Why Your Fridge Smells

Refrigerators do a lot for us. We can fill them with delicious, healthy ingredients or ready-made meals and have fresh food at our fingertips. Yet there comes a time when you find something else in your refrigerator: an unpleasant smell. It's hard to know exactly what might be causing the odor that greets you when you open the door, but here’s a list of likely culprits.

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Food That’s Naturally Smelly

Not all food smells terrific. Seafood, onions, garlic, and soft cheeses like Limburger, Stilton, and Roquefort naturally produce strong smells. If you don’t want those scents to spread to other food, using glass storage containers is the best way to contain them. Plastic containers, while handy and inexpensive, are inherently porous. Over time, as the plastic degrades, those smells can escape into the refrigerator’s interior and greet you when you open the door. 

Spoiled Food

We’ve all done it — brought food home from a work lunch or dinner out with every intention of eating it later. But we forget … and then the food spoils. Or maybe there's half a tomato languishing in the crisper or an apple bruised on the way home that’s now fully browned. Even little tidbits of cheese or an egg cracked in the carton can lead to an overwhelming smell when left unattended. Keep a close watch and quickly remove anything that seems suspicious. 

Dirty Interior

Visible food stains often get immediate attention, but some stains are hidden. For example, if a jar or bottle has residue on the bottom when you put it in your fridge and don’t notice it for a while, bacteria can grow and cause an odor. When you clean the fridge, remove the lower drawers because grime and spills often hide underneath. Additionally, check the door gasket, as bits of food or drops of liquid can easily be caught in that rubber seal. 

Moldy Drip Pan

A pan under your refrigerator collects condensation and defrosted ice from the freezer. That moisture is a terrific breeding ground for mold and bacteria, which may lead to an unpleasant odor. Check your manual for the specific location of your drop pan. Once you find it, wash it thoroughly with warm water and detergent, and dry well before replacing it. If you can’t remove the drip pan, use paper towels and disinfectant wipes to do the best you can.  

Freon Leak

Not all smells are created equal. Most of us have interacted with a piece of fruit that’s gone bad or a takeout meal that’s lingered for too long – we know what that smells like. So, if you open the refrigerator and encounter a chemical smell (like vinegar, nail polish remover, or ammonia), it’s time to call in a professional. Freon is a refrigerant gas that has been used as a cooling agent in refrigerators for many years. While it has changed over time, because of environmental concerns, it may still be present in your fridge. A repair technician can diagnose the problem and offer a solution. 

Something Hidden on the Outside

Even though you swear that a smell hits you when you open the refrigerator door, the odor might be coming from under or behind the appliance. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall, taking care not to yank, which can dislodge the water line to the ice maker if you have one, and sweep out what might be hiding there. Also, use a mop or broom to clean under the appliance. You never know what you might find.  

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