How to Refresh a Smelly Refrigerator

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How to Refresh a Smelly Refrigerator

Is something fouling the air around your refrigerator? Assuming

it's not a long-forgotten dish left inside, there are two common

causes: mold growing inside the drip pan, or dust overheating on the

condenser coils.

 

Cleaning a drip pan

 

Steps:

1. Remove the grill along the bottom of your refrigerator.

Locate the drip pan, using a flashlight if necessary. The pan should

be sitting on a set of black condenser coils.

 

2. Remove the pan and wash it. Use a mixture of warm, soapy

water and bleach to kill the mold.

 

3. Reinstall the pan and the grill.

 

 

Cleaning the condenser coils

 

Steps:

1. Locate the coils. They look like thin, black radiators and

may be underneath the fridge or attached to the back.

 

2. If the coils are on the back, pull the refrigerator away

from the wall, then vacuum the dusty coils, using the brush and

crevice attachments. Reinstall the refrigerator grill.

 

3. If the coils are underneath, pull off the grill and remove

the drip pan. Vacuum the dusty coils, using the crevice attachment to

get between them (see illustration). Take care not to damage the

delicate coils. Reinstall the refrigerator grill.

 

 

Overall Tips:

To clean coils thoroughly, buy a condenser coil brush. Sold at

home centers and appliance stores, these long, thin brushes are

designed to fit into tight spots.

 

Your refrigerator's electrical parts can produce an acrid smell

if they malfunction. If the strategies suggested here don't cure your

problem, ask a professional to check your system.