Tips For Getting the Smell Out of Your RV’s Refrigerator

It’s fairly common knowledge among RVers that RV fridges can smell. But there are a number of reasons why. Depending on the odor, the issue could be anything from food, to mold/mildew, to the interior of the fridge surface, to a mechanical/technical problem with the refrigerator itself. And, as you might imagine, different sources call for different remedies. So in this post, we show you how to get the smell out of YOUR RV’s fridge.

What Is an RV Refrigerator?

An RV refrigerator is any type of refrigeration unit that’s used to keep food and beverages cold in an RV environment. Various types of refrigerators are suitable for use in an RV setting. Depending on your needs and travel preferences, you can determine the best RV refrigerator for you.

Some RVers, particularly full-timers, choose to upgrade to an RV residential refrigerator, but replacing a fridge can be complicated. Not only do you have to get the new one INTO your rig, but you also have to get the old refrigerator OUT (try to avoid cutting it in half, if possible, LOL!).

Why Does My RV Refrigerator Smell?

This is a crucial question because different odors usually indicate different problems. Depending on the smell, you could have an issue with spoiled food or spills, or the rubber components of the fridge may have taken on some mold or mildew. Odors from food and beverage spills, and even just from the presence of certain foods (especially spoiled foods), can seep into the plastic and rubber components, causing lingering odors.

However, if you open your RV fridge door and smell ammonia, you’ve got an ammonia leak to contend with, and that needs to be resolved ASAP.

How to Get the Smell Out of an RV Refrigerator

Depending on the source of the odor, you’ll need to do different things:

Clean

The first thing you’ll want to do if an odor is coming from your RV refrigerator is to thoroughly clean it, inside and out. Remove the bins, clean the fins, and check under the fridge and around (to the sides) if possible. Be sure to clean the drip tray as well. Then, thoroughly (but gently!) clean the rubber seals around the fridge door and door opening.

Use Vinegar

Cleaning your entire fridge with white vinegar (or a mixture of white vinegar and water) can solve the problem of fridge odors. Again, don’t forget the rubber seals around the door itself as well as the door opening. And don’t forget that drip tray! You’d be surprised how often that turns out to be the source of a bad fridge odor. Moisture build-up in the drip tray can lead to mold or mildew growth, which can cause a musty smell.

Check Your Water Filter

If your fridge has a water and/or ice dispenser, replace your fridge’s inline water filter (on an RV, that could be installed beneath or behind the refrigerator itself). Sometimes, mold can establish itself in a fridge filter that hasn’t been changed regularly. Changing your filter is usually worth the effort, and it may well solve your fridge odor problem… though, at a minimum, at least you’ll know water/ice from your fridge will taste better. 😉

Finding your RV fridge’s water filter can sometimes be a chore. OURS was located behind the furnace intake screen, which had to be unscrewed from the wall for access.

Baking Soda

Many people regularly keep baking soda in the back of the fridge to absorb food odors. In fact, this is probably one of the most popular remedies for fridge odors. But, there are a few ways to use baking soda in your RV fridge to combat odors:

• Use it to clean, especially areas that need scrubbing where food has spilled and hardened. The mildly abrasive nature of baking soda can help with the scrubbing of your fridge and can de-odorize fins and drip trays very nicely.
• Another way to harness the benefits of baking soda in your RV fridge is to simply open a fresh box and leave it open in your RV fridge for several days or longer. Or, if you want to get cute/fancy, you can purchase a baking soda holder designed to be placed in your refrigerator 
• Finally, some people choose to pour baking soda into a small bowl and place the bowl of baking soda in the fridge and leave it there. You can also place a small bowl on each shelf if you’ve got a larger RV fridge or a residential fridge in your RV.

Fresh Coffee Grounds

Fresh coffee grounds are a fantastic odor eliminator for RV fridges, but you’d better also enjoy the smell of coffee because that’s what you’ll smell every time you open the fridge. Put some fresh coffee grounds in a small bowl or plastic container and leave it open in the fridge. More than likely you’ll be able to remove the bowl of coffee grounds after a few days.

A bowl with some coffee grounds in it can help to eliminate some common fridge odors.

Vanilla

Vanilla has a strong and pleasant smell that can also be used to mask unpleasant odors in an RV fridge, once the fridge has been thoroughly cleaned. A couple of cotton balls soaked in vanilla (or vanilla essential oil) and left in the refrigerator for several days (with the door closed) may be all you need to clear unpleasant odors from your RV refrigerator.

Baking Soda & Vanilla Together

Stir a small amount of vanilla into a small dish or cup of baking soda, and leave it in the fridge to absorb odors.

Peppermint Oil

Essential oil of peppermint – just a small amount in a dish or cup or on a cotton ball – can eliminate fridge odors. Just be aware that your fridge may have a minty-fresh peppermint smell for a long time to come.

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NOTE: peppermint oil can also be used to help keep mice out of your RV when it’s stored/not being used.

Charcoal

Charcoal is absorbent, and therefore, some people use a few charcoal briquettes in the fridge to absorb stubborn odors.

Prior to using any of the odor absorbing methods above, however, be sure to thoroughly clean all aspects of your RV refrigerator using vinegar, baking soda, or both.

What Methods Have You Used to Get the Smell Out of Your RV Refrigerator?

Have you dealt with fridge odors in your RV? How did you remedy the problem? Drop us a comment and let us know!

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