To get rid of a fridge smell, find what is producing it, then clean the fridge properly instead of masking it. Empty every shelf and drawer, bin anything past its best, wash the shelves and drawers in warm soapy water, wipe the walls and door seal with a bicarb solution, and flush the small defrost drain hole at the back of the compartment, because that is where sour smells hide. A tub of bicarb soda on a middle shelf then keeps it fresh. If the smell survives a full clean, or it is a burning, chemical or stagnant-water odour, the fridge is telling you something is wrong, and that calls for a technician rather than more cleaning.
Perth summers do a fridge no favours; warm air rushes in every time the door opens and a forgotten container turns quickly. Most of the smells we are asked about are cleaning jobs, but a few are early warnings of a fault. Here is how to tell the difference.
Why does my fridge smell? Find the source first
A bad smell nearly always has one of four sources: food, the drain, the seal, or a warm spot. Take everything out and sniff as you go, opening lids and checking the back of the bottom shelf and the crisper drawers, where liquids pool and leaves rot. If the food does not explain it, smell the drain hole at the base of the rear wall, then the rubber door seal, then the drip tray behind the fridge near the compressor. Rotting food is sharp and obvious. A blocked drain is stale and sour, like a sink that has not run for weeks. A mouldy seal is musty and damp. The drip tray gives off a warm, stagnant odour you notice from behind the fridge.
When a fridge smells bad after a full clean, it was usually cleaned in the wrong place, so ten minutes of hunting is well spent.
How to get rid of fridge smell: the full clean method
This is how to clean a fridge that smells, start to finish. Switch it off at the wall and move the food into an esky with ice bricks. Pull out every shelf, drawer, door bin and rail. Glass shelves can crack going straight from cold into hot water, so let them sit on the bench for a few minutes before washing them in warm water with dishwashing liquid. Scrub the drawer runners and corners, where spilt milk and meat juices collect.
For the cabinet, mix two tablespoons of bicarb soda into a litre of warm water and wipe every surface, including the ceiling of the compartment and the inside of the door. Bicarb neutralises acidic food odours rather than covering them and leaves no scent of its own. Avoid bleach and strong cleaners; they are hard to rinse away and the plastic holds onto the smell. Wipe the door seal last, working the cloth into each fold of the rubber. Leave the door open for half an hour to air, then refit the shelves and load the food back in, oldest items at the front.
Fridge deodoriser options: bicarb, charcoal and what to skip
A deodoriser then stops small day-to-day smells building up between cleans. An open tub of bicarb soda on a middle shelf is the cheapest fridge deodoriser and the one we recommend most; swap it every month or two. Activated charcoal in a fabric pouch absorbs a wider range of odours and lasts longer.
Skip anything perfumed. Scented gels and sprays sit on top of an odour instead of removing it, and a fridge that smells of artificial lemon plus something sour is no improvement.
Smells that point to a fault: seals, drains and warm spots
Some odours are not about the food at all. If the smell is musty and there are black spots in the folds of the door gasket, the seal is letting in warm, humid air and mould is growing where it condenses. Clean it, but also check that the door pulls shut firmly. A seal that is split, hardened or has lost its grip will keep growing mould however often you wipe it, and it makes the fridge run warmer than it should. Our guide to fridge door seal replacement covers the paper test and the fix.
A sour, stagnant smell rising from the bottom of the compartment, often with a little water under the crisper drawers, is a blocked defrost drain. Melt water that cannot get away sits in the channel and goes off. If the fridge is also leaving puddles, our guide to a fridge leaking water covers the shared cause.
Some smells should not be cleaned at all. Hot plastic, a burning smell, or a chemical odour from a fridge that feels warm on the outside all point to an electrical or motor fault, so switch it off at the wall and call a technician. Food turning early is a temperature problem, not a hygiene one; confirm what temperature a fridge should be before you blame the cleaning.
Flush the defrost drain hole
The drain hole is a small opening at the base of the rear wall inside the fridge compartment, sometimes behind a plastic cover or at the end of a shallow channel. Lift the crisper drawers out to reach it. Fill a squeeze bottle or a turkey baster with hand-hot water, not boiling, and squirt it into the hole in short bursts, watching whether it drains away. If it backs up, a length of soft tubing or a pipe cleaner will push the plug of debris and slime through. Once it runs freely, follow with a little bicarb solution to clear the tube.
That water ends up in the drip tray above the compressor at the back. Pull the fridge out and wash the tray too; stale water holds onto the smell. If the drain blocks again within a week or two, ice is forming faster than the defrost cycle can clear it, which is a defrost fault, not a cleaning problem.
When a persistent fridge smell is a job for a technician
Cleaning, deodorising, flushing the drain and wiping the seal are all safe to do at home. It stops being a DIY job when a thoroughly cleaned fridge smells again within days, when the odour is electrical or chemical, or when it comes with water on the floor, a compartment that will not hold temperature, or a compressor that never pauses. A seal that will not grip needs the correct part for the model. A drain that keeps freezing points to a defrost heater, thermostat or control fault behind the rear panel, beside wiring and the sealed system, so it is not something to open up in the kitchen.
That is where our team comes in. CAI Appliance Services repairs fridges across Perth, with fully qualified mobile technicians who come to you. We are an authorised service agent for Bosch and Electrolux, and we repair all major brands including LG, Samsung, Miele, Fisher and Paykel, Smeg and Whirlpool, so the work is done with the correct parts. Call CAI on 0415 343 413 to book a technician.
How to Get Rid of Fridge Smell: the quick version
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Frequently asked questions
Why does my fridge smell bad even after cleaning?
What is the best fridge deodoriser?
How often should I clean a fridge?
Can a smelly fridge mean it is not cold enough?
Keeping the rest of your fridge in good order? Read our related guides on a fridge leaking water, fridge door seal replacement and what temperature a fridge should be, or book a Perth technician with CAI.
