Garlic has an extremely strong smell, and it seems more noticeable when it’s in a closed space such as a refrigerator. Getting rid of a garlic smell in your fridge usually requires items that absorb odors, such as baking soda and coffee grounds, but there are other things that work.
What To Use To Get Rid of a Bad Garlic Smell
A strong garlic odor can be terribly unpleasant, but you can remove it from your refrigerator by using items you probably have in your house, including:
- Baking soda
- Coffee grounds
- Activated charcoal filter
- Newspaper
- White vinegar
- Lemon
- Potato
- Bleach
1. Baking Soda
Baking soda is known for destroying odors, and all you have to do is put some of it in a bowl and place it in your refrigerator. It will soak up the odors before you know it, but make sure you replace it every three months.
2. Coffee Grounds
Before using this method, you’ll want your fridge to have as little food as possible in it. If you have a spare fridge—a fridge in your garage, for example—transfer the food there for the time being. Spread some coffee grounds on a baking sheet and place it in your smelly refrigerator, keeping it there for three to four days. Afterward, remove the sheets and place the food back in that fridge.
3. Activated Charcoal Filter
Activated charcoal can remove bad smells better than a lot of other methods, and you simply set it or hang it in your fridge to do the trick. You can leave it there for up to six months if you like.
4. Newspaper
Believe it or not, newspapers can easily get rid of the smell of garlic in your fridge. Crumple up the newspapers and spritz some water on them. Place the bundle into the fridge and leave it there for several days. After a few days, if you still smell the garlic, remove the newspaper and place a new bundle of it in the fridge.
5. White Vinegar
White vinegar is excellent for removing all types of odors and smells. Always use small amounts of it because vinegar itself has a strong smell. For a medium-sized fridge, you won’t need more than half a glass. Place the glass in the corner of the fridge and keep it there until you don’t smell the garlic anymore.
6. Lemon
You can use lemons to get rid of various odors. Place a slice of lemon on a dish and keep the dish in the fridge until you notice a difference. It usually takes a few hours to get rid of the smell, but you can keep the lemon in the fridge for a week before you change it.
A second method is to slice the lemon into one-inch pieces and place them on a dish. Then sprinkle 1–2 teaspoons of salt and 2–3 teaspoons of baking soda on the lemons and place them in your refrigerator.
7. Potato
This sounds like an odd thing to do to get rid of smells, but it works. All you have to do is place a peeled potato in your fridge and replace it every two to three days until the odors are gone.
8. Bleach
Read the CDC’s guidelines for cleaning your fridge before you begin. Remove all food from your fridge. Wash the removable parts of the fridge by hand with hot, soapy water. Wipe the interior of the fridge with hot, soapy water. Mix one tablespoon of liquid bleach with one gallon of water and use the solution to clean the fridge. Then wipe everything with clean water to ensure that all the soap and bleach is rinsed away. Let the interior dry completely before putting the food back in the fridge.
If you’re serious about getting rid of the nasty smells of garlic in your refrigerator, you can start with some of the natural methods mentioned in this article.