Causes of unpleasant odours in the refrigerator
Bad odours in the refrigerator are caused by a number of things. How is it possible that these unpleasant odours can remain, even when you clean your fridge regularly?
1. The refrigerator itself
The refrigerator has a hole in the back for draining water. This hole leads to the tray above the compressor at the back. The water then dries up thanks to the heat from the compressor in the refrigerator. This is no problem when it is just water, but when it is other liquids, such as juice, this can result in unpleasant odours.
2. Mould
Mould may also be the cause. Mould grows in the smallest, most inconspicuous places and can spread unpleasant odours.
3. Rotting food
In addition to mould and the drainage hole in the back wall, rotting food can also cause a smelly fridge. This bad odour can spread through your entire refrigerator and remain for a long time, even after the rotting food has been thrown away.
5 fridge cleaning tips to prevent a smelly refrigerator
The following tips will help you keep your fridge as clean as possible and prevent unpleasant odours.
1. Paper towels in the refrigerator
To avoid extra fridge cleaning, lay two paper towels in the fridge door. These will catch any droplets and help prevent rings. The fridge door will remain clean.
2. Prevent unpleasant odours in the refrigerator
Put a shallow bowl of baking soda in your refrigerator to help prevent unpleasant odours. Baking soda will absorb the bad smells.
3. Set the fridge to the correct temperature.
Make sure your fridge is set at the right temperature. The advice is to set the temperature between 3° C and 4° C. This prevents the inside of the fridge from becoming too warm and products begin to go bad. Did you know that 25% of households do not have their fridge set at the correct temperature?
4. Check the contents of your fridge regularly
Check the products in your refrigerator regularly so that any rotting food can be thrown out quickly.
5. Containers for products such as cheese and sandwich meats
Use containers for, for example, meat and (French) cheese to prevent their odours from spreading through the entire refrigerator as well as to keep them fresh as long as possible.
Thorough and hygienic fridge cleaning
Follow these steps for the best way to clean your fridge:
1. Turn off and unplug the refrigerator.
2. Check the expiry date on all the products and remove those that have expired. Check products that do not have an expiry date, such as fruit, for any signs of rotting.
3. Start by cleaning the refrigerator. Remove shelves and glass plates where possible and clean them with soap and water or, even better, with HG hygienic fridge cleaner.
4. Then clean the rest of the fridge with a clean cloth with warm water and washing-up liquid or the special HG hygienic fridge cleaner. Do not forget the rubber closures in the door.
5. If you used soap and water it is important to make sure that the entire fridge is dry before putting everything back in. Use a clean tea towel to dry the inside of the refrigerator very well.
If you have a free-standing fridge that is not built in, then it is also important to clean the back of the refrigerator regularly as well. Lots of dust collects there and increases power consumption: all the dust means the cooling mechanism has to work harder. Remove dirt and dust carefully with a vacuum cleaner (low setting) or a soft broom.
More about the hygienic refrigerator cleaner from HG.
HG hygienic fridge cleaner keeps the inside of any refrigerator clean. This fresh-smelling fridge cleaner spray is ideal for quick and hygienic fridge cleaning without streaks. It is easy to apply, leaves a fresh smell and drying is unnecessary because HG hygienic fridge cleaner is fast drying. So your fridge cleaning chore is done much faster than with just soap and water.
And do not forget the built-in freezer. If you do not keep an eye on the built-in freezer, you can get a lot of ice build-up. All of this extra ice means your refrigerator has to work much harder to maintain the cold temperature, which means higher electricity bills. So during your fridge cleaning, remember to clean the freezer too! Let the ice melt or use HG freezer de-icer to melt it super-fast, so frozen foods do not have time to thaw.
Do you have a good tip on how to clean a fridge? Let us know!
