18 answers

Need Help with Stinky Fridge!

Hi moms,

When my in-laws were here for X-mas they left a huge bag of crab legs in my fridge. The bag leaked and the crab juice leaked all over the place. For the past 6 months, I have tried everything to get rid of the smell (lemon juice, baking soda, vanilla, simple green). It is now reaching the point where it stinks up my entire first floor every time I open the fridge door. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of the smell?

Thank you!!!!!!

What can I do next?

Featured Answers

I remember my Grandma filling a stinky fridge with balls of crumpled up newspaper to absorb the odors. Just set them on the shelves and shut the door.

Hi A.;
I've never had a problem with crab but there has been a time or two that I had some steaks go bad and stink up the place and what I did was, like you, washed it out with baking soda, then used some grapefruit oil and found that didn't help until I opened up the door under the fridge and found the drain hose needed cleaned and also the pan that the stuff drains into and got that all cleaned with good soapy water then after washing the fridge again I put boxes of baking soda in, one in the fridge and one in the freezer. It did help so I hope it works for you.
Good Luck;
J.

More Answers

Possibly an opened can of ground coffee would help with the odor. Buy a cheap brand, open it up, stick it in the fridge taking care to notice what else you have in the fridge because the smell may leach over to other foods that may not be covered up or in containers. You may end up switching one smell for another but at least it would not be a seafood smell! Good Luck!

Hi A.;
I've never had a problem with crab but there has been a time or two that I had some steaks go bad and stink up the place and what I did was, like you, washed it out with baking soda, then used some grapefruit oil and found that didn't help until I opened up the door under the fridge and found the drain hose needed cleaned and also the pan that the stuff drains into and got that all cleaned with good soapy water then after washing the fridge again I put boxes of baking soda in, one in the fridge and one in the freezer. It did help so I hope it works for you.
Good Luck;
J.

How about some old fashioned vinegar? That usually neutralizes most strong smells without the chemicals.

Have you take the frig apart and sprayed it with beach? Let it sit for a while and wipe it down. Clean the shelves while the frig is sitting. Hopefully this will help.
C. B

wash the area with a solution of bleach water. Dry thoroughly. Place some ground coffee beans on that shelf. Change them out as needed.

Hi A.,

Does'nt it just irk you when people don't clean up their mess right away? I feel ya. Have you tried taking a solution of water/bleach on a paper towel, (wet enough to set on the area for an hour or so.) Hope that helps.

Blessings,
C.

Definitely the vinegar solution! It is so awesome! I use it for so much. You can also soak a piece of bread in it and leave it in your fridge overnight. I'm not sure if you need to take your items out or not though. Google "vinegar solutions" and you get a whole lot of ways to use vinegar as a natural cleaning agent! It's really quite fascinating!!!!

Try Clorox Cleanup w/bleach. The stuff works wonders. Also, make sure you pull out and clean thoroughly every single shelf and compartment from the fridge. We had a bunch of meat defrosting in our fridge a couple of months ago and it leaked everywhere. We had to take the entire fridge apart to get into all the cracks and crevices where the stuff leaked. Good luck!

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