Smelly fridge!

[StandingAlone]

Our fridge smells awful, either DH or I will clean it out. It is scrubed and cleaned, we remove all shelves and door storage and clean in hot,soapy water and scrub the inside of the fridge with hot water and sterilizing fluid and a bit of washing up liquid.) every couple of weeks.
All half used bits of food (cheese, beans etc) are covered or put in plastic containers or food bags. Nothing is rotting or spilt. I cleaned it out yesterday despite it only being done the previous weekend and it still stinks.

Does anyone have any idea how I can get rid of this smell. It makes me want to heave and makes the kitchen stink every time the fridge is opened.

TIA

[StandingAlone]

either DH or I will clean it out every couple of weeks

[GingerSnapsBack]

Try cutting about half a ft off an old pair of tights at the toe end, filling it with coffee instant or ground is fine, and tying it then pop it in the fridge. Failing that give it a scrub with bicarb or put a wee bowl of bicarb in and just leave it. Both draw odours into them.

[FreePeaceSweet]

Have you tried attacking the drainage pipe with cotton buds soaked in bleach? Our fridge was stinky too and nothing helped. My friend recommended having a really good pick at the drain hole and to keep a old coffee jar lid filled with a mix of coffee granules and bicarb at the back to neutralise smells. It certainly helped.

[StandingAlone]

Thank you, I will give the bicarb and coffee grounds a go. I will attack the drain thing after I have dropped DD1 off at school.
Thank you

[PigletJohn]

is it smelling inside or from round the back?

a couple of things worth looking at

the fridge defrost melt water usually runs down the back wall into a gutter, then into a small pipe which goes into a dish on top of the motor to evaporate. Food scraps on the back wall get washed into the gutter and pipe. Clean them out (the gutter might pull off, read the instructions) and see if the pipe is blocked with mould or food scraps. Blood from meat is especially bad. You will have to unplug the fridge and pull it away from the wall to remove anything mouldy from the evaporation dish at the back, and verify that the tube is not blocked. Do not allow water from the dish to spill onto electrical parts. Some people use pipe cleaners but it is essential not to use a coat-hanger or anything that might damage the plastic pipe.

Also look at the door seal. It may have grooves that can hold e.g. spilt milk. Sometimes you can run a sponge along the groove and with the door open it will open up.

[Elki2]

Just been reading the posts about smelly fridges, if the smell is old food that's okay but if there is a chemical smell it could be that the coolant is leaking a gas that is dangerous when inhaled. The best thing to do is keep the fridge door shut & open windows, then get someone who is qualified to dispose of it safely. I'm not a young mum, I'm an old Grandma with three gorgeous grandsons & realised that not many people are aware of gas in fridges, we weren't untill it happened to us a few days ago.

[Janehop76]

I have found the source of the bad smell at the back of my Lec fridge. A grey tray which is full of cheesy gunk following a cream spill a week ago. The tray needs to be emptied but I can't lift it off the condenser (?), it seems to be very firmly attached and, without removing it, there is not enough space to get a sponge in to mop it all up. I've unscrewed the back plate of the fridge but it seems firmly attached and haven't the confidence to go any further. Help!