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I Finally Got Rid of Fridge Smells With Natural Deodorizers That Actually Work
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items Something in your fridge smells wrong and you can't figure out what it is. You've tossed the leftovers, wiped down the shelves, and it still hits you every time you open the door. This is everything I use to keep my fridge, closets, and kitchen smell...
Sections
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Fridge Deodorizer Jars That Actually Absorb Odors
Pure Baking Soda for DIY Deodorizer Jars
Essential Oils That Kill Fridge and Kitchen Smells
Charcoal Bags for Closets and Pantries
Reusable Containers for DIY Deodorizer Setups
Natural Fridge Cleaners to Use Before Deodorizing
Fridge Deodorizer Jars That Actually Absorb Odors
I used to just shove an open box of baking soda in the back and hope for the best. These containers actually let air circulate through the soda so it pulls smells out instead of sitting there doing nothing.
Toss this on the shelf and forget about it for 90 days. My fridge used to smell like last week's fish tacos. Now it smells like absolutely nothing, which is exactly the point.
ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda Fridge Fresh
Grab this if you keep forgetting to replace baking soda boxes. The charcoal filter inside lasts way longer. Perfect for the person who opens the fridge 47 times a day and doesn't want a mystery smell greeting them.
NonScents Refrigerator Deodorizer 4-ct
Tuck two of these on different shelves. They're small enough not to take up produce space, which matters when your fridge is already a game of Tetris. Recharge them in the sun once a month.
Moso Natural Air Purifying Bag, 200g Charcoal Odor
Keep one in the fridge, one in the freezer. I learned the hard way that freezer smells are real after some salmon sat in there for three months. Swap them every 30 days and your nose will thank you.
Customer reviews for Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
Pure Baking Soda for DIY Deodorizer Jars
Half my deodorizer jars are just mason jars with baking soda and a few drops of oil on top. Sounds too simple to work, but it outperformed the $15 gadget I bought last year.
Use this to fill up any jar or container you've got. Five pounds lasts me about four months across fridge, pantry, and bathroom setups. Way cheaper than buying single-use deodorizer pods.
Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda, 12 lb.
Grab this if you also bake and want one bag pulling double duty. I pour some into a jar with holes poked in the lid, set it in the back of the fridge, and swap the soda out every few weeks.
Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda, 16oz (Pack of 1)
Pair these with cheesecloth or a piece of fabric over the top secured with the ring. I keep three going at once. One in the fridge, one under the bathroom sink, one in the shoe closet. They work everywhere.
Mainstays Mason Jars 16 oz Regular Mouth 12 Pack
Try the smaller size if your fridge shelves are packed. These fit right next to the milk without getting in the way. Fill halfway with baking soda, add a few drops of lemon oil, done.
Mainstays Small 8 oz Mason Jars 12pk
Essential Oils That Kill Fridge and Kitchen Smells
Not every oil works for deodorizing. Lavender in the fridge made my cheese smell floral, which was a mistake I only made once. These are the ones that actually neutralize instead of just covering things up.
Drop five or six drops onto your baking soda jar and the fridge smells like a clean kitchen instead of leftover curry. Lemon is the one scent that never clashes with food smells. Stock up, you'll go through it.
Nature's Truth Cleansing Zesty Pure Essential Oil
Use this for the freezer jar specifically. Peppermint cuts through that weird freezer burn smell nothing else touches. Also keeps the pantry smelling sharp if you've got onions stored in there.
Customer reviews for Nature's Truth Peppermint
Swap this into your bathroom deodorizer jars. Tea tree has a medicinal bite that actually fights mildew smells under the sink. For anyone whose bathroom always smells damp no matter how much you clean.
Nature's Truth Aromatherapy 100% Pure Essential Oil
Mix a few drops with baking soda for a closet jar. My coat closet used to smell like wet dog after rainy days. Two weeks with this setup and the smell was completely gone.
Customer reviews for 6 Pack
Charcoal Bags for Closets and Pantries
Baking soda handles the fridge, but charcoal bags are what saved my hall closet. I had shoes, coats, and gym bags all sharing one space and it smelled exactly like you'd expect.
Hang one in each closet. These last up to two years if you recharge them in sunlight every month. My coat closet went from smelling like a locker room to smelling like nothing at all.
3 Natural Moso Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bag Odor
Grab the multipack and scatter them everywhere. I've got one in the car, two in the garage, one in the laundry hamper area. For the person whose whole house has little pockets of mystery smells.
California Home Goods Charcoal Deodorizer
Toss one in each kid's room or near the pet bed. They pull moisture too, which helps if your basement gets that damp concrete smell every spring. No fragrance, just clean air.
4 pack, Natural Activated Bamboo Charcoal Bags
Reusable Containers for DIY Deodorizer Setups
I went through a phase of poking holes in Tupperware lids with a screwdriver. These are much better and they don't look like a craft project gone wrong.
Use this on the counter with baking soda and orange peel inside. It looks nice enough that guests won't ask why there's a jar of powder next to your fruit bowl. Wipe it out and refill monthly.
Anchor Hocking Montana Glass Jar with Black Metal Lid
Poke a few holes in the lid and fill with baking soda for the fridge. The clear sides let you see when the soda looks clumpy, which means it's time to swap. Fits perfectly on the door shelf.
Rubbermaid Brilliance 2-Pack | Food storage containers for
Try these tiny jars for individual drawers or cabinets. I put one in my spice drawer because cumin was taking over every other spice. Baking soda plus a drop of lemon oil fixed it in days.
Ball, Mason Jar, Quilted Crystal, Regular Mouth
Keep a set of these on the laundry room shelf filled with baking soda and lavender oil. They seal well enough to transport but breathe when you pop the lid. Way nicer than an open box.
Paksh Novelty Clear Glass Airtight Food Storage Jar
Natural Fridge Cleaners to Use Before Deodorizing
Dropping a deodorizer into a dirty fridge is like putting air freshener in a dumpster. I scrub everything down first, then add the jars. These cleaners don't leave chemical residue near food.
Spray this on shelves and drawers before wiping down. It cuts through sticky spills without leaving that fake lemon chemical smell behind. Safe next to food, which is the whole point of going natural.
Aunt Fannie's, Extra Strength Cleaning Vinegar, 64 Fl Oz
Use this if vinegar smell makes you gag. No fragrance, no residue, just clean shelves. I do a full fridge wipedown every two weeks before refreshing my baking soda jars.
Seventh Generation All Purpose Cleaner, Free & Clear
Grab this for the outside of the fridge and the kitchen counters. The lemon verbena fades fast so it doesn't linger and mix with food smells. Pair it with a microfiber cloth for streak-free doors.
Mrs. Meyer's Multi-Surface Cleaner, Lemon Verbena, 16 Fl Oz
Switch to this if you've got babies or pets and want zero fragrance near the fridge. Cleans just as well as the scented stuff. I use it on the produce drawers where things get funky fastest.
BETTER LIFE Natural All-Purpose Cleaner Sage Scented
Odor Absorbers for Trash Cans and Garbage Areas
My kitchen trash can was the real villain the whole time. I was so focused on the fridge that I ignored the can sitting three feet away radiating smells into the room.
Sprinkle this in the bottom of the can before putting a new bag in. It catches the drips and leaks that make trash cans smell even after you take the garbage out. Do it every bag change.
ARM and HAMMER, Trash and Dumpster Deodorizer Can
Set this next to the trash can or under the sink. It uses plant oils instead of fragrance to neutralize smells. My under-sink cabinet used to smell like a swamp. Two days with this and it was fine.
Fresh Wave, Odor Removing Gel, Original Scent
Toss one of these near the recycling bin. Rinsed cans and bottles still smell, and this handles it without being overpowering. For anyone whose recycling area is in the kitchen and not the garage.
Citrus Magic Odor Absorbing Solid Air Freshener
Stick these under the lid of your trash can. They're magnetic so they stay put. I forgot mine was there for two months and it was still working. Low effort, high reward.
Trash Can Deodorizer Pods, Long Lasting Self-Adhesive
Shoe and Gym Bag Deodorizers
My husband's running shoes almost ended our marriage. Not really, but close. These go inside shoes and gym bags overnight and by morning the smell is actually gone.
Spray inside shoes after every wear and let them dry overnight. My son's soccer cleats went from biohazard to bearable. Keep a can by the front door so nobody forgets.
Shoe Refresher Spray
Stuff one in each shoe when you take them off. They pull moisture and smell out overnight. I rotate between two pairs of work shoes and these keep both from getting that stale foot smell.
Moso Natural Air Purifying Bag 300 g (Pack of 6)
Toss these in the gym bag after every workout. They use activated charcoal so there's no fragrance mixing with sweat smell, which always makes things worse. Recharge in sunlight weekly.
GEAR HALO POD - RinkSide Sports
Trim these to fit inside any shoe. They work on ballet flats, boots, sneakers. For the person who goes sockless in summer and pays for it by August. Wish I'd found these three summers ago.
NonScents Shoe Deodorizer 2pk 4ct Odor Eliminator
Pet Odor Solutions That Don't Use Harsh Chemicals
Two dogs and a cat. My house smelled like a shelter until I figured out the right combination of products. These handle pet beds, litter areas, and that general animal funk.
Sprinkle on the carpet, wait 15 minutes, vacuum. The area around my dog's bed used to clear a room. Now visitors don't even know we have pets until they see the fur on the couch.
ARM and HAMMER, Carpet Odor Eliminator
Spray this on pet beds and fabric toys between washes. It doesn't just mask the smell with perfume. Uses plant-based ingredients so I don't worry about it being near my cat's face.
Fresh Wave Original Scent Odor Removing Gel Refill, 63 oz.
Keep this under the sink for accidents. Enzyme-based so it breaks down the source of the smell instead of covering it. Saved my hardwood floors when we were potty training the puppy last fall.
Rocco & Roxie Supply Co. Pet Stain Odor Remover
Set the large size near the litter box. Changed my laundry room from a place I held my breath in to a room I can actually fold clothes in. Recharge monthly and it lasts two years.
Customer reviews for Moso Natural Air Purifying Bag
Car and Travel Deodorizers Without Fake Fragrance
Those pine tree air fresheners give me a headache in about four minutes. I needed something that absorbs smells without replacing them with synthetic vanilla or new car scent.
Tuck this under the seat and forget about it. My car smelled like old french fries and coffee for months. After a week with this bag, the smell was just gone. No fragrance, no headache.
Moso Natural Air Purifying Bag, 200g Charcoal Odor
Throw one in the glove box and one in the trunk. They last about 30 days. Perfect for the person who eats lunch in their car three times a week and pretends they don't.
FRESH WAVE, Odor Eliminating & Deodorizing Packs
Use a tiny amount. This stuff is strong. Set the small jar in the cup holder overnight with windows up. By morning, whatever fast food smell was haunting your car is history.
OZIUM Odor Eliminator Gel Can, Original Scent, 4.5 oz
Scatter these in the seatback pockets and center console. Great for road trips when the car fills up with snack wrappers and kid shoes. They handle the gradual buildup that sneaks up on you.
Customer reviews for Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bags