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Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Housekeeping

how do you clean the draining hole Im your fridge?

27 replies

mosaica · 22/12/2012 13:05

Help please!

My fridge absolute stinks. I cleaned it top to bottom and realised the smell came from the draining hole at the bottom me the fridge. I tried to clean it but obviously haven't done it well, as the smell is still there, its even worse if possible! Any tips?

OP posts:

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Wingedharpy · 22/12/2012 14:45

I clean mine with a cotton bud.
Make sure you pull out the fridge and empty the water collection tray thingy at the back (if it has one - which presumably it does as the water has to go somewhere).

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janek · 22/12/2012 15:08

Water collection tray? What does it look like? I've had my fridge over ten years and have never done this....

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FlibberdeGibbet · 22/12/2012 15:13

Water collection tray! WTAF! I have a built in fridge, and regularly (well, whenever it looks gunky) clean out the hole with a cotton bud, but never given much thought to water draining down there.....

I am now worried that a tidal wave of fetid fridge overspill will engulf my kitchen imminently...

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TimeForMeAndDD · 22/12/2012 15:39

A plumber once advised me to broddle the drainage hole regularly with a cable tie to keep it clear as the broddle thingy that comes with the fridge isn't long enough to get to where it matters. So I use a cable tie then follow up with a cotton bud. HTH

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Cantbelieveitsnotbutter · 22/12/2012 15:50

I cotton bud it then pour hotish bleach or detergent through it... Make sure you know where your outlet is though

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chickensarmpit · 22/12/2012 15:50

I had no idea fridges had a water tray, i bet mines minging!

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PigletJohn · 22/12/2012 16:07

it is a dish on top of the motor. The heat evaporates the water. You have to unplug and pull the fridge away from the wall to get at it. It will be full of grime and fungus. Putting food against the back wall (especially meat) leads to juices running down the drain.

be careful not to allow water to drip or spill onto any electrical part.

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PigletJohn · 22/12/2012 16:08

(pouring bleach or water down the pipe might make the dish overflow)

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Wingedharpy · 23/12/2012 03:19

I didn't know my fridge had a collection tray either until I caught sight of the back of the fridge one day when we had to move it out of the kitchen completely to have new flooring laid.
There wasn't a lot of water in it as most had evaporated but the water that was there looked a bit like engine oil thanks to the dust, muck and bullets that had collected in it for the many years the fridge had lived with us.
It truly was a health hazard so it maybe you too have a foul tray and it's that which is causing your foul smell OP.

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Nonnus · 23/12/2012 18:04

How do you do this if you have a built-in fridge?

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PigletJohn · 23/12/2012 18:20

dunno

maybe you have to leave it until the heaving mass of fungal growth pushes your fridge over.

Or maybe you can get to it underneath? Perhaps the instruction say.

How do you get dead mice out from behind a built-in fridge?

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HollaAtMeSanta · 23/12/2012 18:45

This thread has upset me. I have lived in my apartment for 7 years and the fridge was there when I moved in. I have never moved it and couldn't if I wanted to as it is a monster fridge freezer and I am on my own. What do I do?

Have always vaguely wondered where the water drains to but decided it was better not to dwell on it...

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janek · 23/12/2012 21:23

Same here! I knew there was a hole that drained. I couldn't dwell on where to, i didn't like the thought of the answer...

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tangfastico · 21/03/2016 13:12

I shouldn't worry about health hazards. The smell may be a problem if it does smell. Just clean it out with a cable tie and cotton bud occasionally and it should be fine. I'm sure most people don't even know there's a drainage hole!

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nannygoatgruffalo · 21/01/2018 14:56

Read this entire thread and it made me laugh! Don’t tell your kids what horrors lurk at the back of your fridge! A rat ate a hole in the back of my fridge last winter and then I decided to mend it today with expanding foam. It was full of black gloop with eyes in it

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BrutusMcDogface · 21/01/2018 18:47

I use a wire curtain hanging thingy on the recommendation of someone I know. It's a built in one though, so no idea how to get the water tray thingummy out- been here nearly 10 years and haven't ever seen it, let alone done anything to it......

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DontFundHate · 22/01/2018 08:49

Draining hole? In the fridge?

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bouncydog · 22/01/2018 21:47

DD moved into an apartment with an awful smell. We eventually traced it to the fridge and realised the previous tenant had spilled milk down the drainage hole. It was grim! We had to unplug and up-end the fridge and cleaned it with some special anti bacterial cleaner from the lab where she worked! The landlord even had contractors investigating the roof space for dead birds it was so awful.

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Lookingtothehighlands · 23/01/2018 08:42

I use a piece of florists wire bent back on itself about a cm or 2 to form a hook. You can fish out loads of slimy gunk. Very satisfying.

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WellTidy · 23/01/2018 12:26

Do you wrap anything around the wire/cable? Like tissue or something? I am wondering how the gunk would be able to attach to the wire. Mine is an integrated fridge so I need to be inventive!

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MrTumblesSpottyHag · 26/01/2018 07:30

Stick a straw down the drainage hole and blow in it to clear blockages.

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HKPurchas · 24/04/2018 23:04

We've just used a straw sellotaped onto the end of our turkey baster and sucked all the water out of the drain hole. Worked a treat!

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Hattifattenner · 25/04/2018 08:18

I have NO IDEA what any of this means?! Fridges have water in them?! What?! Surely they'd need plumbing in?! Huh?

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brains101 · 11/05/2018 13:49

Pipe cleaner, like the children's craft ones do the job nicely

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Orange1973 · 31/05/2018 08:39

I’ve had a bad smell for last few months from under fridge (integrated) couldn’t work out where it was coming from so last night I unscrewed from vent and found drip tray full of hard thick brown stuff took 2 hours to clean as it was so awkward to reach relieved is an understatement been driving me mad went down this morning to a lovely clean smelling kitchen 😊

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