6 Ways to Make Your Fridge Smell Good Again

Best Baking Soda Substitute

Besides baking soda, a number of other kitchen items are capable of removing odors. Our favorite? Vanilla extract! Pour a little vanilla extract into a shallow bowl or bottle cap and set in the refrigerator to absorb odors and make your fridge smell great each time you open it.

Deodorize Your Fridge or Freezer

Add a shallow bowl of freshly ground coffee, uncovered, to your freezer. Leave for a few days and any funky odors will disappear.

You can even reuse the coffee grounds you used to make your coffee this morning!

Vanquish Smells with Vinegar

Use vinegar to make your fridge smell great. Just add some to a small washcloth or paper towel, then place in a shallow bowl in the back of your fridge. Replenish each time the towel dries out, and the vinegar will neutralize food odors throughout your fridge.

SEE ALSO: Clever Cookstr's 20+ Staples You Should Always Have in Your Fridge

Eliminate Odors with Oatmeal

Out of baking soda and need to freshen up the fridge? Try oatmeal! An open container of dry oats in the fridge will neutralize odors even better than baking soda does.

Citrus for Smells

One of the best ways to eliminate odors from your refrigerator is to hollow out a grapefruit or orange, fill it with salt, and place in the back of the fridge. Leave it there until the salt gets completely damp, and then throw the whole thing out and replace. The salt draws out the wonderful citrus smell and makes your whole fridge smell like fresh fruit! 

Time to Clean Out Your Refrigerator?

Sometimes, the problem is bigger than just a few food odors flying around. If you need to give your refrigerator a deep clean, don’t use chemicals that can linger on shelves and create toxic odors. After emptying the fridge, simply dissolve a cup of salt in a gallon of hot water and wipe away.  This solution will both clean and deodorize your fridge the safe way!

Squeeze the juice of a lemon into the hot water for a nice citrus scent.

RELATED: Domestic CEO's Kitchen Nightmares

For more cleaning tips for around the house, check out our Cleaning Tips board on Pinterest. 

Keep reading on Quick and Dirty Tips