Keep Your Refrigerator Smelling Fresh

Keeping your refrigerator in tip top shape and those odors at bay has never been so easy. The first thing I usually do after detecting an odd odor is to remove all the left over food that may be stored. Even if some of the food was just put in for keeping, it may also have absorbed some of the odor itself. And I don't think I'd want to keep it if it is. So the best way to start is by making sure all leftover food is cleared out. And then follow up with the 6 easy steps below for keeping your refrigerator smelling fresh and clean.

- On a monthly basis, wipe the insides of your refrigerator out with a solution of white vinegar and water. It is said to work best if you heat the solution up in the microwave for approximately 45 seconds. Be extra careful when dealing with any heated liquids to avoid burns.

- As an alternative to vinegar and water, you may also try wiping the insides of your refrigerator out with a mixture of half chlorine and half water. This method has also been proven to cut down on any mold you may see from time to time around the rubber seal of the refrigerator doors.

- Ok, this next tip may sound very odd. But it is said to be really a tough smell catcher. Take a bowl and fill it with cat litter. Any kind will work except the clay kind. Place the bowl in your refrigerator and shut the door. After about three days, your refrigerator should be back to smelling nice and clean.

- Charcoal is another great unexpected item you can use to absorb those fowl smells. Place a few chunks on a paper towel or cloth and place it in the back of your refrigerator. And within 24 hours you should be able to detect a huge difference.

- Another very inexpensive idea is to place a cotton ball saturated with vanilla extract inside your refrigerator. Place a couple around if the bad smell is very noticeable. And apply more extract as need.

- And my last tip is a very well known method. It is placing a box of opened baking soda (found at any local supermarket for around $.59) in the back of your refrigerator on the bottom shelf. It will also absorb foul odors and give your refrigerator a fresh clean smell. You can replace the box when needed, which will probably be about every 3 months.