Smelly fridge!!

[FormationLap]

Posting for traffic - going out of my mind. Our integrated fridge is so smelly - I have taken EVERYTHING out and cleaned it with hot and soapy water, I've tried bicarbonate of soda with vinegar and scrubbed all the seals and shelves etc. none of the food is out of date, nor does it smell off.

Every time we open the fridge, we get hit with the smell - no where else in the kitchen smells.

My main question is the filter - it's integrated and no idea how to get to it? Anyone want to shed any wisdom?

What gave you actually got in there? Check the food. Things like Mushrooms smell absolutely vile when they start going off.

No mushrooms here - the smell has been there all week and yesterday the fridge was completely empty so it's not the food.

Milk is in date, the fresh strawberries were bought last night, some cans of juice, fresh meat and yogurts etc, but all bought at the food shop yesterday.

Describe the smell?

@Fahbeep off yogurt smell - but nothing was spilt or had been in the fridge long enough to go off.

I've just smelled the current tub of yogurt in there and it's definitely not that.

My fridge has one of those drain hole thingies. I use a cotton bud to clean it .
Last year the fridge made me feel nauseous. I was really I’ll and it wasn’t helping. Of course no one else could smell it so I don’t know if I was hypersensitive or they’re all lazy arses
There was some water under the salad container which didn’t help . Once I emptied and put the drawers and shelves through the dishwasher then cleaned the drainage bit it was 100 times better

Can you take the little bung out of that drain in the back? Then use something thin and absorbent to dig around in it? I have used Q tips in the past. If that's clean, and everything else is clean, put about 2 tablespoons of fresh ground coffee in an open dish, and leave it in the fridge for a few days. It will help a lot.

As PP said it's probably the drain hole. They are vile things if clogged up🤮

Mines is integrated so no idea how to get to the drip tray. I cleaned the opening with bicarbonate and vinegar mix but it still stinks :( I even sprayed some zoflora and left the fridge to air out when empty, but didn't last long and back to being smelly with the same foul smell..

It might not be in the fridge at the front; it might be in the chamber at the back where stuff drains from the bottom. Pull the fridge right out and there’s a compartment at the bottom of its back that deals with liquid. If it gets blocked by bits of sludge draining from inside the fridge, it smells vile.

Free up the hole inside the fridge by poking with a cotton bud. Use a sponge to soak up and remove the rank, probably mould liquid. While you’re at it, mop under the fridge in case some milk or something has spilt under the fridge.

Yeah I've taken that out and cleaned it with a couple of q tips and some bicarbonate and vinegar mixture.

No ground coffee - can I use instant granules? Lol!

It's a built in integrated fridge so I can't pull it out

Yes I use cotton buds to clean out that hole, but have also used one of the small syringes to suck the shit out

I think the water in the drain thing is supposed to evaporate but sometimes gets clogged up

You need to use that green thing to poke, scoop and scrape up. There is generally some smelly gunk that will come out if the fridge smells like that. I wouldn’t ever spray anything in it though, just scoop and wipe, scoop and wipe.

There's nothing coming up

Most fridges have a driptray under them which catches excess water. Sometimes food goes into the drain and into this tray. It smells vile. Check your fridge ( Google it) to see if your driptray is at the front or back. Like you our fridge is integrated and we had an awful problem getting to the driptray

I've found that the little plunger isn't long enough to get to the drip tray. I got a syringe with a long tube online that could reach all the way to the tray. Alternatively you could try a drinking straw cleaning brush or a pipe cleaner, in case it is a blockage.

Oooh good idea with the straw brush...!!! I'm away to tackle haha

Bleach.

Runny bleach poured down the little hole will kill anything festering down the back.

Integrated units can be pulled out but you have to remove the door and find the brackets. If nothing works call the people who fitted it. If that was yonks ago, ask them how you'd go about it. (You won't need to buy new, just find a way to pull out, then slide back in.)

Found the culprit!!!!!

DD came down and asked what was doing then admitted she had spilt milk 2 weeks ago but cleaned it up.... pulled back one of the seals.... 🤢🤢🤢🤢 safe to say the smell will be gone in a mo!

I poured about 2 tablespoon of strong bleach solution down the drainage hole for three or four days - I think the smell was spilt milk that had dripped into the drainage tray at the back and had gone off. If that didn't work I would have had to unscrew all the fittings and take the fridge out of the housing. I'll never have integrated appliances again.

@FormationLap it really has to be ground coffee. Worth buying a small bag!

Cut up an onion or two into wedges and put them on the fridge shelves and in the drawers where they will absorb smells. You can also do this for any lingering smells in the kitchen or in the cupboards.

It's solved!!

Ok I'm back - the fridge stinks again!! Everything was thoroughly scrubbed, including ALL the seals 🤢 I'm now trying the onion tip....

I take it back 🫣