The new year is here, but there may be some leftovers from 2016 hanging around — literally. After the dinners, parties and celebrations, your refrigerator may still be housing leftovers, expired items, or produce that’s past its freshness, causing bad smells to take over your refrigerator and be difficult to remove. The following steps can help you deal with this problem.
- Remove and Clean. To start, turn the temperature control to off to prevent the refrigerator from cooling while you have the door open to clean. Next, remove all items from the refrigerator, discarding any old or out-of-date items. Then, remove shelves, vegetable bins and inside door sections to prepare for washing. Using warm, soapy water, wipe down the sides, inside the door, bottom, and any non-removable shelves. Be sure and clean the rubber seal around the door as well. Make sure to dry everything well after washing.
- Deodorize. Place an open box of baking soda or a plate of freshly ground coffee in the refrigerator for 24 hours to absorb odors. Some people like to leave a box of baking soda in the refrigerator all the time to help prevent odors. If using the ground coffee, after the 24 hours, add it to your soil to fertilize your garden.
- Set Temperature. Make sure your refrigerator and freezer are set to the manufacturer’s recommended settings. The temperature being too high or too low can contribute to spoilage, and reduce the life of produce. This can lead to more odors issues.
- Freshen. Add a few drop of Vanilla (extract or essential oil) to a cotton ball and leave in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Lemon slices placed around the refrigerator can also create a nice aroma.
- Prevent. Different foods require different storage conditions to maintain the longest shelf life. Make sure foods are kept in sealed containers and stored in the proper bins (i.e., vegetable, dairy, meat) to help them last longer. Check your refrigerator weekly to remove old food and prevent odors from developing.
Your refrigerator is a work horse for your family. Cleaning it regularly will keep it fresh and odor free.
Have more questions? Call us – we’d love to help! Call the professionals at Go Green Plumbing at 336-252-2999 for service 7 days a week/24 hours a day. If water runs through it – We Do It!
