Home cleaning hacks are rampant on the internet, especially those that focus on the kitchen. The last to become popular is to place a wine cork in the fridge. But for what purpose? To eliminate bad odors, according to their defenders.
Its operation is very similar to the toilet roll trick that we explained to you a few weeks ago. If our fridge gives off a certain stench, which can come from food in poor condition (in this case, we better throw it away) or products with a strong smell, we must leave a wine cork on one of the shelves.
Supposedly, the stopper will absorb bad odors, although if it is laminated the effect may be null. Then what do we do? Some publications recommend cutting it in half and impregnating it with essential oils through the hole left by the opener.
You can use the essential oil you prefer: mint, lemon, orange, lavender, eucalyptus, bergamot, rosemary… And its delicious aroma should be impregnated in your refrigerator.
This trick is much more hygienic and practical than that of toilet paper, which proposes placing a roll on the fridge shelves for the same purpose. In addition, the cork takes up less space and it is more difficult for it to acquire an unpleasant appearance or become a breeding ground for bacteria (although it is also convenient to change it).
Other tricks can be to place on the shelves some lemon halves with cloves inserted in the pulp, coffee or charcoal, as we already explained in this article. But to ensure that the refrigerator does not smell bad, the best trick is the most obvious: clean it regularly.
Experts recommend thoroughly disinfecting it at least once every two months. The fact that it appears to be clean does not mean that it is so, because “food contains microorganisms that we do not see, they accumulate and cause odors, contaminate other products and can lead to poisoning,” warned food technologist Lluís Riera in this reportage.
Knowing what food we have stored and when it expires is another key not only to prevent it from smelling bad, but also to reduce food waste at home.