A Smelly Fridge Might Mean You Aren't Cleaning This Important Spot

Dealing with water pooling at the bottom of your fridge can be super frustrating. It's not just messy, but it can also mess with the quality of your food. Worse, if water mixes with food or the puddle is left unattended, it can lead to a really unpleasant smell in your fridge — something we all want to avoid. The good news is that this is a common issue, and thankfully, it has a straightforward solution.

Most modern refrigerators have an auto defrost feature, saving you the need to defrost your fridge manually. The feature involves a heater, often called an evaporator, which is an integral part of the refrigerator's design. Its primary function is to periodically warm up the interior of the fridge during the defrost cycle. During the defrosting process, any ice that has built up on the back wall of the fridge starts to melt and drain into a small hole called a drain hole at the bottom. This water collects into a tray behind the appliance, where it is evaporated.

If you find water collecting at the bottom of your fridge or in the salad drawer, it's most likely because the drain hole is blocked.

The first thing you should do is to find the drain hole in your fridge. It's usually pretty easy to spot. Sometimes, you'll find it covered by a plastic panel. If that's the case, just grab a screwdriver and gently remove the panel to access the hole. Typically, the appliance comes with a drain hole cleaning tool. You can use something like a pipe cleaner, a straw, or even a cotton bud. Gently poke into the hole to clear any blockages.

If the drain hole or tube seems frozen, you'll need a different approach. Take a syringe injector and fill it with hot water. Inject this into the drain hole to melt any ice. Then, suck out the fluid along with the dirt that might have accumulated inside. You may want to add this to your routine when deep cleaning your fridge.

To avoid this problem in the future, try to keep food away from the back wall of your fridge. This helps prevent food particles from falling and blocking the drain hole again. At the same time, try not to stuff your fridge too full, either, as this may cause food to reach the back wall of your fridge too.