Rant: That community board tip about baking soda for fridge smells is bunk

I saw a pinned note on the board at our local co-op saying to put an open box of baking soda in the fridge to kill odors. Tried it for 3 weeks straight in my old GE fridge. Smelled like old leftovers and baking soda dust. Didnt work at all. I ended up tossing the box and just wiping the shelves down with vinegar. That actually fixed it in 10 minutes. Anyone else find that baking soda trick doesnt do anything?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencerw729d agoMost Upvoted

You tried leaving a fresh box in the freezer drawer too?

keithyoung10d ago

My mom swore by baking soda for years, so I tried it twice in my own fridge last summer. Left a fresh box in the top drawer for a month, and the old onion smell barely faded at all. Then I had that same vinegar moment you did, wiped down the shelves and the little drip tray underneath, and the smell was gone in minutes. I'm kind of embarrassed it took me this long to realize baking soda is just a marketing gimmick. Vinegar really is the way to go for a quick fix.