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None of us wants to go to the refrigerator for groceries when an unpleasant odor wafts from the fridge every time it is opened. No matter how much you search, you can’t track down the source. And when you think you’ve identified the culprit, the next day will prove otherwise. It could be strongly aromatic foods, items that spoil quickly, torn or leaking packaging on some packaged foods, or a piece of food trapped somewhere in a spot out of reach where it is decomposing. You can keep cleaning the fridge again and again, but if you don’t remove the source of the smell, your work is literally Sisyphean. Before you manage that, try making a homemade odor absorber. It will take you a few minutes, and the result appears almost immediately. You can also use it when you have nothing in the fridge that would smell.
Homemade odor absorber for the fridge
To make it you only need things you can find at home. First, you will need a plastic bowl. If you don’t have one, use a plastic water bottle and make several holes in it with a heated skewer. Put grated zest from a lemon into the bowl. You can lightly rinse the zest with water before grating. Then add activated charcoal, or charcoal. The kind you use for grilling is sufficient. To make the absorber last longer, you can cover the bowl with a lid, but so that air can get in. The same applies to the bottle. Aluminum foil pierced with holes will do. And the absorber is ready.
Cleaning the fridge of dirt and odors
If you want to remove odors from the fridge walls, use ordinary vinegar. Dilute it with water 1:1, pour into a small bucket and wipe the entire fridge with a clean cloth. Let it dry before putting food back. You don’t have to rinse with water; the vinegar will evaporate, and it will also kill bacteria that you can’t remove with a cloth. Another helper like this is water diluted with ammonia. Use 1 tablespoon of ammonia per 1 liter of water. The procedure is the same as when using vinegar. If you want to disinfect the fridge, pour lemon juice into alcohol and wipe the entire fridge. Let it evaporate for a few minutes, and only then return the food to the fridge.
Remedies that also help
We have already written about them, and many of you have tried them. These include lemon juice, baking soda, rye bread, or apple slices. Everyone has their favorite method and swears by it. Activated charcoal, however, is the most effective way to remove odors. Try it and see for yourself how big the difference is between this remedy and, say, baking soda. If the stove is the queen of the household, then the refrigerator is the king. It therefore deserves proper care.
