afterward i leave it sitting under the sink (where i sometime store the trash bin) to absorb the odor down there.
So just one mixed bowl...you can use it in frig, then move it to use in microwave, and then transfer it to undersink areas like kitchen or bathroom or rid odors there, too. Very efficient, very "green," very economic, and very multi-task!
newspaper! wad some up and leave for a day or so...should work great!!
more importantly- where can we get the butter dish?
I've also heard charcoal briquettes work. Put some in an open container and leave in the fridge for a few days, then throw away.
better yet - baking soda vinegar. Concoction bubbles like alka seltzer heaven, and absorbs all odors in a day.
Unrelated: Who keeps peanut butter in the fridge? Doesn't that make it like cold tar when it comes time to spread it on your bread?
PB with less ingredients (peanuts, salt only) doesn't have preservatives. Once it is well stirred it's not too bad. Still can't spread it on weak white bread. It's great on sturdy wheat breads.
One of my fav shows is "How clean is your house?" BBCAmerica one gal had a fridge (in use) that had a biological layer or some such thing. It was so hazardous that the fridge was too toxic to clean and HAD to thrown away for the safety of all.
SO if it is bad enough maybe you should toss the fridge!
My wife uses that peanut butter and it says on the jar to keep it in the fridge. If you don't, the oil seperates and you have to stir it up ever day to use it.
Is that FAGE lurking in the back? I love fage. So much that if I go on it will sound like an advertisement.
I use wet brown paper bag from Whole Foods. I haven't tried TJ's bag though.
the real peanut butter crime here is creamy. ugh.
chunky rules!!!!!
white vinegar -- wipe down whatever surfaces there are and if funky scent persists, a small open bowl of white vinegar left overnight should do it
have you considered there may be some well-hidden funky bits you missed in cleaning?
one could also always have baking soda in both the refrigerator and freezer to absorb odors. check out the
ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda Fridge-n-Freezerâ„¢ Odor Absorber (16 oz.) at http://www.armhammer.com/basics/products/ . we get them from target for about sixty cents a piece and rarely have to replace them.
banana peels! just throw one or two in the refrigerator and they will get rid of bad odor
I haven't tried banana peels, but I do use orange peels. They work great and leave a mild citrus scent (if you use a lot of peels).