How To Get Refrigerator Taste Out Of Food

It’s not those leftovers that make your fridge stink. Tyler Lizenby / CNET So you’ve gotten rid of all those moldy takeaway containers and a fancy piece of cheese, but your fridge still smells? Do not worried. There are a number of simple reasons why your refrigerator might be smelling and they are very simple to fix.

Possible problem: Your refrigerator

Problem: What is the inside of your refrigerator mainly made of? Plastic, right? Well, plastic absorbs odors, so the whole problem could be your entire fridge.Solution: Cleaning can only help so much. To absorb odors, place an opened box of baking soda in the refrigerator (some people recommend sprinkling baking soda over the dish to increase surface area). The baking soda will absorb odors and leave your fridge smelling fresh in about three days. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which neutralizes odors by balancing the pH by buffering acidic and alkaline substances in the air. According to Consumer Reports, you can also mix 1 cup of baking soda with a gallon of water and use it to clean the inside of the refrigerator. Try the coffee. Place 1 cup of ground coffee in a bowl or plate and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours. The USDA suggests that you place a cotton swab soaked in vanilla in the refrigerator for about 24 hours to get rid of the odor.

Other common culprits

Your vegetable bin is too oldProblem: When you notice a bad smell in the refrigerator, you probably threw away the old vegetables, but did you scrub the bin? Clear vegetable juice can hide in the crevices of the bin, creating an unpleasant odor.Solution: Just make sure your bins are clean, take them out and wash them with warm water and dish soap.Problem: Even if your vegetable bins are spotless, they may be hiding a disgusting secret. Water and food tend to accumulate underneath the vegetable bin. These can spoil and mold, leaving behind odors.Solution: Fill the bucket with a gallon of warm water and a quarter cup of bleach. Remove the vegetable bins and clean the area underneath with bleach solution and dish towels. Once it’s all clean, wipe the area with a clean damp cloth to remove the bleach smell.Problem: Some refrigerators have a tray that collects the condensate generated by the appliance while it is refrigerating. These pans need to be emptied and cleaned regularly, otherwise they smell bad and may even overflow.Solution: First, you need to find out if your refrigerator has a drip pan. See the maintenance section of your owner’s manual to find out. If you don’t have the manual anymore, many documents are online. Just search for the brand and model number of the refrigerator. If your refrigerator has a drip pan, unplug the refrigerator, remove all food, and follow the instructions for removing the pan. Then, wash it with warm water and dish soap and reinstall it.Problem: You’ve tried everything and just can’t find the culprit.Solution: The smell may not be your fridge, but what’s underneath it. Maybe some food rolled underneath and rotted. Roll out the refrigerator and clean underneath it thoroughly.Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on November 5, 2015 and has been updated. Read more: How to sell your entire anime figure collection