This Common Kitchen Leftover Is Surprisingly Good at Eliminating Fridge Odors

I’ve come to learn over the years that lasting joy in life is, in large part, about the simple daily pleasures we incorporate into our everyday routines. It’s about moments like picking up a bright bouquet of flowers and placing them in your window, making that nostalgic comfort food dish, or finally deciding to open that bottle of wine you just keep holding onto for “a special occasion.” Another simple pleasure not to be taken for granted is a few quiet, calm, and serene moments each day to sip on a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Coffee is directly connected to our dopamine levels, and so it’s no surprise to learn that everyone’s favorite morning bevy truly is the gift that keeps on giving. This little joy doesn’t just cure your morning exhaustion or afternoon energy crash—it can also help to keep your refrigerator smelling fresh and clean. And I don’t know about you, but in my book, a quick, easy, and effective tip for keeping my kitchen in order definitely sparks lasting joy.

A Trick for Pesky Fridge Odors

Next time you brew that morning pot of coffee, be sure to hold onto those used coffee grounds. You’re going to be repurposing them by placing them in your refrigerator to deodorize and neutralize the air. Learn how to put this chemical-free tip into action below.:

Here’s a quick breakdown for applying this method:

• Spread damp coffee grounds on a baking sheet to completely air dry. This can take 2-3 days. If you’re in a time crunch or just prefer to speed up the process, roast the grounds on the baking sheet at a low temperature of about 175 degrees F for 20-30 minutes. If you roast them, stir them periodically to ensure even drying.
• Place the dried coffee grounds in an open container in your refrigerator. A small bowl works, but I’ve learned the hard way that this can lead to a tedious mess if you knock the bowl over (which is likely in a high traffic area like the fridge). A more practical vessel is a mason jar covered with its lid, or by using cling wrap and a rubber band, and then poked with holes in the top.
• Leave the grounds in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks. When odors start resurfacing, it’s time to repeat the process and refill the jar with new coffee grounds.

How It Works

The caffeine we all love so much in coffee is actually the very thing that is responsible for these odor-eating properties. Natural nitrogen in coffee boosts the ability of the carbon in coffee to absorb and eliminate unpleasant odors. The thing I love most about this method is that it’s not masking odors. It’s actually dissipating them so they can’t linger back later on. The next time you need to revamp your refrigerator, look no further than that pot of morning brew on your countertop!