How to Clean Your Smelly Refrigerator

You might have gone to the refrigerator only for the makings of a fine sandwich, but suddenly you are assaulted by the smell of a dead animal that has been decomposing in your fridge for two weeks. The smell is so toxic that you can imagine your kitchen rotted away to the foundation in an hour. But you don't have all day to spring clean your kitchen. And you certainly don't keep Cinderella locked away in your kitchen cupboard. Never fear. Even if you're no housekeeper, you can clean up this mess quite easily.

Trash any expired, moldy, or otherwise questionable foods. Toss the foods. Wash any containers that you plan to keep. If some of the containers you want to save are too crusty to wash immediately, soak them in a sink full of soapy water and continue to the next step in the meantime.

Set aside good foods. When you pull out the remaining items, group them on the counter or table in the same way you group them in the fridge. For example, keep all your items from the door together, keep the items from the top shelf together, and keep the items from the crisper drawer together. This grouping will help you return the items quickly when you've finished cleaning the refrigerator.

Remove refrigerator drawers, trays, and shelves. Pay close attention to how these are arranged so you will know exactly how to reinstall them. Wipe these accessories with a damp rag. However, if they are extremely sticky, you may actually find it easier to wash them with soap and water.

Wipe down the inside surfaces of the fridge. Brush out any crumbs and wipe down the side and bottom surfaces with a damp cloth. Dry the surfaces with a clean towel.

Replace drawers, trays, and shelves. If necessary, dry the accessories you just cleaned. Return them to their proper places.

Put away food. Take the good food you set out in groups and organize it all on your clean shelves and in your drawers.

Use baking soda to eliminate odor. Although your cleaning should eliminate most of the odors, you can use baking soda to absorb any unpleasant smells lingering in your refrigerator. Shake a few tablespoons into the bottom of a mug or cup and place in a corner of the refrigerator.

Strip the outside (optional). If you have time, strip the refrigerator's outside of all papers, photos, announcements, and other similar items. Throw away outdated papers, file anything you need to keep but don't want on your fridge, and replace any photos or items that should remain on your refrigerator. Also, wipe off any smudges on the exterior. If you want to de-clutter your fridge door but don't have time to sort, place all the items in a basket or box and sort them when you do have time.

Take out the trash. The foods you removed from your fridge at the beginning of the process certainly won't stink any less because you put them in the garbage. Take out the trash bag, and your work is done. Unless you really have a huge mess on your hands, you should be able to complete these basic steps in about 15 to 30 minutes.