Why put wet newspaper in the refrigerator? A clever trick from experienced housewives

Have you ever noticed an unpleasant odor lingering in the refrigerator, one that persists despite thorough cleaning and airing out? This is a fairly common occurrence, and even scrubbing every nook and cranny of the appliance might not eliminate it. However, a rather unconventional approach involving a dampened newspaper can effectively resolve the issue. Simply take a newspaper, lightly mist it with water from a spray bottle, then crumple it and place it inside the freezer compartment. After roughly 12 hours, the intensity of the odor will noticeably diminish. In about a day and a half, the odor will virtually disappear, with visible changes beginning to manifest on the paper itself.

This change becomes particularly evident if there’s minimal ink on the paper’s surface. The reason behind this lies in the paper’s moisture, which draws in the stubborn aromas. At this stage, it’s important to replace the used newspaper with a fresh sheet, or else the effect will gradually fade. Within that 36-hour window, the offending odor should be nearly eradicated, and the paper will bear the marks of its absorptive powers.