- When perishables go past their use-by date, they will become sour, moldy and give off a stomach-turning aroma that will quickly fill your refrigerator. Other foods stored in the fridge can absorb these unpleasant odors, affecting their taste. Furthermore, the odors trapped in your refrigerator can seep into the home, causing your kitchen to smell funky.
- Before the actual cleaning process begins, you must remove the offensive foods causing the odors. Check expiration dates as well as examine and smell the food items. Even if the food hasn't past its expiration date, it still could smell or look sour. Toss all unwanted, moldy, sour and expired items in a trash bag. It is best to remove unwanted and expired food from your refrigerator the day before sanitation workers are scheduled to pick up your garbage. This allows you to remove the food without having it sit in your trash can for too long of a period.
- Clean the inside of the appliance to get rid of any lingering odors. To begin, store all perishable items you are keeping from the fridge in a cooler filled with ice to keep them from spoiling. Turn the temperature dial -- generally located inside the fridge towards the top or bottom -- to the "Off" position. If your refrigerator features removable shelves, remove them from the appliance and submerge them in a sink filled with hot, soapy water. Use a nylon scrub brush to scrub away stuck on food, grime and dirt on the shelves. Rinse the shelving clean under running water and wipe dry with a towel.
Once the shelves are cleaned, dry and placed in a safe location, create the cleaning mixture for the inside of the refrigerator. Mix 1 gallon warm water, 1 tsp. dish soap and 1 cup white vinegar together in a bucket. Fill a second bucket with water only. Dampen a sponge in the mixture and start scrubbing the walls, sides, drawers and shelves. Begin at the top and scrub while working your way downward. Use the bucket filled with water to rinse the sponge clean when it becomes dirty. Submerge the sponge back in the mixture and continue scrubbing until you have thoroughly cleaned the inside of the refrigerator. Wipe the inside of the fridge with a damp cloth to remove the mixture residue and dry with a towel. Replace the shelves and the stored food back in the appliance. - To keep refrigerator odors at bay, store items in airtight containers with the proper lid. Setting an open box of baking soda inside your refrigerator can keep odors to a minimum. Baking soda is an all-natural deodorizer that absorbs offensive odors. Replace the baking soda once a month. Furthermore, regularly -- every week -- cleaning out unwanted, expired, spoiled and molded items from your fridge will reduce unpleasant odors.