A shrub belonging to the Lauraceae family, with long, green and shiny leaves, laurel is very often used in the kitchen to season dishes. Native to the Mediterranean, this plant grows spontaneously in wooded and hilly areas. You can easily grow it indoors, as it is hardy and requires little maintenance. In fact, it tolerates drought conditions and grows even in poor soil.
But, in addition to flavoring your culinary recipes, bay leaf is also renowned for its remarkable deodorant potential. Quickly find out how to use it to cool your refrigerator.
The bay leaf trick to deodorize the refrigerator
Laurel is an easily recognizable aromatic plant with its dark green leaves and small yellow flowers. Much appreciated in the kitchen for flavoring meats and soups, it is also known for its medicinal properties: it has long been used in herbal medicine to treat ailments and illnesses. But what many don’t know is that it also acts as a natural deodorant and can therefore neutralize all types of bad odors present in the home, especially those that lurk in the refrigerator. Precisely, since it is strongly recommended to store it in a cool place to preserve its medicinal properties and its fragrance, by putting it in the refrigerator you will kill two birds with one stone. In this way, the leaves will remain fresh for longer and unpleasant odors will be immediately dissipated by the delicate and intoxicating scent of the laurel.
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How to use it?
- Take fresh or dried leaves
- place them in a small container or cloth bag and install it in the back of the refrigerator, away from the food to prevent it from absorbing the odor.
- You’ll quickly notice that bay leaves remove strong odors, leaving your refrigerator smelling fresh.
NB : To increase the effectiveness of your homemade air freshener, you can consider adding other herbs, such as thyme, rosemary and basil. These plants are also known for their deodorizing properties. Blended together, these fragrant herbs will more easily neutralize unpleasant odors.
Fridge: how to prevent the invasion of unpleasant odors?
Do you often wonder why your refrigerator is often infested with bad odors? It’s no mystery: when liquid is accidentally spilled and you don’t clean it up immediately, an unpleasant odor develops. Likewise, if a piece of food ends up rotting in a corner without you realizing it, this also causes this type of problem. Finally, certain foods such as onions, garlic or cheese, if they are not covered, inevitably end up giving off unpleasant odors. It is therefore not surprising that bad odors end up accumulating inside the refrigerator.
First rule of thumb: to purify and refresh the appliance, you absolutely must clean the refrigerator thoroughly. To do this you need to unplug it and empty it completely, let it defrost and clean it with a deodorizing solution based on hot water and bicarbonate.
After this thorough cleaning, you can install the bay leaves. Don’t have any on hand? To combat residual bad odors, we recommend these natural alternatives that will effectively absorb all annoying odors:
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- A lemon cut in half. Cloves with antibacterial properties can be inserted into the pulp to provide a more intense effect.
- A glass with ground coffee or coffee grounds, also known for its deodorizing power.
- A glass of white vinegar.
To avoid the formation of bad odors, it is important to maintain good hygiene inside the refrigerator, but also to make sure that all your food products are healthy and not expired. Maintenance is essential to avoid the accumulation of unpleasant odors, which is why it is necessary to regularly clean the appliance and arrange food. If some foods already have a strong odor at the base, it is better to store them in special boxes or wrapped in cling film. And don’t forget to throw away stale or moldy food.