How to remove bad smells from a fridge

A messy fridge can result in bad smells – find out how to clean your fridge, and keep your fridge clean and hygienic with this how-to guide.

25 June 2019

Red and orange thermal water bottles in the door of a clean fridge
Kitchen cleaning

Key steps:

  • Thoroughly clean your fridge to remove the sources of bad smells
  • Baking soda can help to deodorise and soak up smells
  • Counteract fishy or eggs smells with fresh citrus scents in cleaners like Cif Cream Lemon
  • Clean the fridge regularly to prevent bad smells building up

No matter how experimental you like to get with your food flavours, it’s safe to say that no one wants their cheese to smell like eggs – or their eggs to smell like cheese. So if you’re tired of opening the fridge and being hit by the lingering smell of a dinner you cooked two nights ago, you may be wondering how to remove bad smells from your fridge. Well, we’ve got some great tips to help you clean your fridge.

An all-purpose product like Cif Cream Lemon can remove any nasty bacteria that’s lingering inside your fridge and neutralise lingering odours. Never use bleach to clean the inside of the refrigerator, as it could contaminate your food –stick to products that you know are safe to use.

How to remove bad smells from your fridge

If you’re dreaming about a clean-smelling fridge and want to know how to get rid of refrigerator smells, here are three simple steps that will have your fridge smelling fresh in no time:

Step 1: Clean Your Fridge

Cleaning your fridge is simpler than you may think. Start by emptying your fridge of foods – it’s much easier to get started when you’re not having to work around packs of vegetables. Then remove any shelves or drawers from the fridge – these can easily be cleaned with warm water and a good dishwashing soap. For the inside of the fridge, use Cif to give all surfaces a thorough clean to remove any sources of bad smells.

Step 2: Use a Powerful Fridge Odor Eliminator

Even if you’ve given your fridge a good clean, you might notice that some strong smells are still lingering. These smells can affect other foods – you don’t want your milk tasting like garlic, do you? That would make for a rather tangy cup of coffee. To get rid of these intense odors, place a small bowl of baking soda inside your fridge. It might sound strange, but baking soda is very absorbent, and it can help to ‘soak up’ any lingering smells in the fridge

Step 3: Regular Fridge Cleaning

Getting rid of smells in the fridge is one thing, but keeping those smells gone for good is another. The good news is that it’s quite easy to do, especially when you keep on top of things. Try to dedicate a few minutes every week to rifling through your fridge and removing any foods that are out of date. These are usually the main sources of bad smells, as rotting foods can give off nasty odours that can contaminate other products. If it’s bad, throw it out. For more on fridge cleaning, take a look at our complete guide.

Now that you know how to clean your fridge, it’s time to think about how you can reduce those bad odours in the future. A good habit to get into is wrapping foods up tightly before putting them in the fridge, or storing them in airtight containers to stop the smells getting out. With these easy tips, there’s no need to worry about being hit with an overpowering stench of onion whenever you open your refrigerator door. You’ll simply have a clean fridge – no fuss.