Say Hello to a FRESH Fridge!

     We all know that here at AZUMA our favorite top is appliances! We not only rent washers and dryers, we also rent Refrigerators in certain markets! We do lots of blog posts about cleaning and laundry, and today I decided I want to cover an issue we have all encountered at some time in our lives: Smelly fridges! I'm going to keep it short and sweet today, but here is a few remedies for our refrigerator blues!

     First, turn your refrigerator off and unplug it. Remove all the items from your fridge. As you go, discard any expired food that is developing into a science project. Place any food you choose to keep in a cooler while you work. Add ice if it will be out for some time for better preservation. Make a mixture of baking soda and warm water. Dissolve 1/2 cup of baking soda into a sink filled with warm water. Take out all shelves, bins and any other removable parts. Wash and rinse all of the parts before thoroughly drying them. Don't forget to wipe as much of the walls and floor of the fridge as you can, even under the crisper drawers. Clean the drip tray. This is located beneath the refrigerator. Be careful because it likely contains dirty water. Remove the grill from beneath the doors, carefully pull it out and dump the contents.

Kitchen items that will conquer the smell: 

• Use baking soda. Keep an open box of baking soda in your fridge at all times. If you want to use it as a cleaning method, dissolve 1/2 cup of baking soda into water.
•  Keep vinegar around. White vinegar neutralizes many of the same smells as baking soda. Put an open cup or bowl in the fridge, or mix it in with water as an effective cleaning solution.  
• Use oats as an odor-absorber. Leave a bowl of oats out in your fridge and this will suck in the bad smells.
• Use coffee grounds. Place dry coffee grounds in a couple of shallow bowls and keep them on different levels of your refrigerator. The smells should go away within a few days.
• Let charcoal absorb bad odors. Similar to the coffee grounds method, place charcoal briquettes in a couple of shallow bowls and put them on different shelves in the fridge. The smells in question should go away within a few days.

     Also, regardless of which method you choose, don't put the food back into your refrigerator until the stench has cleared.  To prevent odors in the future, make a point to look in once a week or so and remove expired food. Try looking right before you take out the trash. It's a good reminder and items don't sit around in your kitchen trash smelling bad. As much as possible, contain foods in airtight containers. They will stay fresher longer and the odors will not spread as much if they do spoil. Until next time, keep it clean! :)