Do all London fridges stink?

November 25, 2008 7:14 AM

I've searched supermarkets all over West London for something that'll de-stink my fridge. Bicarbonate of soda, branded products, I just can't seem to find it any more. Do you know where I can find some bicarbonate of soda or a similar fridge de-stinking product?
posted by almostwitty to home & garden (13 comments total)

fresh coffee grounds will do the trick. This question has been asked many times before. See here.
posted by cass at 7:28 AM on November 25, 2008

Sorry, but you can't find baking soda??? Have you looked in the baking section? Or am I missing something?
posted by leahwrenn at 7:30 AM on November 25, 2008

Charcoal is even better than baking soda. See if you can't find powdered charcoal -- I understand that it has greater surface area than briquettes and is therefore better at absorbing odor.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:45 AM on November 25, 2008

Bicarbonate of soda will be in every single supermarket (unless it's tiny). Look in the baking section with the flour and cake mixes.

Another thing that can help reduce smells is leaving half a fresh onion on a shelf in the fridge (counter-intuitive but it seems to work).

Of course, none of these things will help much if you don't clean your fridge thoroughly every couple of months.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 7:45 AM on November 25, 2008

Any supermarket and most corner shops should sell Bicarbonate of Soda; I've never had any trouble buying it in London. Look in the baking aisles instead of the cleaning aisles. The most common brand is in fairly squat plastic tubs about the circumfrence of a food tin, with cream sides and a red or blue lid.
posted by metaBugs at 7:46 AM on November 25, 2008

Whether you use activated charcoal or baking soda, if your fridge is especially smelly you'll want to put it into a large, shallow dish for maximum exposure. Then, change it regularly (every 1-2 weeks) until the odor is under control.

You might also consider emptying the fridge and wiping the surfaces down with (heavily diluted) bleach.
posted by jedicus at 7:58 AM on November 25, 2008

This is what you are looking for, the main brand in the UK is made by Supercook, and comes in squat plastic pots with a blue lid. As others have said it will be in the baking aisle. The only supermarkets where you might not find it are the tiny(crappy) Sainsbury's/Tesco's local/central/metro's that are so common in London. If that's where you're looking, try a stocked to the gills independent shop, the kind where you can buy choose your local minority flatbread, Polski Piwo and milk. They will have it, but it might not be a Supercook version.
posted by Helga-woo at 8:01 AM on November 25, 2008

Activated charcoal is the answer, if Ted Allen is to be believed [YT video recorded off TV, I think]. Also, what jedicus said.
posted by stumbling at 9:30 AM on November 25, 2008

Waitrose (and presumably others) sell a "fridge deodorant" in a bowl-shaped container where you peel the top off and it sits in your fridge soaking up the smells for a month or so before you need to replace it. I've never had much luck with the more basic and cheap solutions, so paying a bit extra for this was worth it for me.
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 10:08 AM on November 25, 2008

Your local Robert Dyas? Worked for me.
posted by mr_silver at 10:11 AM on November 25, 2008

Also try wholefood shops. Our local one (Brizton Wholefoods) sells it it 1/2kg bags dirt cheap.
posted by tallus at 11:22 AM on November 25, 2008

Frankly, I think all this advice is off-base, because the question is off-base.

Don't attack the smells, attack the source. Somewhere in your refrigerator is spoiled, leaked food. It might be underneat the crisper drawers at the bottom, hidden, or (far worse) it might have leaked down the automatic defrost drains at the back of the inside. If the latter, LOTS of hot soapy water might be needed to rinse it away (emptying the fridge, first).

I cook & prepare lots of smelly foods (homemade kimchi, sauerkraut, curries), and my fridge only smells when something exposed to the air has gone bad.
posted by IAmBroom at 12:29 PM on November 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Boots the Chemist sold Bicarbonate of Soda when I was there last summer -- in big boxes, too. They probably still sell it there.
posted by Susurration at 7:25 PM on November 25, 2008