Smell from Fridge

[jackie0]

There's some sort of cream-coloured crust that formed at the edge of the back of our fridge.  It looks like it was previously some sort of foam, that got dry or something.  It smells horrible and has a strong smell.  It took us  a while to find what was smelling in the kitchen. We've peeled it off, and cleaned it, also sprayed a strong air-freshener on it, but the smell came back within one or two hours!!

Does anyone what we can do?

[marcus5771]

I would`nt spay air freshener on it.   Try Lemon juice and wipeing to whole area.

[Hammer]

Look at the back of your fridge. We had some sort of drip tray that collected a spilt pint of milk and left it there, right an top of the motor.

That one smelt really nice!!!

[ann_h]

It's almost certainly milk.

I find salt on a cloth or sponge-scourer works well for getting greasy/stuck bits off the fridge without nasty chemicals, then a good go over with washing up liquid. Rinse thoroughly.

The lemon juice would help cut the grease and deodorise too.

[Jenny Tools]

Place used coffee granules/beans in a open dish inside fridge and this will absorb any unwanted smells.

[jackie0]

Thanks so much.  Hammer, I checked on top of teh motor and there it was - some white tray (part of the fridge), with soem deep brown coloured liquid in it.  Was quite  alot, smelt horrible!!  We used marcus's idea of lemon to clean it all off.  The smell's gone now! Thanks a lot. 

How could the liquid have gotten there though? How would even milk have gotten there? 

[ann_h]

Refrigeration dries food out through evaporation. The water condenses and the is generally a drain at the back/bottom of the fridge. There will be a tube which could do with cleaning with a pipe cleaner (if you can access it) to keep drainage clear. Sometimes there's a drip tray. One I had just dripped onto the floor and dried up. Yum!!!

[jackie0]

Thanks Ann.  Yuk!!  The liquid has actually come back already in two days and is now smelling again!!  Do I really have to keep cleaning in every 2 days, or should I get rid of som things in the fridge?  How do I know what to get rid of? 

[hfulton]

place an onion(cut) in fridge

[secretspirit]

A small dish like a ramekin filled with bicarb of soda will absorb any smells but I've no idea where your liquid's coming from!

[gastwo]

Check that tube that Ann mentioned - it should drain collected water out and onto the white tray above the compressor motor where it will evaporate. Make sure that there is nothing (food, packaging, etc) leaning against the evaporator panel at the back of the inside of the fridge - this could prevent water getting to the drainage tube, and it would just accumulate inside.

[jackie0]

Thanks all! Will check again that nothing's blocking the evaporator panel.