--- title: "Bad Smell in the Refrigerator: Causes and Fixes" description: "A smell that survives cleaning usually has a physical source you have not reached yet." url: "https://refrigeratorrepair.center/problems/refrigerator-smells/" --- # Bad Smell in the Refrigerator A smell that survives cleaning usually has a physical source you have not reached yet. ## What it usually means. Most refrigerator smells are food, and cleaning ends them. A smell that comes back after a thorough clean is telling you that something is in a place cleaning does not reach — spillage under the crisper, water standing in the drain pan, or a drain that has blocked and gone stagnant. A burning or chemical smell is a different matter and should be treated seriously. The 5 causes, cheapest first Answer these first 01 Does the smell survive a thorough clean? 02 Is it a food smell, a musty smell, or a burning or chemical smell? 03 Is there standing water under the crisper drawers? 04 Is it stronger in the fresh-food side or the freezer? 05 Is there anything behind or under the appliance that might have spilled? ## Check these before you book. Bad smell in refrigerator: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything. 01 Remove every drawer and shelf and clean the surfaces underneath them. 02 Clean inside the folds of the door gasket. 03 Pull the unit out if you safely can and check the drain pan underneath. ### Also worth checking - Leave an open box of baking soda in the cabinet after cleaning. - Treat any burning or chemical smell as a reason to unplug rather than to clean. ### How soon does it need a visit? Food smells are not urgent. A burning or chemical smell is: unplug the appliance and do not run it until it has been checked. ## The causes, cheapest first. 5 things bad smell in the refrigerator turns out to be, from spillage under the drawers to burning or chemical smell. [The cost guide](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 no repair ### Spillage under the drawers The most common source of a smell that survives cleaning, because the drawers have to come out to reach it. No repair: check it yourself 2. 02 no repair ### Gasket and door channel The folds of the gasket hold spills and are easy to miss when cleaning. No repair: check it yourself 3. 03 no repair ### Failed food in a rarely used corner Door bins and the back of the freezer are where this hides. No repair: check it yourself 4. 04 low ### Stagnant defrost pan or blocked drain Water standing in the pan underneath, or in a drain that no longer clears, goes musty and the smell is drawn back into the cabinet. [Fixed by drains and leaks](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/drain-and-leak-repair/) [See water collecting inside the refrigerator](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/problems/water-leaking-inside/) 5. 05 varies ### Burning or chemical smell This is not a cleaning problem. Unplug the appliance and have it looked at before using it again. [Book a diagnostic visit](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/services/diagnostic-visit/) 6. What it costs ### Every repair on the site's cost scale, side by side Open the cost guide ## What else it could be. Most often confused with water collecting inside the refrigerator, then condensation inside the refrigerator. [All problems](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/problems/) ### Water Collecting Inside the Refrigerator 4 causes ### Condensation Inside the Refrigerator 5 causes Food safety applies ### Refrigerator Not Cooling 7 causes ### Refrigerator Leaking Water on the Floor 5 causes ## The makes it happens on. 31 makes on this site; bad smell in the refrigerator can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 31 brands](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/brands/) ## Bad Smell in the Refrigerator, where we come out. 9 metros, each with its own page. 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It absorbs some odor but does nothing about the source, so it only helps once the cabinet has been cleaned. Activated charcoal works faster on a strong smell. Replace either one every few months. ### What should I clean the inside with? Warm water with a little dish soap, followed by a wipe with water and baking soda, handles most smells. Avoid strong or scented cleaners inside the cabinet: they leave their own odor in the plastic and can damage the liner. ### The smell started after a long power outage. Where is it coming from? An outage long enough to thaw the freezer lets juices from meat and fish drip into places cleaning does not reach, especially under the freezer drawer and into the drain. After a long outage, clean the freezer floor and check the drain as well as the fresh-food shelves. ### Can the ice and water pick up the smell? Yes. Ice stored in the bin absorbs freezer odors, and a filter past its life gives water a stale taste. Empty the ice bin after cleaning, throw away the first batch, and change the filter if it is due. --- **[Read on the site: Bad Smell in the Refrigerator: Causes and Fixes](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/problems/refrigerator-smells/)** **[Book a visit with RefrigeratorRepair.center](https://refrigeratorrepair.center/schedule/)**