The reason for this new trend
Recently, social media users have given you the recommendation to swap out the box of baking soda in the back of your refrigerator for a roll of toilet paper.
According to this site, the absorbency of toilet paper is what led to this hack, according to Ruiz Asri, editor of Honest Food Talks. According to Asri, moisture in the refrigerator frequently causes mildew and foul odors. Asri says the toilet paper absorbs extra moisture as well as unpleasant odors.
The term “toilet paper in the fridge” first appeared in 2015. Yet, videos that have appeared on Facebook and TikTok in the last year or so seem to indicate that it is only recently that it has been specifically used as an odor absorber.
While it will absorb scents, there are more effective alternatives that require less room and draw less attention from home guests. So here are some alternative odor-fighting techniques if you want something more durable and compact:
For some, baking soda is the go-to remedy. As producer Arm & Hammer pitched it as an eco-friendly substitute for chemical cleaning in the 1970s, it became popular. The Los Angeles Times stated in 1994 that baking soda is much more likely to be found in refrigerators than working light bulbs.
Because baking soda is a basic substance, it neutralizes acids. As most smells are acidic, it can eliminate them at their source. However, after using baking soda to deodorize a refrigerator, avoid using the box’s contents for baking. These acids may get reactivated during cooking, contaminating your cake.
Baking soda loses effectiveness as it interacts with more acids. Every three months, the majority of people will need to replace it.
My Chemical-Free House founder, Corinne Segura, a practicing building biologist, has firsthand knowledge of refrigerator scents.
“When food went bad in my fridge, it left a lingering foul odor”, she says. “I used black cumin seed oil, which has a deodorizing effect, to clean up the smell”.
Segura attributes this to the essential oil’s capacity to neutralize the rotten-smelling molecule methyl mercaptan.
“I mixed five drops of black cumin essential oil with one tablespoon of dish soap and applied it in a thick layer to all the plastic components inside the fridge”, she says. “I let it sit for two hours before washing it off. This worked well to get rid of foul odors in the fridge”.
Like toilet paper, activated charcoal traps the particles that produce unpleasant odors. It can be purchased as a powder, pre-cut filter, or cloth that can be customized. It reduces odor by accumulating the volatile compounds released by smelly things. To maintain the charcoal’s functioning, replace it around once a month.
Asri has a very delicious suggestion for individuals who enjoy a more pleasant aroma, especially around their food. “Soak a cotton ball in vanilla extract and place it in the refrigerator”, he says. “This combats bad odors and leaves your fridge smelling like a bakery”.
If you want cutting-edge options, think about buying a refrigerator with a UV light filter. Alexander Hill, a sales representative for the UK-based Appliance Depot, says this.
“Ultraviolet light can destroy bacteria, molds, and other pathogens”, says Hill. “Some fridge purifiers use UV light to sanitize the air and surfaces inside the fridge, thus reducing the source of many odors”.
Since 2021, UV deodorizing filters have been an option for refrigerators such as those in the Samsung Bespoke range. UV filters are also available on several in-door water dispenser lines from other manufacturers.
According to Hill, these filters are useful for large freezers or issues that frequently occur where passive odor absorption may not be sufficient. Electronic purifiers, according to him, also lessen bacteria and mold, making the environment for food storage fresher and maybe safer.
Use a paper product that is even less expensive than toilet paper for a deep cleaning of your refrigerator or freezer. Crushed charcoal and crumpled newspaper (you can get unprinted newsprint paper) should be placed in a refrigerator that smells particularly bad.
The newspaper will need to be changed every day for roughly a week, but it’s a cheap solution to a smelly problem.
