Why Your Samsung Fridge Smells and How to Get Rid of the Odor [Quick and Easy Guide]

Getting rid of a bad odor from inside your Samsung refrigerator can be such a chore — but don’t worry! This article will make that chore easier to deal with!

Fresh odor typically takes 2 to 3 days to stabilize, but with a mix of the right liquid and pantry essentials, you can get rid of that strange smell within an hour or two.

So, take one, long deep breath of fresh air, and let’s dive right into scrubbing that foul odor from your fridge!

Why Your Samsung Refrigerator Smells Bad

Bad odor from a Samsung refrigerator is typically caused by expired food or improperly sealed food with a strong smell, such as fish or meat.

Check the items in your fridge and remove any old food that might be contributing to the smell. Arrange the items to allow proper airflow in the compartments.

Strong odor coming from a refrigerator can be quite a nightmare, especially because it always requires you to take everything out of the appliance to clean it — sometimes even more than once!

There are also different smells your appliance can emit, and while food odor can prompt this issue, certain parts of the appliance can also allow this to happen. In some cases, they can even make the odor linger.

Different Odors From Your Samsung Refrigerator and How to Remove Them

When bacteria inside your Samsung refrigerator go bad, they can give off certain distinct smells — all of them foul. 

Distinguishing between them can help you determine the cause of the issue faster. Below, you’ll find a list of possible smells you’ll encounter, what can cause them, and how to eliminate them.

Odor	Cause(s)	Solution
Dead Animal	Expired or days-old food inside the refrigerator, back bacteria in hidden or unreachable spaces of the appliance	Unplug the refrigerator or cut off its power supply. Then, remove each shelf and drawer. Clean the fridge using water and mild soap. Use a solution of one part bleach, and two parts water to clean and spray into the drain tray. Mix one part of water and two tablespoons of odor-absorbing baking soda to clean the drawers and fridge walls. Place some odor-absorbing baking soda inside the fridge towards the back. You can use fresh coffee grounds, citrus fruits with salt, activated charcoal, or crumpled-up newspapers as well. Leave it there for 2 to 3 days to absorb any odor residue.
Burning Plastic	Overheating or electrical issues, melting wires	Turn off the refrigerator and unplug it. Let it sit for a couple of minutes or until the burning smell has completely disappeared. If the smell persists after plugging the appliance back in, consult a technician to check on the wirings inside the fridge, as well as the control board.
Chemicals	Leak from the compressor (refrigerants)	Unplug the refrigerator or cut off its power supply. Then, remove the supplies, shelves, and drawers. Mix baking soda and water into a paste to clean the shelves, drawers, and walls of the fridge. Leave the fridge doors open and let the paste dry out for at least 2 hours. Wipe the unit down using water and soap to rinse off the baking soda paste. Leave odor-absorbing items inside the fridge for 2-3 days.
Chlorine	Leak from the water filter	Turn off the water supply. Replace the water filter. If the smell and taste of chlorine in the water persist, contact Samsung support.
Garlic	Improperly stored garlicky dish	Unplug the refrigerator or cut its power supply off. Air out the odor by leaving the doors open. Turn off the water supply valve. Clean the refrigerator thoroughly with soap and water. Take a lemon and cut it in half. Dip the cut side of each half into odor-absorbing baking soda and use it to scrub your fridge. Let the lemon juice and baking soda paste sit in your fridge for about an hour, then rinse it off with water. Turn the water supply back on and plug the fridge back in. Run at least a gallon of water before testing out how the water tastes.
Fish	Rotten food, improperly stored fish meat or dish, moldy drain tray, damaged evaporator fan, faulty compressor, burnt overload relay	Unplug your fridge and clean its compartments with soap and water. Clean the drain tray behind the evaporator panel. Once everything has been cleaned with soap and water, deodorize the fridge using a mixture of distilled vinegar and water. Spray it inside the unit, drawers, and shelves. Pour some of it down the drain tube as well. You can also use fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar. When returning fish meat and dishes, transfer them first into a tightly sealed container or plastic bag. If this doesn’t eliminate the smell, check the evaporator fan for damage. Replace it if necessary. If none of these seem to get rid of the fish odor permanently, contact Samsung support. The problem might be your fridge’s compressor.

Here’s what you need to do when your refrigerator…

Smells Like a Dead Animal

The primary cause of a bad odor, whether from an appliance or other items, is bacteria. 

This means that if your refrigerator is emitting a rotten smell as if something has died, it’s likely because of bad bacteria from one of your food items. Either the food has expired, or it’s been left in the fridge for a week or more.

Some items, like milk or juice, may have a different expiration date on their boxes but must be consumed immediately once opened. Ideally, it’s not recommended to leave items like these in the fridge for more than a week.

If none of the food inside your refrigerator seems to be in poor enough condition to emit this odor, then there might be something wrong with the appliance’s parts that are hard to reach — like the condenser panel, for example.

In cases like this, something may have crawled into a hidden space and died.

Cause: Bad bacteria from expired or old food, or bad bacteria from unreachable spaces in the fridge

Solution: Take out all the items inside the refrigerator for inspection. Double-check their expiration dates and make sure to get rid of items that are at least a week old.

Moreover, ensure that each food item is sealed properly in a plastic bag or container, especially the ones that give off a strong odor, such as meat or fish.

After checking the items, do the following steps to get rid of the odor inside your fridge:

• Step 1: Unplug the refrigerator or cut off its power supply. Then, remove each shelf and drawer.

Keep the doors open for all compartments.

• Step 2: Wipe the unit down using water, mild soap, and a damp cloth. Make sure to use a different cloth on the rubber seals around the door.

Clean out the drain tray as well. You can access the drain tray by unscrewing the evaporator panel located at the back of the fridge’s regular compartment.

Unscrew the panel and carefully unplug the wires connecting the cover to the fridge body. Once the cover is removed, you can locate the drain tray below the evaporator coils.

• Step 3: Combine one part bleach with two parts warm water and clean out the drain tray by pouring the solution into the tube. 

If the drain tray is clogged with ice, pour warm water first to melt it out. Be careful not to pour or spray any liquid onto the evaporator coils.

• Step 4: Mix one part of water and two tablespoons of odor-absorbing baking soda. Use the solution to clean the drawers.

You can also use this solution on the walls of the fridge.

As an alternative, use hydrogen peroxide (with 3% peroxide), or a solution of distilled vinegar and water.

• Step 5: Place some odor-absorbing baking soda inside the fridge, preferably towards the back to avoid affecting your food items. Any amount from a plateful to a box will do, as long as it’ll fit inside the compartment.

Leave it there for 2-3 days to absorb the foul odor. In place of baking soda, you can also use any of the following:

• Fresh coffee grounds
• Oranges, lemons, or other citrus fruits; hollowed out and filled with salt
• Crumpled up newspaper
• Unscented kitty litter, or any other item with activated charcoal

Once the odor has disappeared, we recommend perfuming your fridge using cotton pads soaked in vanilla extract or any scented essential oil of your choice. 

Put the cotton pads in a shallow dish and place it where you previously placed the odor-absorbing items. Leave it inside the fridge for at least 24 hours.

On the other hand, if the cause of the issue doesn’t seem to be expired or old food, and the scent comes back after cleaning your fridge, call a technician to check on other parts of your unit.

Smells Like Something Burning

Like with any other appliance, a burning smell from a refrigerator is a cause for concern. This usually means that the unit is overheating, or that the coating of the electrical wires in one of its internal components is melting off.

A couple of essential places to check when the burning smell persists are the fan motors and the control board. These parts, when damaged or burned, cannot be repaired, only replaced.

Moreover, if you’ve recently experienced a blackout and forgot to unplug the fridge before the power went back on, the electrical surge from this might contribute to the burning smell.

Cause: Overheating or electrical issues, melting wires

Solution: Turn off the refrigerator and unplug it. Let it sit for a couple of minutes or until the burning smell has completely disappeared.

Afterward, plug your refrigerator back in and observe if the smell would persist. Take note of the places where the odor is strongest.

If the burning smell seems to be coming closer to the power plug, the issue is likely in its power supply.

Try moving the refrigerator to another power outlet connected to a different breaker. Ensure that you plug it directly into an outlet and not into an extension cord or an adapter.

If the burning smell is still present, consult an electrician.

Meanwhile, if the smell is coming from inside or behind the refrigerator, the issue is likely caused by melted wires. For this, you’ll have to check each wiring inside the unit, which will take you no less than a couple of hours.

If this seems to be the case for your appliance, we recommend contacting a Samsung technician to inspect the quality of each of the wires connecting the appliance’s internal components, as well as the control board.

However, you can check the quality of the control board yourself beforehand. To do this, simply follow these steps:

• Step 1: Unplug the refrigerator. To access the control board, you’ll need to open the back panel of the fridge, so ensure that the back of the unit is fully facing you.
• Step 2: Unscrew the back panel and pull off its cover to open it.
• Step 3: Take a photo of the wires around the control board for reference, in case you want to return it later.
• Step 4: Disconnect the wires by depressing their locking tabs. This will also be a good opportunity to check the wires for any damages, such as signs of melting or burning out.
• Step 5: Depress the retaining tab and pull the control board towards you to remove it. Make sure to hold the board by the edges to not inflict any further damage, as well as to ensure your safety.
• Step 6: Inspect the control board for any burn marks or signs of shortening out. If there are any, consult a technician. 

As the control board is the central part of the appliance, it must only be replaced when you’ve verified that no other component is damaged.

Noting down any damage to the control board will make it easier for your technician to assess which other parts of the refrigerator might be causing the burning smell.

Smells Like Chemicals

If you noticed that the inside of your Samsung refrigerator is emitting a strong chemical smell — specifically an odor similar to acetone, nail polish, or vinegar — this is an indicator that the refrigerant is leaking.

Refrigerants are part of a fridge’s cooling system. They’re components that are circulated to produce and maintain cool temperatures inside the appliance.

These components start as liquids, and then transition into gas and back again throughout the cooling process.

Refrigerants typically come in cylindrical containers. A leak can be caused by a damaged container or hose, an improper defrost session, or simply aging.

Moreover, refrigerants are flammable and toxic. While mild exposure is generally harmless, in rare cases — particularly if you’re dealing with the component in a confined space — it can lead to refrigerant poisoning.

Refrigerant poisoning can cause nausea, irritation of the eyes, ears, and throat, dizziness, and, in extreme cases, chemical burns on your skin.

Cause: Refrigerant leak

Solution: If your refrigerator smells like chemicals, immediately contact a Samsung technician to check on and replace the appliance’s refrigerant.

Afterward, you can get rid of any lingering odor on your own by cleaning out the fridge and putting odor-absorbing items inside for a couple of days.

To remove the chemical odor from your fridge, do the following:

• Step 1: Unplug the refrigerator. Then, remove the supplies, shelves, and drawers.

Empty the appliance and leave its doors open.

• Step 2: Mix baking soda and water into a paste. Use this to clean the shelves, drawers, and walls of the fridge separately.

Let the paste dry out for at least 2 hours. Make sure to keep the doors of the appliance open.

• Step 3: Wipe the unit down using water and soap to rinse off the baking soda paste. Rinse it twice over if you must, to make sure that no paste residue will remain in the fridge.
• Step 4: If the chemical odor lingers, repeat the above steps, but this time, leave the paste on for a couple of days.
• Step 5: Perfume the inside of the fridge by placing any of the following items towards the back of the compartment and leaving it there for 2-3 days:

• Fresh coffee grounds
• Oranges, lemons, or other citrus fruits; hollowed out and filled with salt
• Vanilla-soaked or essential oil-soaked cotton pads
• Unscented kitty litter, or any other item with activated charcoal

Smells Like Chlorine

When you find your Samsung refrigerator smelling like chlorine, this could point to a leak from the water filter. This also means that the quality of your water is likely compromised.

The scent of chlorine might be coming from a chemical reaction caused by other items getting into contact with the water from the water filter.

A leak is likely to happen when the water filter you installed isn’t compatible with the refrigerator — either because it’s the wrong model, or because it’s a counterfeit.

Cause: Water filter leak

Solution: Immediately replace the water filter in your fridge. Installing a new filter should get rid of the smell and taste of chlorine.

To replace the water filter, no need to unplug your fridge. Simply follow these steps:

• Step 1: Turn off the fridge’s water supply. Locate the water filter knob between the deli or crisper drawers at the bottom of the regular compartment.
• Step 2: Turn the knob counterclockwise until you hear a click and the water filter pops out of its housing. Pull it out to remove it.
• Step 3: Install the new water filter with the gasket facing forward towards the housing. Hold it by the knob the way you pulled it out.
• Step 4: Push the water filter in as you’re turning it clockwise until it can’t turn anymore.

Locking the filter in place won’t make the same clicking sound as removing it from its housing, so make sure to keep applying a bit of pressure as you’re turning it.

Once the new filter is in place, run at least two gallons of water to flush out any impurities that might be in the filter before you can drink the water.

If the smell and taste persist, contact a Samsung technician.

Quick Tip: A filter reminder will light up on the control panel to signal you when the filter needs to be replaced, which usually comes every 3 to 6 months. However, we recommend replacing the water filter sooner if your household has high water consumption. Furthermore, you can check the authenticity of your water filter by looking for two things: 1. A serial number. Authentic water fillers have a serial number printed on the body, and not towards its nose or head. The type of filter you need also depends on the model of your refrigerator. For its specification, you may refer to your user manual. 2. A rib along the filter body. Authentic water filters have a rib lock along their bodies to stay locked in their housing and prevent leaks or getting dislodged. Some Samsung models use a 2-rib lock for their water filters, while newer models use filters with a 3-rib lock. If the ribs on your water filter don’t match the housing, even if it’s authentic, it can be dislodged or may cause a leak.

Smells Like Garlic

If your refrigerator starts to smell garlicky, it simply means that you’ve kept a poorly stored food item with garlic in the compartment for too long. 

When you leave garlicky food exposed inside the fridge, its molecules can travel into the circulating air. 

In the case that you’ve stored it in the freezer, those molecules can get absorbed by water and ice cube trays, which can lead to your water or ice tasting like garlic. 

While it’s technically safe to consume ice and water that’s been infused with garlic molecules, they will leave a bitter taste.

Cause: Improperly stored garlicky food

Solution: Take out all the food items that have garlic in them. Before returning them to the refrigerator later, make sure to transfer them into a tightly sealed container, plastic bag, or aluminum foil.

Discard the old ice and make a fresh batch. Make sure that there is no more garlicky food or scent in the fridge before returning the ice.

To get rid of the scent in your fridge, as well as the garlicky taste in the water, do the following:

• Step 1: Unplug the refrigerator. Leave the doors open to air out the garlicky odor.

If there is any ice buildup inside the compartments, let it thaw out.

• Step 2: Turn off its water supply at the valve.
• Step 3: Clean the refrigerator thoroughly with soap and water.
• Step 4: Take a lemon and cut it in half. Dip the cut side of each half into odor-absorbing baking soda.

Use the lemon to scrub your fridge. Keep dipping the lemon back into the baking soda until it runs out of juice.

Use as many cut lemons as necessary.

• Step 5: Let the lemon juice and baking soda paste sit in your fridge for about an hour. Then rinse it off thoroughly with water.
• Step 6: Turn the water supply back on and plug the fridge back in.
• Step 7: Let the fridge sit for about an hour before returning everything inside, including the ice cube tray.

Then, run at least a gallon of water before testing out how the water tastes.

Smells Like Fish

As with a garlicky odor, a strong fishy odor from your refrigerator may come from an improperly stored fish meat or dish. 

Removing the food item could solve this issue, but if the odor persists, then the root cause might be one of the fridge’s internal components.

Common causes for a persistent fishy smell in your fridge include a moldy drain tray, a problem with the evaporator fan, or a faulty compressor.

Moreover, when any of the internal components fail — especially those which are part of the cooling system — it could lead to the buildup of stagnant moisture, which can then emit an unpleasant smell when left for too long.

You’ll likely experience this issue after a long blackout, too. If that’s the case, then airing out and scrubbing down the appliance will be enough to get rid of the odor.

Cause: Rotten food, improperly stored fish meat or dish, moldy drain tray, damaged evaporator fan, faulty compressor, burnt overload relay

Solution: Unplug your fridge, remove the items and shelves, and give it a good clean. Make sure to get the drain tray as well, by unscrewing the evaporator panel at the back of the fresh food compartment.

Once you’ve cleaned them with soap and water, deodorize the fridge using a mixture of distilled vinegar and water. Spray it inside the unit, drawers, and shelves.

Pour some of it down the drain tube as well.

You can also use fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar.

When returning fish meat and dishes, transfer them first into a tightly sealed container or plastic bag.

Afterward, you can plug your fridge back in and let the deodorizer do its thing. If the fishy odor comes back, it’s time to check the internal parts of the cooling system.

First, check the evaporator fan for any damage. You can find it on the back of the cover of the evaporator panel. 

If the strong fish smell comes from the general direction of the panel or the fresh food compartment, a damaged evaporator fan is a likely cause.

To check if the evaporator fan is functioning properly, you can run a voltage test on it. To do that, simply follow these steps:

• Step 1: Unplug the refrigerator. If there is any ice buildup, let the ice thaw out.
• Step 2: Remove the items and the shelves to access the evaporator panel.
• Step 3: Unscrew the panel cover. There are locking tabs on it to guide you where to pull to lift it off.

You don’t need to remove the panel cover completely, as the evaporator fan is placed behind the panel and you’ll need it to be functioning to run a voltage test.

For that, you won’t need to disconnect the wires and remove the panel cover completely.

• Step 4: Tape the magnets above the door switch placements. This is to bypass the door switch.

A Samsung fridge’s cooling system is designed to pause the fans temporarily while the door is opened to save energy and lessen the risk of frost formation.

The magnets can proxy for the door and signal the door switch that it’s closed. 

You can find two arrows on top of the door frame to indicate where the door switches are.

Once the door switch detects the magnets, it may take about 10 to 60 seconds before the evaporator fan turns on. The interior lights should also turn off.

• Step 5: Set the multimeter up. If you’re using an auto-ranging model, turn the meter to the DC voltage setting.

If you’re using a manual-ranging model, turn the meter to the lowest setting of 20 or 40.

• Step 6: The evaporator fan is connected to the unit via three wires of different colors: the red and black wires, which relay power into the fan, and the white wire, which relays the fan speed to the control board.

Take the black probe from the multimeter and insert it into the end of the plug with the black wire. Then, insert the red probe into the end of the plug with the red wire.

• Step 7: Run a voltage test on the evaporator fan at two different fan speeds. Refer to your user manual for the specifications on appropriate voltage.

For reference, at high speed, the fan motor should be giving a voltage reading from 10 to 12 volts DC. At low speeds, the voltage reading should be about 8 DC.

If you got proper voltage readings but the fan motor isn’t running, it needs to be replaced.

• Step 8: If you don’t find any faults in the fan motor, you can reinstall the evaporator panel cover and remove the magnets from the door switch.

But if you need to take the fan motor out to replace it, keep on reading for the instructions. 

To replace the evaporator fan motor, keep your fridge unplugged and do the following:

• Step 1: Remove the magnets from the door switch. Then, gently disconnect the wires connecting the panel cover to the fridge body.
• Step 2: Lift the cover off and turn it over to access the fan. Remove the surrounding wire harnesses from their clips.
• Step 3: Remove the 4 Philipp screws connecting the plastic housing to the panel cover.
• Step 4: Once unscrewed, you can remove the fan from its housing by gently pushing it off its locking clip.
• Step 5: Reinstall the new fan motor face down on its housing, with the sticker facing you. The wires should also be placed on the bottom right corner of the housing.
• Step 6: Once the new fan motor is locked in place, screw the four Phillip screws back in and reinstall the wire harnesses in the clips. Tie them around one of the clips securely.
• Step 7: Reconnect the panel cover’s wire plugs into the refrigerator, then place the cover back in place. Reinstall it completely with its screws.

Afterward, you can return the shelves and power on the fridge to test out the new fan motor.

Do remember: this is just for the evaporator fan. If the evaporator fan is functioning normally, the fault may be in the compressor.

Unlike the evaporator fan, the compressor is a more complicated component. Like the control board, it’s an integral part of your refrigerator as it’s responsible for circulating the refrigerants and allowing them to cool your appliance.

Before considering replacing this part, double-check if none of the solutions above can dispel the fishy odor for good. Afterward, consult a Samsung technician regarding the issue.

How to Prevent Bad Odor in Your Samsung Refrigerator

Keeping bad odor from occurring is part of maintaining your Samsung refrigerator in its best condition. 

To prevent issues like this from happening again, here’s a rundown of preventive tips you can observe to keep your fridge smelling fresh.

Store your food properly.

Proper food storage doesn’t just prevent bad bacteria from emitting bad odors, it can also prevent temperature or mechanical errors in the long run.

For example, letting hot or warm food cool down and transferring it into a container before placing it in the fridge can help contain strong odors from joining the air circulation inside.

It also keeps the fridge’s temperature sensors from being tampered with. 

If the sensors pick up a temperature that’s warmer than the unit’s regular setting, they might misread it as the fridge warming up and could mistakenly signal the cooling system to work harder.

In turn, this can lead to faster and thicker ice buildup — which is the root cause of many mechanical issues such as fan errors or overfreezing.

The most important food items to look out for and store properly are meat and fish. Transfer them into a tightly sealed plastic container before placing them inside the refrigerator.

Moreover, store-bought food items shouldn’t be kept in the fridge for more than 7 days once opened.

Another to consider is spacing out the items in the compartments evenly so that the air would circulate properly, and moisture wouldn’t grow stagnant.

Keep in mind that stagnant moisture contributes to a musty scent, so refrain from jamming in your items and overcrowding the fridge to allow for proper airflow.

Clean the fridge once a month.

Cleaning the fridge comes hand in hand with defrosting it. Overfreezing and fan errors can be largely avoided by defrosting the unit and letting the ice thaw out.

But all that ice melting needs to be cleaned up somehow, so scrubbing your fridge after every defrost session is a must!

This also prevents bad bacteria from developing in hard-to-reach corners.

Use a deodorizer.

Once your fridge is squeaky clean, placing a deodorizer or odor eliminator near the back of the compartment helps clear out any lingering scent from a lack of moisture.

Your best go-to would be a bowl of odor-absorbing baking soda. Fresh coffee grounds and activated charcoal work as well.

If you want a fresh, citrusy scent, grab a lemon, slice it in half, and hollow it out. Then, put the hollowed-out skin inside the fridge, and your refrigerator would be smelling fresh in no time!

Do beware not to leave deodorizers for too long.

You can keep them inside the fridge only for 3 to 5 days long, then it’s time to pull them out. 

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A nasty odor coming from your Samsung refrigerator is usually a result of food going bad. The key to keeping a fragrant, fresh-smelling fridge is to be mindful of the things you put inside the unit.

Remember not to keep food items — especially fresh foods — in the appliance for too long, as some of them may cause mold.

Most importantly, when there’s a lingering odor, remember that baking soda, vinegar, and citrus are your most reliable friends!