Other than baking soda, what else can I use to get rid of fridge and freezer odors?

Empty them out and wash them out with hot bleach water. Then let them sit open for a day. Also check to see if there is a drip pan underneath that needs to be drained and cleaned.

^^ Seconded. I would take everything out, turn it off, and clean and sanitize the inside. I remember reading that the baking soda absorbing odors thing is a myth, perpetuated by Arm & Hammer to get you to buy more of it.

I’ve heard that an open container of charcoal absorbs odors, too, but have no personal experience with that method. I agree with the answers above… it probably needs disinfecting and a good airing out.

I have used coffee grinds in the bottom of a trash can to help control/absorb odor which seems to do the trick well. I’ve never tried it in a fridge before, but I’m sure it can’t hurt. I also agree that you should probably clean/sanitize/air out the fridge too.

It depends on what you’re battling. If it’s a plastic-y smell/taste that’s going to be hard to get rid of.

Something that oxidises the source of the smell could be a start. Baking soda, only when combined with Hydrogen Peroxide, will get rid of a mould or mildew smell.

Mold or Mildew on vertical surfaces require a paste solution of peroxide, baking soda and salt (2:1:1). Apply to surface, scrub with grout brush or toothbrush, and rinse clean.

I’d choose peroxide over bleach any day. And remember to do this to any tray that catches water underneath too.

You can leave out the salt if there is no visible mould.

If the plastic is so old on the inside that the smell is from the breaking down of it… all I can suggest is storing your food in the fridge in airtight containers.

Good luck.

@augustlan – Yep, charcoal would do it, for absorbing odors.

Every so often I find a clean pair of old stockings, cut off one of the feet, and put about five big spoonfuls of ground coffee in it. Tie a knot in the end, and place in the back of the fridge. It definitely helps with masking smells!

The last one i had to clean was a nasty freezer full of bleeding venison from a power out. So it wasn’t the nicest smell. Cleaned it well with baking soda and vinegar, which works very well by the way.. Then add a bit of Vanilla essence to your rinse water. Works a treat:)
Thank my old nana for that one.

Charcoal. Just open up a bag of bar b q briquets. I’m an apartment owner. I’ve used this on some nasty refrigerators and it works like a charm.

Lots of great ideas already from our fellow jellies, and @Arbornaut is right about the vinegar and bicarbonate of sode/baking soda mixed to a paste (wear gloves it can iritate your skin) a good scrub, leave to sit for maybe 10–15 minutes (depending how bad it is) and then a good rinse clean. I hadn’t heard of adding vanilla to rinse water,although it sounds lovely (makes mental note to try it next time I empty/clean my fridge) I’ve always used a little freshly squeezed lemon juice added to my rinse water. Also if you cut a lemon in half, and place a half lemon on a small saucer and leave in the fridge this will absorb smells too.

I use little tubs with lids to store almost everything in our fridge, you can get whole sets (different sizes/shapes) of them really cheap from places like ikea (my favourite shop in the world lol). A great site with tons of links all down the side to loads of uses for bicarb, definitely worth a look.

One would think that vinegar first, then baking soda would work better than the two at the same time. Each one, separately, is really good for this purpose, but together they make salt water and carbon dioxide (meh).

One of the things that gets really nasty on a fridge is the rubber gaskets around the inside of the door. If you can manage to take those off and either clean them or replace them, that would help. Me and a friend did this with his (rental) fridge. We also turned it off, took everything out of the fridge, cleaned the whole inside with bleach and then took part of the backside off and found cockroaches inside there. If you find any kind of evidence of insect or rodent infestation, that would most likely be the cause of the lingering smell if you have cleaned the whole thing inside and out. If that turns out to be the case, I think your landlord would have to replace the fridge (I think this would qualify as not being a useable kitchen).

I use a mixture of Borax diluted in water to clean the fridge. Gets rid of odors fairly well, and I believe the Borax box even has this method on the back.

The baking soda can be used as a cleaning agent as well as a deodorizer. Use it for stains and gobbed on crap where you need a bit of abrasion.

If there are any drawers or shelves that are particularly gross, it’s worth it to take them out and wash with water and dish soap.