If your Frigidaire refrigerator smells like something died in it, it is due for a spring cleaning. This article discusses how to get rid of the smell.
Table of Contents
Frigidaire Refrigerator Smells Bad – How to Fix
To fix the bad smell in your Frigidaire refrigerator, you need to find the source. Do the following things to find it:
1. Turn Down the Temperature
Hot or high temperature worsens the smell of things. However, if the temperature is cold, the refrigerator won’t smell so bad. More importantly, colder temperature settings keep food fresher.
Typically, your refrigerator temperature should be between 35 degrees and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. But if you reside in an area with high humidity, you may consider setting it to a lower point.
2. Check the Food Items in the Door
You may not know it but food stored in the door of the refrigerator goes bad faster than food in other areas. This is because you open the door to use the unit and the cold air dissipates fast. The frequency with which you open the door determines how well the food stores.
So start with food in the door. If you find no rotten or expired one there, check other food items until you reach the back.
Throw out items that are old, even if they are yet to expire. Such items tend to become breeding grounds for bacteria and other microbes.
3. Clean the Refrigerator
Store the remaining food items that emit no bad smell properly. Another refrigerator would suffice but if you don’t have that option, use an ice-packed cooler.
Follow the steps laid out in this article to clean the refrigerator thoroughly.
This step may be your first thought and rightly so. However, cleaning does not solve the problem permanently if you don’t find the source.
4. Sanitize the Refrigerator
After deep-cleaning the unit, it is important to sanitize and take measures to prevent more odors.
To sanitize the refrigerator, use a little amount of bleach to wipe the walls, shelves, and bins inside. You may want to clean the parts again with a clean cloth to reduce the smell of bleach. Vinegar is another great option for sanitizing the unit.
For eliminating the odor, you can place a small open bowl of baking soda in the refrigerator. Baking soda is great at absorbing and removing bad smells.
Other options for eliminating the bad smell are leaving a cloth with lemon juice on it inside the unit, vanilla essential oil soaked in a cotton ball, and even coffee grounds.
It is important to find the origin of the smell even after cleaning the refrigerator. Otherwise, the smell will return in no time. There are a few causes of a bad smell in your refrigerator but the most likely is microbes.
Microbes build due to food crumbs and spillages that are not cleaned. They contribute to the moisture in the refrigerator and bacteria thrive there.
Frigidaire Refrigerator Smells Like Chemicals – What to Do
If you find the smell of chemicals in your Frigidaire refrigerator, do the following:
1. Clean the Condenser Coils
Dirt and other debris that cake on the coils may cause a chemical-like smell because of the location of the coils. If you have cleaned the refrigerator, clean the coils, too.
Your refrigerator’s user manual should have instructions on how to do this job. However, if it does not, simply get a vacuum cleaner, attach a brush, and clean them. A condenser cleaning brush or a leaf blower also works.
Make sure to sweep and clean the floor around the unit afterward. And if you can move it, clean the floor under the unit to complete the task.
2. Replace the Filter
The water filter may be due for a replacement and in some cases, it begins to emit a smell like chemicals.
If it smells like sulfur and your refrigerator has a water dispenser, replace the filter. Then, clean the filter housing and the area around it.
3. Check the Freon
If the smell is close to that of nail polish, it might be a freon leak causing the smell. One sure sign that the gas is leaking is the refrigerator keeps running yet doesn’t get as cold as it should.
Unless you have the expertise to check and replace freon, contact Frigidaire or any other qualified technician to permanently fix this issue.
Check out these other articles…
Frigidaire Refrigerator Making Noise [How to Fix]
How to Clean a Frigidaire Refrigerator [Quick Guide]
Frigidaire Refrigerator Frost Buildup [How to Fix]
How to Replace Frigidaire Defrost Heater [Quick Guide]
Frigidaire Refrigerator Does Not Turn On [How to Fix]
How to Fix a Frigidaire Refrigerator Door Handle [Quick Guide]
Frigidaire Refrigerator Smells Burnt – Solution
Disconnect the refrigerator from electric power as soon as there is a burnt smell coming from it. Next, contact Frigidaire or any qualified electrician to check the refrigerator, find the source of the smell, and fix it accordingly.
Problems with the electrical wiring and connections can cause burning, sometimes evidenced by smoke. Your house may have a fault in the wiring or the light in the unit stays on even with the door closed.
If it smells like burning plastic, it is most likely the plastic that coats wires have become too hot due to a fault in the wiring and is melting.
Other possible causes of the burning plastic smell are faulty fan motors, the defrost heater, and the compressor. You may have to replace the motors, change the start relay, or get a new heater.
Quick Note
Contact Frigidaire as soon as you notice burning smells. But if the Frigidaire refrigerator smells like something rotten, cleaning in and around the unit may solve the problem.
Get Instant Help — Ask An Experienced Verified Appliance Technician
Need expert help? Click here to use the chat box on this page to speak with a verified appliance technician right away. No need for expensive in-home service calls. No appointments. No waiting.