Banish Bad Smells Inside Your Refrigerator With This Easy Solution

We've all experienced the occasional horror of opening up the refrigerator only to be overwhelmed by a "what is that?" smell. Whether it's lost leftovers, milk turned sour, a stinky onion, or broccoli gone bad (the worst!), hardworking fridges can easily become major odor offenders. First step: Hunt down the source of the smell and get rid of it. If the unpleasant scent lingers on, these easy-to-make baking soda DIY fresheners are perfect for storing in the refrigerator. They'll both absorb odors and leave behind a natural, fresh scent.

Ana Stanciu

Step 1

Add all of the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and stir thoroughly to disperse the essential oil. The consistency should be clumpy, like wet sand. If it's too dry, add a bit more water. If it's too runny, add more baking soda.

Ana Stanciu

Step 2

Transfer the baking soda mixture to a mold, like a muffin tin that's preferably made of silicone. Press the mixture down as you scoop it in so the baking soda compacts and sticks together.

Ana Stanciu

Step 3

Leave the freshener discs at room temp to dry and harden for 24 to 48 hours. You can also put them in the oven on the lowest temperature for a couple of hours. If the fresheners are not completely dry they may crumble when you remove them from the mold. If that happens, let the remaining discs dry longer and try again after a few hours.

Ana Stanciu

Step 4

When the fresheners are completely dry, pop them out of the mold and store them in a lidded container to preserve the scent.

Ana Stanciu

Step 5

To freshen the fridge, put one baking soda disc on a small plate and place it in the back of the fridge. If you want, you can use more than one freshener at a time. If the scent dissipates, sprinkle on a few more drops of essential oil or replace with a new freshener.

Ana Stanciu