How to remove the smell from the refrigerator?

An unpleasant odor that appears in the refrigerator can spoil the mood of any housewife. There may be many options for the appearance of “aroma” at the time of detection, but the task is one - how to remove the smell from the refrigerator. Before you rush to solve a problem, be sure to figure out where the smell came from and what its nature is. Otherwise, this misfortune is likely to return in a couple of days and you will again have to spend your energy, time, money to neutralize a not very pleasant or even fetid aroma.

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Types of odors and the nature of their origin

All flavors coming from the refrigerator can be divided into 2 categories:

1. Technical
2. Natural.

Important! Regardless of what caused the unpleasant situation, you need to choose the right tools to solve the problem, how to get rid of the unpleasant smell in the refrigerator, as soon as possible. Begin by washing the machine. In our separate review, we described in detail how to wash the refrigerator so that there is no smell.

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Technical odors:

1. As a rule, they appear on newly purchased units. The reason for the appearance of odors is in the plastic itself, since after the completion of production, some part of the chemicals remain on the surface of the device. Over time, the substances will disappear, and the unpleasant odor will disappear.
2. Often, an unpleasant aroma accompanies even modern units equipped with the No Frost system. The presence of a “darling” indicates insufficient ventilation inside the space of the refrigerator. The No Frost system itself is designed not only for automatic defrosting, but also for the forced circulation of air to improve its quality.

Important! The smell of plastic and mustiness is quite simple to understand: wash the camera thoroughly and ventilate the device for a couple of days until the smell is completely removed.

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Natural smells

Natural aromas - pleasant and not very, appear as a result of the vital activity of bacteria in food debris that is stored in the refrigerator. This is especially true for products that are stored unpacked, such as fish.

Causes of natural odors in the refrigerator

Familiarize yourself with the most common causes of stench so as not to prevent it in the future and not to look for the answer to the question of how to remove the smell from the refrigerator:

1. Food is stored unpacked in the refrigerator. Sausage or fish can become a real disaster and literally soak all the contents with its smell.
2. Forgotten foods. Unremarkable sachets, packages, left unattended for a long time, can cause an unpleasant odor.
3. Spoiled products. In such food bacteria multiply with great speed, and the products start to smell unpleasant. Very often, this can be due to power outages, as in this case the defrost process starts automatically.
4. Damaged product packaging. Dirty packaging or smudges of brine, meat juice, milk on bags and cans during long-term storage exude unpleasant odors.
5. Stagnant water in the drain of the refrigerator along with the “aromas” of products and plastic can produce an extremely unpleasant odor. In this case, to remove the smell from the refrigerator, be sure to rinse the drain with warm water, having studied the instructions for your device.

Important! Over time, the technical odor goes away by itself, even if you don’t fight it, but it is necessary to deal with natural “aromas” immediately, since over time they will only intensify. In order not to encounter such an unpleasant situation, read our special articles that we have prepared for you:

• How long can fish be stored in the refrigerator?
• Can washed eggs be stored in the refrigerator?

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How to get rid of the smell in the refrigerator?

If you find out the cause of the “amber”, get to work to get rid of the smell in the refrigerator on your own as soon as possible:

1. Unplug the machine.
2. Remove everything from the refrigerator, including shelves and drawers.
3. Thoroughly rinse the inside walls of the refrigerator, the seal, and the drain hose with a drain pan.

Important! To wash the refrigerator, you can use folk remedies or modern specialized household chemicals. When choosing a cleaning product, make sure that it does not have a pronounced chemical smell, since in the future “aroma” can be absorbed into the products stored in the refrigerator.

4. Rinse with the selected product all the components of the unit: shelves, drawers and other elements.
5. Wipe dry with a soft cloth.
6. Dry all the components of the refrigerator naturally.
7. Open the doors of the unit and leave it inoperative for several hours to remove all odors and reduce the chance of mold.

Important! In another separate publication on our website, you will find useful information on how to defrost the Atlant refrigerator.

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How to remove the smell from the refrigerator folk remedies?

Folk recipes are based on affordable, improvised means, and when used correctly, they are absolutely safe - both for humans and for products. Some products themselves can destroy the annoying smell in the refrigerator. These "fighters" include:

• Lemon or apple. Cut the fruit into slices and leave for a couple of days (maximum for a week) on a shelf in the refrigerator.
• Orange peels, slices of cheese, rice.
• Black bread. Arrange slices of bread in saucers and place on each shelf in an empty refrigerator. After 8 hours, any odor will be removed.
• Parsley, celery, cloves, basil, turmeric - perfectly absorb everything that does not please you.
• Sugar or salt containers can be laid out on shelves.
• Coffee. Put a pinch of ground coffee or a few coffee beans in the refrigerator, and the smell will “hide” behind the coffee aroma.
• Cut in half raw potatoes neutralizes the unpleasant "aroma".
• Garlic. If the smell is old, then rub the walls inside the refrigerator with garlic and leave for 12 hours. Then rinse the walls of the device with water and wipe thoroughly. Let the apparatus dry in a natural way for 1-2 hours.

Important! Products mask odors but do not eliminate them.

Here are some popular recipes for removing an unpleasant “aroma".

Coal

Coal - both wood and activated, copes well with odors. Grind the product to a powder state, pour it into a plate and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. If you use activated charcoal, then you will need 20-40 tablets of the drug. The shelf life of the absorber is several weeks, after which place the product in a heated (up to 180 C) oven, hold for 10 minutes and can be used again.

Important! As a prophylaxis for “aromas," keep a small jar of charcoal on the shelf of the refrigerator constantly.

Baking soda:

1. Pour soda powder into a small container and place in a refrigerator. Change the agent approximately every 3 months.
2. You can use soda as a solution (1 tbsp. L. Funds in 1 l of water) to wash the unit inside.

Important! Baking soda will help you get rid of the smell in the refrigerator, but it is unlikely to kill microbes.

3. Soda can be used in combination with lemon:
   • Cut the lemon in half.
   • Remove the flesh.
   • Put baking soda in each half.
   • Spread the prepared product in the refrigerator.
   • Throw away the product after a week.

Vinegar

One of the safe and affordable means to remove an unhealthy aroma is a mixture of vinegar and water in a 1: 1 ratio:

1. With a solution, wash all parts of the chamber, rinse the drain hole, and also thoroughly wipe all the seals.
2. For the final effect, pour the prepared vinegar solution into a small container and leave it on one of the shelves for 2 hours.
3. Ventilate the refrigerator.

Important! Vinegar will not only help get rid of the unpleasant odor in the refrigerator, but will also disinfect it.

Ammonia

A solution of ammonia will help neutralize the unpleasant odor. The tool is quite unpleasant, but effective if you act like this:

1. Prepare a mixture of ammonia with water in a ratio of 1 tbsp. l funds for 1 liter of water.
2. Wipe the shelves and the inside of the device with a means, and to remove the smell of the ammonia itself, ventilate not only the refrigerator, but also the apartment as a whole.

Lemon with Vodka

If you combine lemon juice with vodka in a ratio of 1 to 10, you get an almost professional detergent. Carry out a lemon disinfection of the unit, at the end - put the citrus peel in the refrigerator for a couple of days. After this treatment, the smell will disappear completely.

Important! Instead of vodka, you can use water, but in this case, increase the concentration of lemon juice in 2 times.

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Modern odor control in the refrigerator

If folk recipes did not save you from the problem, then use modern means to remove disgusting aromas from kitchen appliances. You can find them not only in household chemical stores, but also order on the Internet.

Funds are divided into the following main types:

1. Detergents.
2. Odor absorbers.
3. Air ozonizers.

We introduce you to some representatives of these funds:

Detergents:

1. A striking representative of this class is OdorGone. They process freezers in meat processing plants. An effective remedy within 12 hours after treatment will remove the most persistent and unpleasant odors.
2. You can also use dishwashing detergents of the brand to which you give preference to when cleaning the refrigerator.
3. Special wet wipes for processing the refrigerator.

Important! Do not use powder products to clean the refrigerator, as they may scratch the surface and thereby aggravate the problem.

Odor absorbers

These products are not intended for washing the refrigeration device, but they effectively absorb all unpleasant odors. As an example, these drugs are:

1. Universal sorbent cleaner for the refrigerator. It is made from zeolite tuff. On the market, such funds are produced by many manufacturing companies.
2. Aerosol air fresheners.

Important! Absorbers and various air fresheners come in many varieties. They can be made in the form of eggs, pendants on the ceiling. Means have different sizes, vary in smell, color and other parameters. You can use them not only for the refrigeration device, but also in any other room of the apartment.

Air ozonizers

Air ionizers - devices are very compact, but they can kill not only smells, but also germs, spreading ozone around them. The battery lasts for 2 months. A small box can be put on the door or shelf to permanently get rid of the unpleasant smell in the refrigerator.

Important! An example of a high-quality ozonizer is the AirComfort XJ-100 device.

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Prevention of unwanted odors

To reduce the chance of an unpleasant “amber” and not waste time fighting it, follow these basic rules:

1. Keep all products closed. Use containers, cling film, plastic bags, and closed pots for this purpose.
2. Perform general cleaning of the refrigerator at least 2 times a year (this is the requirement of the manufacturers). Defrosting is an excellent reason to audit, rinse the walls and shelves with detergent, and discover forgotten products that are lying around.
3. If something has crumbled or spilled in the refrigerator, immediately remove all impurities.
4. If you are going on vacation, then free the refrigerator from food, give it a rest at this time. As a last resort, leave a minimum of non-perishable products.
5. Once a week, view the products stored in the unit. Throw away spoiled ones and those that have expired.
6. After you have washed the refrigerator, place a jar of absorbent on one of its shelves and let the device run “empty” without food so that the absorber absorbs all unnecessary odor residues, and then fill the products with clean, snow-white shelves.

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From our article, you learned how to deal with unpleasant odors in the refrigerator and how to prevent their appearance in the future. We hope that you will follow these recommendations and the problem will no longer bother you.