It's not pleasant at all to open your refrigerator door and detect bad smell. Knowing about different reasons of refrigerator bad smell can help you to prevent it. Here we are going to talk about the ways to avoid this problem.
Why is my refrigerator smelling bad?
There are various reasons for a smelly refrigerator, from technical reasons to factors related to food storying. We're going to talk about them one by one.
Unclean refrigerator smells bad
The most important reason for refrigerator bad smell is food debris remaining inside the fridge. It's the better to clean your refrigerator with white vinegar or a mild detergent before filling it each time. Don't forget to clean the door gasket too.
Warning: never use toxic detergent to clean inside your refrigerator. They can poison the food and change the colour of plastic parts.
Mould build-up makes the refrigerator smell bad
Moulds like damp environment just like what we have inside the refrigerator. They can easily contaminate food and produce bad smell. So, pay attention to the expire date of the food inside the fridge and remove them before making your fridge smelly.
Too high or too low temperature can make the refrigerator smelly
If the refrigerator is not cold enough, the food will soon become mouldy and produce bad smell. If the refrigerator is too cold, frost is built which can produce a bad damp smell. So make sure the refrigerator thermostat is working properly to avoid any bad smell in the refrigerator. Replace the thermostat if necessary.
Tip: the suitable temperature for the refrigerator is between 3 to 4°C.
Warning: some dangerous bacteria like salmonella can contaminate the food if the refrigerator is not cold enough.
Frost buildup and refrigerator smelling bad
If the defrost operation is not properly done in the refrigerator, there will be frost build-up. Frost itself can produce a bad damp smell. On the other hand, it can disrupt refrigerator operation and make temperature fluctuation inside the fridge and make it smell bad. We have talked about fixing a refrigerator frosting up in another article.
Note: check that the refrigerator light is not staying on when the door is closed. It will produce enough heat to help the frost build-up and make the refrigerator smell bad.
Dirty drain pan makes the refrigerator smell bad
If you smell a musty mouldy odour in the house, you should certainly check the refrigerator drain pan. It is usually located on the compressor at the back of the refrigerator and collects the defrost water.
If the water includes bacteria from food debris, it will gradually become smelly and should be cleaned to avoid refrigerator smelling bad.
Faulty compressor makes the refrigerator smelly
If your refrigerator has a burnt or hot smell, it's because of compressor which may be faulty. There should be a gap between the refrigerator and the back wall to allow airflow around the compressor. It's better to regularly clean the dust on the compressor and condenser to promote their efficiency and avoid a smelly refrigerator
Faulty fan can be a reason for refrigerator smelling bad
Fan circulates sir around the compressor and condenser and keeps them cool. If it doesn't work, the condenser temperature goes up and the fridge can't be cold enough. So the food will be mouldy and produce bad smell inside the fridge.
How can I make my refrigerator smell good?
- Keep an open box of baking soda to absorb the bad odour inside your refrigerator. Replace it after 3 months.
- Cut a lemon in half and put it on the refrigerator shelf or drop some lemon juice on a cloth and clean the shelves. Lemon juice kills bacteria and give a good smell to the fridge.
- Leave some coffee grounds on a plate inside the refrigerator.
- Leave a cotton swab soaked in vanilla oil inside the refrigerator for a day.
- Use white vinegar to clean all the refrigerator plastic parts.
Note: don't forget to keep food in an airtight container. It not only prevents its smell from spreading, but also keeps it fresh for longer.
If you need more information about refrigerator operation, don't miss refrigerator training course in HelloTechnic website. Our instructors will teach you everything about refrigerator installation, service, troubleshooting and repair, all through films and animation.
