Dial-a-Maid
Regular maintenance and storing leftovers in airtight containers are the best ways to prevent odors, says a 40+ year old Residential Cleaning Service servicing Northbrook, Il. Even so, you may still be plagues with smells from time to time. Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook, says that to combat those smells, turn off the power at the circuit breaker or fuse box and remove the contents of the refrigerator, temporarily putting your food in a cooler. Prop the door ajar, and clean the refrigerator with a baking soda and water solution. If an odor still persists, turn the refrigerator back on and try any of the following. Avoid strong commercial odor-control products as their scent may contaminate foods and also permeate the plastic.
1. Spread a box of baking soda onto a rimmed baking sheet, and leave it in the refrigerator, with the door closed, until the smell goes away.
2. Spread fresh coffee grounds on a tray, and leave it in the refrigerator, with the door closed, until the smell goes away. The lingering coffee smell will eventually dissipate.
3. Place activated charcoal, available at drugstores or pet shops, on a tray, and leave it in the refrigerator for a few days, with the door closed and the temperature set on Low, until the smell goes away. Refresh charcoal, if odors persist, by placing it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
4. Spread 1/2 inch of unscented chlorophyll cat litter in a shallow pan. Leave it in the refrigerator with the door closed until the smell is gone.
A 40 + year old Residential Cleaning Service servicing Northbrook, Il, advises that the temperature control in your refrigerator should be set between 37-40 degrees F. Your freezer should be between 0 - 5 degrees F. If you want everything inside to be colder, adjust the setting in the refrigerator section, not in your freezer. Cold air originates in the freezer. A very high setting, meaning low in temperature, there, will only cause the machine to close the baffle between the two sections so that the cold air stays in the freezer, leaving ice cream rock hard and drinks too warm.
