Does Baking Soda Really Help with Fridge Odors? A Food Scientist Weighs In

Chances are at some point you’ve opened your refrigerator and caught a whiff of something so off-putting you slam the door in disgust. And it’s just as likely someone in your life recommended placing a bowl of baking soda in that stinky fridge to eliminate the odors. Is there any truth behind the idea that baking soda can freshen the smell of bad odors in a refrigerator?

To answer this question I reached out to Christine Bergman, Ph.D., RD, a professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. What I found out is that while there might be some truth in baking soda’s ability to neutralize odors, it may not be as effective as you’ve been told by those adamant friends or family members.

“I can’t answer this with a yes or no, but rather a maybe, or it’s likely in some situations but not all,” Bergman said about baking soda’s ability to reduce the odors of a bad-smelling refrigerator. “There is little direct research reported that specifically examine[s] the effectiveness of baking soda in reducing refrigerator odors.”

Baking Soda’s Odor-Fighting Quality

Baking soda, which is sodium bicarbonate, is an alkaline product, meaning it’s relatively basic on the pH scale. When used in foods like muffins or pancakes, it reacts with an acidic ingredient to produce carbon dioxide gas, creating bubbles and providing a light and airy texture. Without it, your baked goods would be dense and unpleasant. This same idea of baking soda reacting with an acid helps explain how it could reduce the potency of a particular odor.

“Findings from related studies suggest it is likely to offer some benefit under certain conditions,” Bergman said. “For example, baking soda has been shown in various laboratory settings to help reduce odors by neutralizing acidic and volatile compounds.”

Baking soda works best to help neutralize or minimize acidic odors, since it’s basic. An acidic odor is anything that smells sour, which could include produce, dairy and meat that’s spoiled. Baking soda reacts with these acid compounds, changing their pH to create a more neutral compound.

You can get a clearer picture of this with an example outside of the kitchen. If, like me, you’ve had a dog who’s had accidents on a rug, then you likely spread baking soda on that rug to reduce that eye-wateringly strong urine smell. Urine has quite an acidic smell, and alkaline baking soda helps neutralize it, especially if the baking soda physically absorbs some of the urine. But just like baking soda can’t completely get rid of that pungent smell, it probably won’t completely eliminate all odors in your refrigerator.

Causes of Refrigerator Odors

Aside from strong-smelling foods like seafood and some cheeses, your refrigerator may pick up odors from spoiled or decaying food, which emits gases like ammonia, sulfur compounds and amines, explained Bergman. Even fresh fruits and vegetables can emit odors. As they continue to metabolize after harvest, they release gases like ethylene and organic acids. 

That storage container filled with weeks-old leftovers hiding in the back of your fridge can produce musty and even sour odors. Spills and unclean surfaces can also create strong smells in your refrigerator. Baking soda may help neutralize some of these smells, especially if they are acidic. But you may be better served by giving your refrigerator a good scrub with soapy water or, you guessed it, baking soda. It can act as an abrasive to break apart stains or spills in your refrigerator, and in doing so it can help neutralize odors.

How Long Baking Soda Can Be Effective

Arm & Hammer touts baking soda’s odor-neutralizing power and even sells boxes with perforated sides specifically designed to absorb odors in the refrigerator or freezer. The company advises replacing a box every 30 days, which is down from the previous recommendation of every 3 months. According to their website, “The new 30-day change message is based on our continuing research efforts to understand the process of odor elimination and odor generation.”

You can also place a small bowl or plate of baking soda in your refrigerator to help neutralize those acidic smells. Be sure not to use that baking soda to cook with, as it may pick up some of the off-putting odors from your fridge.

The Bottom Line

While baking soda may offer some deodorization of refrigerator smells, there are few studies that have looked at the full extent of its odor-fighting abilities. It is, however, fairly effective at reducing acidic smells, since it’s a relatively basic product and therefore can neutralize (but likely not eliminate) those odors. For best results, eliminate the causes of odor in your refrigerator, which may include a thorough cleaning of all surfaces in your refrigerator with baking soda or soap.