Refrigerators are prone to bad odors from all the different food items it stores. Maybe it’s the overpowering garlic odor from last night’s takeout or onion from the stir-fry you made… or maybe it’s those leftovers you forgot about and the moldy broccoli smell has taken over your fridge. If this describes your current refrigerator situation, there is an easy remedy: A DIY Refrigerator Deodorizer. All you need is baking soda and a few drops of essential oil.
I’ve got a super quick, super easy cleaning tip for you today. Have you ever opened your fridge to the smell of garlic, or worse, something rotting? For whatever reason, these smells seem to invade all the other food in the fridge and, in turn, affects the taste. For example, have you ever had a glass of lemonade that tasted “off” because it was “flavored” by other foods in the fridge? Not good. Here’s an idea to try: Refrigerator Deodorizer.
What You Need to Make Refrigerator Deodorizer
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Ingredients Needed to Make DIY Fridge Deodorizer
- Baking Soda– Baking soda absorbs odors, which is why it is the base of this refrigerator deodorizer recipe
- Essential Oil– Be careful on which type of essential oil you chose. While I love the smell of lavender, I don’t really want my fridge to smell like a lavender field. I would recommend a citrus oil, like lemon or orange… Not sure where to buy essential oils? Check out this post.
Supplies Needed for Homemade Fridge Freshener
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Spice Jar– You can always repurpose a spice jar you already have on hand. If you need to remove any stickers from the jar, try our natural DIY Goo Remover.
- Funnel (Optional)- Using a funnel makes it easier to pour the fridge deodorizer into the spice jar without spilling it all over the counter.
How to Make DIY Refrigerator Deodorizer
Start by filling a spice jar with baking soda. This ensures you have the right amount of baking soda for your jar. I recommend using a funnel to avoid spilling the baking soda all over the counter.
Pour the baking soda from the spice jar into a small bowl and add a few drops of essential oil. I recommend 3 drops of essential oil for every 1/4 cup of baking soda. I had about 1/2 cup baking soda so I added 3 drops lemon essential oil and 3 drops orange essential oil. You want the essential oil to provide a fresh scent for the fridge, but you don’t want it to be overpowering and make everything in your fridge taste like citrus.
Thoroughly mix the baking soda and essential oil, and pour it back into the spice jar. (Again, a funnel comes in handy.)
How to Use A DIY Fridge Deodorizer
Remove the solid lid from the spice jar, but keep the plastic lid (with the holes) intact. Place the fridge deodorizer in the back of the fridge and you’re done. The baking soda works to remove bad smells from the fridge, while the essential oils gives off a fresh scent.
Common Questions About Homemade Fridge Deodorizer
How long does DIY Refrigerator Freshener Last?
DIY refrigerator deodorizer should last anywhere from 1-3 months before needing to be replaced. When using a smaller spice jar, the baking soda may reach its “maximum odor absorbing potential” after a month or so, however, you can use a larger jar (like a mason jar with a daisy lid), and the deodorizer will last longer.
Can I Reuse the Baking Soda From the Fridge Deodorizer Once It’s Done Freshening?
Do not reuse the baking soda for food preparation. The baking soda has absorbs a lot of odors which will taint the food… not only that, there are added essential oils and I do not recommend consuming essential oils. It’s best to just throw out the baking soda.
Are There Other Ways to Freshen My Fridge?
While I have not personally tried them, there are charcoal fridge deodorizers that claim to last years in the fridge. This is an alternative you can consider if you’d rather not make your own fridge deodorizer every few months.
DIY Refrigerator Deodorizer
Ingredients
- Baking Soda
- Essential Oil Citrus Essential Oil Works Best
Supplies
- Mixing Bowl & Spoon
- Spice Jar
- Funnel Optional
Instructions
- Fill the spice jar with baking soda to ensure you have the right amount of baking soda for the fridge deodorizer
- Pour the baking soda from the spice jar into a mixing bowl
- Add 3 drops of citrus essential oil for each 1/4 cup of baking soda and stir
- Pour the baking soda & essential oil mixture back into the spice jar and replace the plastic lid (the one with holes in it)
- Set the refrigerator deodorizer in the back of your refrigerator to naturally freshen the fridge
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I love this idea, I think that I would use a small canning jar with a mesh sprouting lid on it, So that the smells could get released but if it happens to get tipped over, not much would spill out.
This is a great idea. I also use the bottle while I’m in the kitchen, if my garbage is starting to smell, I grab my bottle out of the fridge and hit a few sprinkles into the bin.
Thank you for sharing. I’ve been looking for an alternative to buying the store bought baking soda boxes with the mesh sides every month. A spice jar is a great solution. How often do you change out the baking soda?
I would recommend replacing the baking soda every 1-3 months.
I have used baking soda in the fridge for years! Love the idea of adding essential oils.
The addition of the essential oil certainly isn’t overpowering, because, like I said, I don’t want to overwhelm the fridge with citrus scent either, but I thought it was a nice idea to add a little freshness. If you want to add a little essential oil for more fragrance, you certainly could. Depends on what you prefer.