Use baking soda for passive odor control and some acidic smells; use diluted vinegar to wipe refrigerator surfaces when odor lingers. Neither is a universal deodorizer, and neither replaces removing the source, cleaning the affected area, or sanitizing when that is needed. Which is useful depends on where the odor is and what is causing it.
How baking soda and vinegar differ
Baking soda can help with some acidic odors
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a mild base. McGill University’s Office for Science and Society explains that it can react with butyric acid—a volatile fatty acid associated with rancid butter—to form sodium butyrate, which is not volatile and has no smell. That is a plausible reason it helps with some odors, not evidence that it neutralizes every household smell.
For a refrigerator, exposed surface area matters. Joe Schwarcz, PhD, writing for McGill, notes that “Baking soda can help but there must be a large available surface area.” A broad, shallow dish exposes more of it than a small opening in a box. Refrigerator odors can also come from other volatile compounds, bacteria, or mildew, which baking soda may not address. McGill explains the chemistry and its limits.
Vinegar is supported as a surface-cleaning step
For lingering refrigerator odor, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and extension guidance recommend wiping surfaces with vinegar diluted in water. USDA FSIS says to use equal parts vinegar and water after cleaning a refrigerator or freezer; Illinois Extension also lists a 1:1 wipe-down. UF/IFAS specifies one part white distilled vinegar to one part water for refrigerator shelving. This is surface-cleaning guidance for the cited setting, not evidence that vinegar absorbs odors from room air.
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Vinegar and baking soda are best treated as separate applications. The cited refrigerator guidance uses vinegar for wiping and baking soda in a separate open container; fizzing them together does not establish that both retain their individual effects. USDA FSIS refrigerator and freezer odor guidance, Illinois Extension’s cleaning and sanitizing guidance, and UF/IFAS refrigerator advice describe these uses.
Which should you use?
| Situation | Better-supported choice | How to use it | Important limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lingering refrigerator odor after cleaning | Either, for different tasks | Wipe surfaces with a 1:1 vinegar-and-water solution; separately, set out baking soda in a broad, shallow dish. | Neither replaces removing spoiled food and spills. They address different parts of odor control. |
| Odor from spoiled food or a spill | Neither as the first step | Remove the food or residue and wash the affected surfaces. | Masking or absorbing odor does not remove its source. |
| Carpet or upholstery odor | Baking soda has general-use support | Check the textile or carpet maker’s care instructions before use. | The cited guidance does not establish a universal amount, contact time, vacuum compatibility, or fabric-safety claim. Vinegar spray suitability for every dye, fiber, and finish is not established. |
| Dishwasher odor | Separate cleaning cycles may be suggested | Illinois Extension relays a manufacturer suggestion; follow the dishwasher maker’s instructions before trying it. | These directions are not universal across dishwasher models. |
Get a refrigerator odor out step by step
- Remove the source. Discard spoiled or questionable food and wipe up spills. UF/IFAS also advises keeping food covered and cleaning spills promptly.
- Wash the interior. USDA FSIS specifies hot water and baking soda for washing the interior, door, and gasket. UF/IFAS gives a solution of 2 tablespoons baking soda in 4 cups warm water.
- Wipe again if the odor remains. Use equal parts vinegar and water on refrigerator or freezer surfaces, as USDA FSIS and Illinois Extension advise. Air the unit out.
- Use passive odor control separately. Place baking soda in a broad, shallow container to expose more surface area. USDA FSIS also lists fresh coffee grounds as an option.
Persistent odor can be difficult to remove even after cleanup, as USDA FSIS notes. UF/IFAS’s fridge-care guidance also emphasizes prompt spill cleanup and removing spoiled food.
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Dishwasher odor: follow the appliance maker’s instructions
Illinois Extension relays manufacturer suggestions for a dishwasher that smells: clean the filter first, then run a normal cycle with 2 cups white vinegar in an upright glass measuring cup on the lower rack, without detergent and with heated dry off. After that cycle, sprinkle 1 cup baking soda in the dishwasher and run another hot-water cycle. These are sequential cycles, not a combined mixture, and the extension explicitly advises following the appliance manufacturer’s instructions. Check your manual before using either ingredient because the procedure is not established for every model. Illinois Extension’s guidance also distinguishes cleaning from sanitizing.
Carpets and upholstery need material-specific care
A University of Wisconsin Extension-hosted document lists baking soda as a deodorizing option for carpets and upholstery, as well as refrigerators and freezers. It does not establish a universal quantity or exposure time, nor whether every vacuum or textile can tolerate the application. Follow the carpet or upholstery care instructions and test an inconspicuous area where the maker recommends it. The available guidance does not support a universal vinegar-spray recipe for fabrics. The Wisconsin Extension-hosted baking soda document describes household uses, but includes manufacturer promotional material.
Odor control is not sanitizing
Removing a smell, cleaning visible soil, and sanitizing are different tasks. Baking soda or vinegar should not be described as sanitizing a surface based on the odor-control guidance above. For food-contact surfaces that require sanitizing, use a process and product guidance specifically intended for that purpose; Illinois Extension describes cleaning followed by a separate sanitizing step.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why there is no universal winner
No controlled head-to-head effectiveness figure in the cited sources ranks baking soda against vinegar across household odors. Baking soda’s rationale is strongest for some acidic odors and passive refrigerator odor management; vinegar’s supported role here is diluted wiping of refrigerator surfaces. The odor source, surface, material, and need for sanitizing matter more than choosing a single ingredient for every situation. Cornell Cooperative Extension discusses vinegar as a diluted household cleaner and baking soda for deodorizing several household areas, but those uses do not establish that a combined baking-soda-and-vinegar drain recipe preserves the two ingredients’ separate functions. Cornell Cooperative Extension’s household-cleaner guidance provides that broader context.
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