How to remove the smell from the refrigerator?

There are many reasons why a fridge smells bad. This problem is familiar to almost every owner of a refrigerator. No matter how neat and tidy the hostess is, sooner or later she may face this problem. But over many years of experience in using household appliances, many ways have been invented to destroy an unpleasant odor. But before trying to eliminate this problem, you need to determine the cause of its appearance, and only after that start fighting it.

The smell in the refrigerator can occur for 3 objective reasons.

• Plastic odor usually found in new household appliances. Getting rid of it is quite simple.
• The smell arising from the vital activity of bacteria. It is much more difficult to eliminate it.
• Incorrect storage of products, non-compliance with the commodity neighborhood and expiration dates. This is the most common problem and can sometimes be difficult to remedy, but more often than not, conventional remedies are sufficient.

The bad smell, which is a consequence of the life of bacteria, will only intensify over time and it is impossible to get rid of it without making efforts. Bacteria appear not only on spoiled food, but also in ready-made meals. A completely fresh product can give off a specific smell. This is especially true for raw meat and fish that are stored in the refrigerator and not in the freezer. Bacteria on these foods multiply rapidly, and a specific "flavor" appears, reminiscent of the smell of rotten meat (although the meat may be unspoiled).

If you store strong-smelling foods (for example, smoked fish or lard, salted herring, raw onions and garlic) open, then naturally their aroma will be absorbed into the walls of the refrigerator and other foods in the vicinity. A specific smell spreads throughout the refrigerator. To eliminate the aroma, you will have to try, thoroughly wash all the insides and removable parts of the refrigerator... Most likely, you will have to wipe containers and other containers where food was stored with a damp cloth.

Spoiled (expired) food begins to give off an unpleasant odor (especially dairy products) that spreads throughout the refrigerator. Molds develop on spoiled fruits and vegetables and give off a musty odor. Such products should be disposed of without regret.

You can quickly and effectively remove an unpleasant odor from the refrigerator, just washing it well with cleaning disinfectants... The inside of the refrigerator must be washed, including all seals, shelves, drawers and removable parts. It is better to turn off the equipment during cleaning. If there is a lot of ice on the walls, then it is better to wait until it is completely defrosted. When all the ice has melted, you can start washing. When cleaning, do not forget clean the drain hose. Perhaps water has stagnated in it, and mucus has formed. All dirt must be removed and the hose must be thoroughly rinsed with running water. This will help remove musty odors (moldy and damp odors).

Food from the refrigerator and freezer must be sorted out and everything spoiled must be thrown away. Bad smell can be associated with stale food or dishes. Very often, a specific smell remains from rotten fish, onions or after rotten meat. The rotten smell is the most difficult to remove, it may take several days, washing alone will not be enough. But simply by removing spoiled foods, it is impossible to get rid of the rotten smell. The refrigerator and freezer will need to be thoroughly cleaned using disinfectants.

Before loading the refrigerator with food make sure that all surfaces inside are dry and that the rubber seals are dry. If excess moisture remains in the refrigerator, the food will spoil faster and the smell will return.

The smell of plastic from a new refrigerator will wear off over time. To speed up the process, the walls and seals can be wiped with a damp cloth... Manufacturers recommend wiping the refrigerator with a damp cloth, not only outside, but also inside. This cannot be done without disconnecting it from the network. Wet cleaning can cause short circuits and equipment failure. If the smell of plastic (sometimes metal or technical grease) is quite strong and persistent, then the refrigerator should be disconnected from the mains and left open for 2-3 days.

When choosing cleaning agents, pay attention to modern non-toxic preparations. On the market, you can find many options for household chemicals that will not be hazardous to human health and do not irritate the skin and mucous membranes. The most affordable tool is laundry soap... You need to moisten the cleaning sponge well and lather it. Thoroughly wipe all surfaces with a foamy composition and rinse off residues with water. It is the most affordable and relatively harmless refrigerator cleaner. From modern detergents, products can be distinguished Selena, Sano Refrigerator Cleaner, Clean Tone and Unicum. The value for money of these products is optimal.

Choose your means with disinfectant effectWhen cleaning, it is important to destroy all bacteria that may have remained on the walls and shelves. If this is not done, the unpleasant odor may return. To do this, you can use the usual "Whiteness" or "Domestos"... These products kill most of the known microbes and fungi.

There are cleaning agents that do not require rinsing.... This is very convenient when cleaning the refrigerator. It is very difficult to wash off foam and chemical residues from the walls, especially in hard-to-reach places. These products include a line of cleaning products Electrolux and Clean Home. Only drawback - high cost of goods.

Safe cleaning compounds can be made at home by following recipes and proportions.

In folk recipes, most often found baking soda, lemon, vinegar, and ammonia. They are very effective in combating unpleasant odors. Vinegar and ammonia are diluted with water and the walls and seals are washed with this solution. Vinegar is mixed with water in a 1: 1 ratio, and ammonia - 1: 100 (about 1 tablespoon of alcohol per 1 liter of water). The ammonia solution can be made in a ratio of 1:10 or 1: 5, but this solution is used only in a well-ventilated area. For greater efficiency, after washing in the refrigerator, you can leave a small container with the solution on the top shelf.

Baking soda is most commonly used as a cleaning powder, and you can add lemon juice to it. With a damp cloth or sponge with this powder, you need to wipe the surfaces in the refrigerator, removing all dirt. Pay particular attention to rubber seals and hard-to-reach corners. In such places, bacteria like to hide, feeding on the remains of food stuck there. Soda not only effectively cleans dirt, but also kills microorganisms by acting as a disinfectant. Lack of soda - it cannot be used to clean rubber seals, they begin to dry out and lose their characteristics.

Another effective use of baking soda is odor absorber... Small cups (saucers) with soda are placed in the refrigerator (you can on each shelf) and left for several days (up to 2 weeks) until the smell disappears. Instead of soda, activated carbon, slices of black bread, citrus peel, coffee grains are often used. But these measures will only help in eliminating odor, but will not destroy microorganisms (the main cause of bad odor).

First, you still need to wash the inside of the refrigerator and get rid of spoiled food. And only then use odor absorbers. Some housewives do not recommend using coffee, peels or citrus pieces and aromatic herbs as flavors and odor absorbers. Of course, they will help get rid of the unpleasant odor, but their own active aroma will saturate the neighboring products.

The main measures for preventing the appearance of an unpleasant odor in the refrigerator can be divided into 2 groups.

• Food, and especially ready-made meals, should be put in the refrigerator only in containers or bags. You can use cling film or paper. All products must be hermetically sealed.
• Periodically wash the refrigerator, shelves and drawers, even if there is no visual pollution and odor... Wet cleaning should be done at least once every 2 months. And, of course, immediately wipe off any dirt that appears (spilled milk or juice, traces of plates of soup, traces of blood from raw meat or fish, etc.).

Smell absorbers are gaining popularity among modern housewives. They appeared relatively recently and are gaining more and more new fans. Absorbers can be made in the form of silicate balls with a special gel or activated carbon inside. Sometimes the dispenser is made in the form of an egg, some kind of fruit or vegetable, and the filter inside is changed if necessary. They can be placed in a far corner where they will not get in the way. One ball can be placed in the fruit and vegetable drawer ("fresh" area). Such balls by themselves do not smell, but they perfectly absorb all the surrounding odors.

There are models of absorbers with ionization function, thanks to which they help to keep food fresh for longer... The principle of operation of such devices is similar to conventional air fresheners. They draw in air and pass it through filters. The purified ionized air is returned to the refrigerator. Modern devices destroy up to 96% of pathogenic bacteria. It is enough to put them in the refrigerator for a while (10-15 minutes will be enough) once a day. If there is a strong odor, the device can be left in the refrigerator until the problem is completely eliminated.

Models with indicators take up little space, as a rule, they are no larger than a chicken egg. Inside they have a charcoal filter that absorbs all odors. A built-in indicator shows the rise in temperature in the refrigerator compartment. This can tell the hostess that the food may go bad. Such models do not last long, on average 1.5-2 months. Then they need to be changed.

Gel models can be of different shapes and with different fillings. The filler includes a gel composition, fragrances, activated carbon, silver particles. Such fillers not only absorb unpleasant odors, but also give off a pleasant aroma. They are completely safe for humans and do not affect the taste and smell of products in any way. Balls with silicate filler work effectively for 9 months, then they need to be changed. They are placed in different compartments of the refrigerator; 3-4 balls will be enough for a large refrigerator. Activated carbon fillers absorb excess moisture. This is especially important in the fruit and vegetable drawer, which is best kept in dry air.

If you do not want to spend extra money on special funds, then you can use the silica gel bags, which can be found in boxes with new shoes or equipment.... Place small bags on all shelves and in drawers, put a couple of them on the shelf in the refrigerator door. This will help not only get rid of the unpleasant smell, but also regulate the humidity inside it. For an average refrigerator, 5-6 sachets will be enough, they need to be changed every 6-7 months.

The most popular brands of refrigerator odor absorbers are Selena (with carbon filter), General Fresh (with activated carbon, one container is enough for the entire refrigerator), Snowter (gel filler), Greenfield (egg-shaped absorber with charcoal filter).

But no odor absorber will help you to deal with the unpleasant odor in the refrigerator, unless you eliminate the cause of its occurrence.