Anyone who has ever used a fridge has probably encountered at some stage or another the dreaded putrid stench coming from who knows where… this problem often compounds when you completely empty the fridge looking for the offending smell and the smell is still there, whilst sniffing the interior of your fridge, it is almost as if the smell is coming from the inside of your fridge itself!

You are probably right there, but what can you do, chuck the fridge out, seems a bit of a waste particularly when it feels like you just bought your fridge. So here are our top ways to get rid of the stank coming from the camp fridge!

1. Clean any spills!

Just like when an oil tanker bins it off the coast of your favourite surf break, the first step to fixing the problem is to start cleaning up. Any leftover food scraps, old crumbs, weird stains, and spills become a breeding ground for bacteria, which is more than likely the culprit, particularly spilled milk from an upturned bottle or that old iced coffee you chucked in with the lid half screwed on.

If your fridge is particularly rancid with food you have left inside for an extended period of time without keeping the fridge on you may think the gig is done and it’s time for a new fridge, but the secret to ridding your fridge of most of the stench is to plug it in to 240 v power and set the temperature to the lowest possible setting, this will allow you to freeze the culprit rock solid and isolate all of the smell causing bacteria.

Leave the fridge to freeze over for a day or two and come back with a garbage bag, don’t try and salvage anything that isn’t sealed in cans, you wouldn’t want to get sick for the sake of a couple of bucks.

Be ruthless and bin just about everything, when it is all out and the fridge is a fresh slate, you can scrape away the frost and ice build-up and you will have easily removed the soupy mess that was sloshing around in the bottom of your fridge.

You will find that simply cleaning the inside of your fridge can result in most of the troublesome odors disappear.

2. Chemical deodorant.

When cleaning your fridge, Bicarb soda is your best friend. By leaving an open container of bicarb in your fridge it will chemically eat all the odors within your fridge. The longer the better but leave the bicarb to sit for at least 24 hours and most mild odors should be gone, when you are done discard the bicarb.

3. Fridge air freshener
Whilst a fridge wont benefit from the addition of a car style air freshener, there are a few things you can add to your fridge to leave a pleasant smell behind. The first being light spritzing of vanilla essence, this will make the fridge smell clean and ready for business, however the scent isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

The next option is to leave a sliced up citrus fruit inside with the fridge running, this will leave a fresh summery smell inside and mask any unpleasant aromas left behind.

Prevent odor from returning from your portable fridge freezer

There is the perfect cure to a stinky fridge, the first thing you can do to prevent smells in future is to keep the fridge running, this will allow it to stay at the correct temperature to prevent bacteria from growing, by setting your Kings fridge using the push button, set and forget control panel to between 0°C and 3°C you won’t necessarily kill bacteria, but it will certainly stop food from turning putrid.

The next option you have to prevent stench from re-developing, is to make sure when the trip is done, you completely empty the components out, and if the fridge is going into storage, it is a great idea to prop open the lid of your fridge to ensure you get plenty of airflow throughout, particularly as the frost on the walls melts, a fridge will need to stay open to allow the moisture that has condensed to evaporate away, preventing a cess pool of old food odour.

It is also a great idea to give your fridge a wipe down before storing it for extended periods, to remove residual bacteria on the internal surfaces.

Fir more information about the full range of fridge freezers and the best ways to keep them running smoothly head to www.4WDSupacentre.com.au call us on 1800 88 39 64 to speak with an expert or visit our stores and dealers to see the gear in person and walk away TODAY with an incredible bargain!