A professional cleaner shared four hacks you can use today to combat bad smells in the home, one of which will help you to remove unwanted odours from the fridge
Foul odours can be extremely off-putting and when they’re coming from the fridge, they could eventually ruin the flavour of your food. Appliances are sometimes forgotten during cleaning sessions, but hygiene is crucial for maintaining food freshness, reports the Express.
Nevertheless, to tackle any persistent smells, a professional cleaner known as Zapatas Cleaning Services has revealed four of her top tricks to eliminate bad odours in a TikTok video from September. One method uses a baking essential to disguise terrible smells.
Kellsie explained: “As a pro cleaner, these are four tricks I swear by for smelly spots in the home. They work way better than candles or sprays and they’re quick fixes you can try today.”
How to get rid of bad fridge odours
Fridges can quickly become grubby with spillages and food remnants. If the shelves and interior of the appliance aren’t cleaned thoroughly, you might be left with persistent odours which can be unpleasant.
Should you discover that the smell cannot be eliminated by disposing of rotten food, you’ll need to carry out a comprehensive deep clean. Remove all shelves and drawers from the fridge, cleaning them thoroughly.
Kellsie explained that the key to banishing those nasty smells is vanilla extract. Combine two tablespoons of vanilla extract with one and a half cups of water in a spray bottle.
Clean every surface with the spray using kitchen roll or a microfibre cloth, but don’t rinse. Kellsie explained: “Vanilla keeps deodorising, so your fridge smells fresh long after you’re done cleaning.”
When it comes to using vanilla extract to help with odours, food extract producer Nielsen-Massey explained that they should be used with caution as extracts are primarily used for baking. They suggested applying a few drops of the vanilla extract to the sponge directly for a stronger scent.
If you want to stay clear of cleaning fridge shelves with chemical products, there are some natural alternatives. The experts at Delish suggested lemon, baking soda and salt.
Delish explained: “If you open a box of baking soda, let it sit in your fridge and it’s not absorbing those aromas, slice some lemon and sprinkle it with baking soda and salt, and let them sit on a plate in the fridge. That should do the trick.”
Bicarbonate of soda can prove highly effective at banishing unwanted smells by neutralising acidic scents. Since bicarbonate of soda is alkaline, contact with acidic odours triggers a reaction that neutralises them.
The chemical process between the bicarbonate of soda and acid neutralises or creates a less pungent compound. This ultimately alters the pH balance, helping to eliminate the unpleasant smell.
Lemon works to banish unwanted odours by delivering citric acid that cuts through bacteria. It’s also a natural antibacterial, antiseptic, and bleaching agent, helping to slice through grease, lift stains, and destroy bacteria, making it a versatile environmentally-friendly substitute for commercial cleaning products.
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