How to Decide Whether to Go Out or Stay In

Deciding if you want to go out can be stressful. It can sometimes be hard to tell if you could use alone time or if socializing will help you get out of your shell. To decide, you can use practical considerations. Think about whether you can afford to go out and how important the event is. You can also consider your mood. Do you have the emotional energy to go out right now? If you can't decide, look for a middle ground. Make a brief appearance or stay in and interact with people via social media.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Making Practical Considerations

1. Think about what is at stake. In some social events, it's a bad idea to skip out. An event for work or school, for example, could help you make connections. If your career or relationships with colleagues depend on an event, you should make an effort to attend.^[1]
   
   • For example, look at events like a boss's birthday party or a mixer with members of your graduate program. These events allow you to make connections and keep up good relationships at work and school. It's probably a bad idea to miss such events.
   • However, other events are low-key. If your friends are having a bowling night, for example, it won't hurt your career to skip out.
2. Consider how important your presence is to others. Consider the feelings of other people involved. Is anyone counting on you to go? Did you make a strong commitment to an event? How disappointed will people be if you don't show up?^[2]
   
   • For example, your friend may be hurt if you skip their birthday party. Friends may also be hurt if you made a strong commitment to something. If you and your friends have been planning a camping trip for months, for example, it may be a bad idea to skip it at the last minute.
   • Social events that are less important can usually be avoided without too much trouble. For example, if your friends have a movie night every week it's unlikely anyone will feel too bad if you stay at home one day.
3. Reflect on the kind of interactions you have. People tend to be happier when they have meaningful interactions with others over small talk. An event may be more worth your while if you're going to have interactions that matter there.^[3]
   
   • If you're very close to some of the people attending, you're more likely to have meaningful interactions that will help you feel refreshed upon leaving.
   • However, if it's mostly strangers and acquaintances, you may not have as much fun.
4. Look at your financial situation. Be honest about whether you can afford to go out. Think about how much money you'll be spending and consider other expenses you have for the month or week. If your budget is looking tight, stay in the for the night and save some money.^[4]
   
   • If you want to go out even though money is tight, try limiting how much you spend. Bring cash instead of relying on a debit card and only spend as much cash as you have on you.
   • Unless you’re making a ton of money, it’s unrealistic to go out every single night of the week. If you’re trying to be financially responsible, staying in might be the way to go.^[5]

[Edit]Evaluating Your Mood

1. Think about how you feel about going. Ask yourself honestly how you feel about the prospect of going out. Do you feel excited and invigorated about getting out of the house? Do you feel anxious and a little exhausted with the idea? Tune in to your feelings and try to listen to them. If going out does not sound appealing, stay in.^[6]
   
2. Evaluate your feelings about spending time alone. In some cases, alone time can increase productivity and boost mood. However, if you're spending time alone when you want to connect with others, being alone can have negative effects. You may end up feeling lonely, stressed, and unhappy.^[7] Think about whether you genuinely want to spend time alone.
   
   • Think about your interactions with people lately. Have you been craving human connection? Have interactions been sparse or negative? If you're craving interactions with others, spending time alone could make you unhappy. It may be best to go out and see others.
   • However, if you've been spending a lot of time with people lately, you may benefit from a night alone. If you're not strongly craving companionship, going out may just stress you out more. In this case, you may want to stay in and do something on your own, like reading a book or watching a movie.
3. Note your energy level. If you've had a long week, you may be feeling tired. If you're already exhausted, you may not last long at an outing. If you're just going to end up turning in early, going out may not be worth it. However, if you're relatively energetic, you may enjoy spending an evening outside of your home.^[8]
   
   • For example, if you've been working overtime you may not have the energy to get dressed and go out. If it's a been a normal week, however, it may not take too much motivation to throw on some clothes and head out the door.
4. Contemplate whether you're in the mood to meet new people. Going out can be a wonderful opportunity to make new friends. Meeting people is one of the major draws of leaving your apartment. Think about whether you're in the mood to mingle.^[9]
   
   • Have you been stuck in a rut lately in regards to your social circle? If you've been craving new friends and new experiences, try going out and chatting with new people.
   • However, you may not be looking to make new friends right now. You may also simply not be in a very social mood. If you're not feeling social, you're unlikely to interact with new people even if you want to. In this case, it may be best to stay in for the night.
5. Think about whether you want to get dressed. Going out requires getting dressed. Depending on the type of event, you may have to spend a lot of time getting ready. A formal event, for example, may require you to dress up. Think about what it will take to get ready and whether you feel like putting in that effort.^[10]
   
   • You may be inclined to stay in if an event is very formal and you're not in the mood to dress up. If you don't feel like doing your hair and makeup and putting on your best clothes, stay in. However, if you're feeling in a dressy mood, you may relish the excuse to dress up.
   • If an event is more casual, it may be easier to motivate yourself to throw on jeans and a t-shirt. However, if you prefer to stay in your pajamas for the night, it's okay to stay in even for a casual event.

[Edit]Finding a Middle Ground

1. Try just making a brief appearance. If you can't decide whether or not to go, try showing up for a brief amount of time. Show up for one drink or a single hour. This can work if you can't afford a full night, but want to go out. It can also work if you don't want to go out, but it's important you attend as people are expecting you.^[11]
   
2. Have people come to you. If you can't afford to go out, see if you can get people to change their plans. Instead of going to a bar, for example, invite people over to your place for drinks.^[12]
   
   • Be sure to be polite when proposing this. It may be considered impolite if plans have been set for awhile.
3. Stay in while interacting via social media. More and more people are plugged in to social media at all times.^[13] If you can't afford going out, or simply don't feel like putting in the effort, use social media to interact with others. You can video chat with a friend, make a phone call, talk to someone online, or text someone.
   

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Tips

• If you don't go out, and you really regret it, remember this next time. This may motivate you to go out and take more chances in the future.

[Edit]Related wikiHows

• Be a Party Girl
• Be Social at a Party when You Don't Know Anyone There
• Be Social at a Party
• Become a Socialite

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ http://www.quietrev.com/when-to-go-out-and-when-to-stay-in/
2. ↑ http://www.quietrev.com/when-to-go-out-and-when-to-stay-in/
3. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/quiet-the-power-introverts/201103/socialize-or-not-is-the-question
4. ↑ http://www.oxygen.ie/guide-whether-go-out/
5. ↑ [v161484_b01]. 22 July 2020.
6. ↑ http://www.quietrev.com/when-to-go-out-and-when-to-stay-in/
7. ↑ http://greatist.com/happiness/how-much-alone-time-do-you-really-need
8. ↑ http://liveboldandbloom.com/05/mindfulness/alone-time
9. ↑ http://www.oxygen.ie/guide-whether-go-out/
10. ↑ http://www.oxygen.ie/guide-whether-go-out/
11. ↑ http://www.quietrev.com/when-to-go-out-and-when-to-stay-in/
12. ↑ http://www.moneycrashers.com/ideas-hanging-out-friends-budget/
13. ↑ http://greatist.com/happiness/how-much-alone-time-do-you-really-need

How to Write a Rap Song

Rap songs often come off as effortless, but they actually require a lot of time and effort to write. You need lyrics that are catchy yet real. You also need top-notch rhyme and rhythm. In a way, writing rap is not all that different from writing poetry. If you are struggling to write a rap song, then this wikiHow is for you.

[Edit]Things You Should Know

• Brainstorm lyrics and develop a catchy, unique hook. Choose words from the brainstorm that inspire you and craft a song from those ideas.
• Pick a pre-made beat or try making your own beats with a computer or sound equipment. Add in the melody and find a melody-beat combination you like.
• Structure the song into verses with 16 bars each, then refine and revise it until you have a finished product. Find a producer to record it or self-produce the song!

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Writing Lyrics

1. Brainstorm. While listening to a beat on repeat, allow yourself to free-associate or even freestyle out loud to get your creative juices flowing. Do this for a while without setting pen to paper. When you're ready, make a list of every concept, unique perspective, or potential lyric that popped into your head. Allow these to guide and inspire the content of your song as you move forward.^[1]
   
   • Pour out all the ideas you have whether they're single words, phrases, or full sentences.^[2]
   • Let your ideas brew for a while. Carry a notepad around with you so that if you get a flash of inspiration while you’re on a bus, working out, or buying groceries, you can capture the moment and hopefully expand on it.
2. Write the hook. If you were writing a term paper, you'd start with a thesis. But this is a rap song so start with a hook (a.k.a. chorus). The hook should not only capture the theme of the song but, more importantly, be catchy and unique as well. A great hook will often inspire other elements of the song such as the beat or other lyrics, so don’t settle for something that doesn’t prompt any other ideas.^[3]
   
   • If you’re having trouble coming up with something out of the blue, riff off of or respond to a line you love from another rap song. Just don’t copy anything outright or you may find yourself in legal trouble. "Drop it like it's hot" was originally a throw-off line from a Hot Boys single in the early 2000s, but Snoop Dogg turned it into a huge hit several years later!
3. Follow the words. Choose points from your brainstorm list that inspire you and flesh them out. Of course, this is where your skills as a lyricist and as a rhymer will show through. If you're an experienced rapper, play to your strengths. If metaphors are your game, let yourself move on the strength of your metaphors. If you're a natural storyteller, let a narrative emerge from the words.
   
   • Stay out of your own way. The biggest mistake you can make when you first get started writing lyrics is that you want to "say" something, and force abstract concepts into your lyrics. Be specific. Use concrete words, phrases, and images in your words to keep your idea in the background.
4. Be believable. The most powerful music tells a story that the creator truly believes, feels, and puts their heart and soul into.^[4] While some people might take an "I can rap about anything I want to!" attitude, it's best to avoid rapping about your global cocaine trafficking empire if you're a teenager from the suburbs. Also, keep in mind that just because popular rappers write about certain things, it doesn't make your raps any more or less rap. The Beastie Boys rapped about partying and skateboarding in a talented, unique, and creative way, even though they didn't necessarily rap about traditional topics or fit into the traditional image of what a rapper should be.^[5]
   
   • If you really want to write a rap about something you don't do, make sure you make them as ridiculous as possible. Buff up the braggadocio; exaggerate to insane levels. Don't do it often, and not in serious songs, but have fun with it. Be creative.
5. Revise, revise, revise. Unless you're a world-class rapper who makes magic every time straight off the dome, your first draft of a song won't necessarily be the best. That's okay. Bob Dylan's first draft of "Like a Rolling Stone" was 20 pages long and terrible. As you're writing, let everything that wants to come out come out, but then you'll need to scale it back to a workable and efficient set of lyrics.^[6]
   
   • Focus on the most memorable lines and images, and cut out everything that doesn't match that theme, that tone, or that story. If you're having trouble figuring out what works and what doesn't, try to rewrite the song from memory, without looking at it. This will act as a kind of strainer--you won't be able to remember the less effective bits, and you'll have to fill in stronger material for what you can't remember.
   • The average song will have 2-3 verses of 16-20 bars each, and 3-4 chorus sections of a variable number of lines. Try to aim for trimming down your output to that amount.

[Edit]Picking Beats

1. Pick a pre-made beat. In almost all kinds of songwriting, the melody happens before the lyrics. Most of the time, rappers will similarly develop the beat and become familiar with the music before attempting to write any lyrics. While a rapper might have a stockpile of rhymes built up in notebooks to jump off from, crafting a song requires a beat to rhyme to. Doing this will ensure that the song feels unforced and the music matches the words.
   
   • Find a producer online who makes beats and listen to several of them until you find some you like. Commission particular sounds or styles from the producer to get an original track. If you like samurai samples and old-school comic book references like the Wu-Tang Clan, send the beatmaker some examples.
   • Even if you have a kind of idea forming for a kind of song or topic you'd like, try to come up with at least three possible beats before settling on one. Matching content, words, and music is a complicated process. Don't rush it.
2. Consider making your own beats. You can do this on your own computer or sound equipment, or even just by recording yourself beatboxing for inspiration.^[7]
   
   • Start by sampling the break from an R&B or soul song you really like. The Meters were a relatively obscure New Orleans funk band from the late 60s, who became famous after being heavily sampled as the tracks for great rap songs. Chop the beat using GarageBand or other free software on your computer.
   • Create beats with a programmable drum machine. The Roland TR-808 is the most iconic drum machine, used in many classic hip-hop and rap tracks. It features a wide variety of bass kicks, hi-hats, hand claps, and other percussive sounds that you can program in different patterns. You can also process and manipulate these beats on your computer.
3. Find the melody in the beat. Add the melody using bass tones on a synth or keyboard, or by sampling a melodic line from a pre-existing song. Listen to the song repeatedly until the melody starts to reveal itself. Listen to it from different angles and come up with different melodic possibilities. This will help you to find the hook as you begin composing the lyrics and the chorus to the song.^[8]
   
   • Record a "scratch track" of yourself singing nonsense words on top of the beat to help find and remember the melody. It doesn't matter if you're a good singer, because this won't stay on the song. Just allow yourself to explore the beat and find a melody in it by free-singing, humming, or vocalizing.
4. Listen to lots of beats before settling on one. Some beats are upbeat and make you want to dance and may lead to party-rap songs, while some dark beats will lead to serious or political material. Just because a beat is good doesn't necessarily mean it's the right beat for the song you want to make. As you listen, imagine the possible songs that could come from each beat and pick one that matches your desires for the song.
   
   • You may not have any clue where the song is going as you listen, and that's ok. Go with your gut. If a beat "speaks" to you--it's time to start making music.

[Edit]Putting it Together

1. Structure the song. Now that you have a good idea of the sound your completed song will have, arrange your rhyme into verses (16 bars apiece). You can start each verse with nearly any rhyme, but it's a good practice to end with a rhyme that makes a point. This way your verse doesn't seem to be left hanging. A popular song structure would be:^[9]
   
   • Intro
   • Verse
   • Chorus
   • Verse
   • Chorus
   • Verse
   • Middle 8 (a.k.a. breakdown)
   • Chorus
   • Outro
2. Rap and refine. Practice rapping your song on your chosen beat to work out the bugs and optimize your written verses. Cut out as many words as possible and then cut out some more. Remember, a rap song is not an English paper; only use the words that are needed to make your point, nothing more. Don't be afraid to add a pause or two, which can help to enhance a certain point in the song.
   
3. Memorize your song. Rap your lyrics over your beat until you have memorized every breath and you are sick of hearing them. Only then will you be ready to produce your song. To help you memorize the lyrics, match movements with words. Also, remember the story you're telling and how it progresses.^[10]
   
4. Produce the song. Either hook up with a producer to get the recordings and mastering completed or self-produce the song.
   
   • Put your music on platforms like YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, iTunes, and DistroKid.^[11] Create an account, edit your profile, then upload your track. Remember to use hash tags. Be online every day to get people's attention and reply to every question you get from anyone.

[Edit]Sample Rap Songs

Sample Rap Song About Money

Sample Rap Song About Money

Sample Rap Song

Sample Rap Song

Sample Rap Lyrics

Sample Rap Lyrics

[Edit]Tips

• If you can't think of good lyrics, don't give up! Just go for a walk or listen to some more music and then go back to it later with a fresh mind of ideas.
• Never give up! Just try to bring that inner rapper outside and one day you may become a professional rapper.
• Try to make it reflect a personal experience as that will give it more passion. Don't just rap about generic topics that fit a persona or could apply to anyone. Reflect on past pains and joys. Try to rap about something you have passion about.
• Be different. The main key for making it big is having your own style and being unique.
• Listen to your inner rapper to figure out what works best. If you are not sure what to say, remember that the point is to get beyond your mind/memory. Make up sounds and let new language emerge. Try focusing on famous musical artists you respect/love and see if that affects what comes out.
• You don't need to buy FL Studio to get started. There's plenty of free audio editors (such as Audacity) that provide a free way to make music. If you happen to have a Mac computer, those come with Garageband, which will allow you to record right out of the box! There are also cheap packages that can help with your quest, such as FL Studio, MTV Music Generator, Tightbeatz, Soundclick, and Hip Hop Ejay. However, the best beats you can get are a live band, so if you have friends who play guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and even brass give them a call and try to hook something up.
• If you need help writing the lyrics use an online lyric writing tool.
• Add flavor to the beats by including drum fills (e.g. before chorus or verse, add additional bass and melody lines and make the song shine).
• Listen to Eminem, and just let it happen, something will pop up in your head.
• To create a truly emotional rap, never write something that you have not felt or been through before. Draw from what you know, and write what you really feel.

[Edit]Warnings

• Don't diss other rappers until you are good at freestyle, have developed a unique flow & have your head around good lyricism.

[Edit]Related wikiHows

• Survive a Freestyle Rap Battle
• Beatbox
• Play the Piano
• Write The Vocal Melody for Music
• Become a Great Rap Performer
• Convert a Story Into a Hip Hop Song

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ http://www.powerpoetry.org/actions/7-tips-writing-rap
2. ↑ [v161319_b01]. 27 March 2020.
3. ↑ https://www.lessonface.com/content/how-write-better-hook
4. ↑ [v161319_b01]. 27 March 2020.
5. ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/content/dam/english-assets/migrated/honors_files/WEINER%20The%20Authenticity%20of%20a%20Rapper.pdf
6. ↑ https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/the_art_of_rewriting_songs
7. ↑ https://blog.discmakers.com/2011/07/building-hip-hop-beats-9-tips-from-multi-platinum-producer-johnny-juice/
8. ↑ https://www.prohibitionbigband.co.nz/dance-musicality-finding-the-beat/
9. ↑ http://www.flocabulary.com/basics-hip-hop-songwriting/
10. ↑ [v161319_b01]. 27 March 2020.
11. ↑ [v161319_b01]. 27 March 2020.

How to Get Rid of Bad Smells in Your Fridge

Natural remedies to remove odors from your fridge

Bad smells in your refrigerator are often the result of spills, expired items, or naturally smelly foods. If you’re on a mission to rid your fridge of unpleasant odors, giving your fridge a thorough cleaning and placing some deodorizing household ingredients, like baking soda, lemons, or coffee grounds, in the fridge will help it smell fresh and clean in no time. Read on for a step-by-step guide to cleaning your fridge and deodorizing it. We’ll also give you plenty of tips about things you can do to prevent bad odors from polluting your fridge.

This article is based on an interview with our house cleaning professional, James Sears.

[Edit]Things You Should Know

• Throw out all spoiled or rotten food, then wipe down the entire interior of your fridge with warm, soapy water or a solution of equal parts white vinegar and warm water.
• Place a natural deodorizer like baking soda, coffee grounds, or slices of lemon in a bowl in your fridge to neutralize any smells.
• Keep your fridge at 40ºF (4.4ºC) or lower to keep food fresher for longer and place food items in airtight containers to prevent any spills or bad smells from escaping.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Cleaning Out Your Fridge

1. Unplug your refrigerator before you begin cleaning. For safety’s sake, always unplug your fridge before you begin cleaning the inside. Pull the plug out from whatever outlet it’s plugged into. Or, some newer models of refrigerators have an “off” button instead of a plug.^[1]
   
   • Leaving your fridge plugged in can end up using a lot of electricity, so unplugging it is the best option if you don’t want to spend extra on your electric bill.
   • If you’re conscientious about closing the door between steps in your cleaning, you can leave the fridge plugged in.
2. Remove all of the food items from your fridge. Go through every storage area within your fridge—shelves, drawers, and door bins—and pull out all food items.^[2] Look closely at the food and, if anything is spoiled, rotten, or emitting a bad smell, throw it into the garbage right away.^[3] For foods that are still good, place them out on your counter or put them in a cooler to keep them cold.
   
   • Start and finish the entire job within 4 hours. Refrigerated foods left out for over 4 hours may spoil or become unsafe to eat.^[4]
3. Wash all removable shelves, bins, and other parts with soap and water. Remove all of the components of the fridge that aren’t attached to the walls, including pull-out drawers and the shelves themselves. Rinse them with warm or hot water and dishwashing soap.^[5] If the shelves are made of glass, let them warm up to room temperature before washing them with hot water to avoid them cracking or shattering.
   
   • Also be sure to look underneath the pull-out drawers. Sometimes bits of food and old water can accumulate beneath the bins and emit a foul smell.
   • Use something soft like a microfiber cloth to wash and dry the components. Make sure each part is thoroughly dried after you’re done cleaning them.
   • Avoid using the scrubbing side of a sponge on glass or plastic since it may leave scratches.^[6]
4. Scrub the fridge walls and floor with a vinegar-water solution. Combine equal parts white vinegar and warm water in a bowl and mix them together. Then, use a microfiber cloth or sponge and wipe down the entire interior of your fridge. Work from top to bottom to allow any dirt or food residue to fall to the bottom to be cleaned up last.^[7] Another option is to put the vinegar solution into a spray bottle and spritz it inside your fridge.
   
   • Vinegar is also an effective deodorizer and will absorb any unpleasant smells.
   • If you don’t have white vinegar, simply add some dish soap to a bowl of warm water and use that to clean the interior of your fridge.
   • Another option is to make a baking soda paste to scrub onto the inside of your fridge.^[8] Dissolve 1 cup (128 g) of baking soda into of warm water, then use a sponge or microfiber cloth to apply it to the fridge’s walls and floor.
5. Clean any food scraps from the drip pan under the fridge. The drip pan is a thin plastic tray that clips into place beneath the bottom of the refrigerator. Remove the drip pan from beneath the doors, carefully pull it out, and dump the contents into the garbage. Then, use soapy water or a vinegar-water solution (equal parts white vinegar and warm water) to scrub the pan clean.
   
   • The exact location of the drip pan and the method used to access it can differ for each refrigerator model. Consult your appliance’s manual to see how to access this pan and remove it for cleaning.
   • Not all refrigerator models have a drip pan. Even if you don’t have a drip pan, take the time to scrub the bottom of the fridge thoroughly.
   • Once you’ve finished cleaning everything, leave the refrigerator door open and air out the interior for at least 15 minutes.^[9]

[Edit]Deodorizing the Fridge

1. Keep an open container of baking soda on a back shelf. Baking soda has no smell itself, and it’s great at absorbing and neutralizing other aromas. Keep an open box of baking soda in your fridge for a few days. When you notice any unpleasant smells starting to emerge, toss that baking soda out and replace it with another box.^[10]
   
   • If your fridge smells especially bad and you’d like to absorb a great deal of odor at once, pour out a full box of baking soda across a baking sheet and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place coffee grounds on the shelves. Coffee grounds can also successfully absorb unpleasant odors thanks to the nitrogen in them. Spread dry, fresh coffee grounds across a baking sheet or pour them into a bowl and place them on a shelf in your fridge. The smells should leave within 3–4 days.^[11]
   
   • If you’re using used coffee grounds, spread them out on a baking sheet to dry them out completely before placing them inside your refrigerator.
3. Use sliced lemons and lemon juice to add a fresh scent. The citric acid in lemons helps get rid of smelly odors while also masking them with a fresh scent. Slice up a lemon and place the pieces on a plate in the fridge. Or, soak some cotton balls in lemon juice and place them in the fridge to do their magic.^[12]
   
   • Leave the lemons or lemon-soaked cotton balls in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
4. Soak cotton balls in vanilla and put them in the fridge. Dip a few cotton balls into a bowl of vanilla until they’re completely soaked. Then, place them inside your refrigerator for at least 24 hours. If there are any lingering odors, repeat this process until the smell is completely gone.^[13]
   
5. Place a bowl of dry oats in the fridge and let them absorb bad odors. Oats are another type of natural odor absorber. Simply pour a few cups of dry oats into a bowl and let it sit in the fridge overnight or for a few days.^[14]
   
6. Allow a small bag of activated charcoal to absorb odors. Purchase a small bag of activated charcoal and place it near the back of your fridge. In most cases, any odors should go away within 3–4 days.^[15]
   
   • Another option is to place a few pieces of activated charcoal into a plastic container or bowl and let it sit on a shelf in your fridge.
   • Please note: A coal briquette is not the same thing as activated charcoal. Only ever use activated charcoal for odor removal purposes.
7. Stuff your fridge with newspaper to absorb smells. Crumple up sheets of newspaper and place them on the shelves of your fridge, in drawers, and into any compartments on the door. Any bad odors should begin to disappear within 5 or 6 days.^[16]
   

[Edit]Preventing Bad Odors

1. Toss expired food weekly to prevent bad smells from accumulating. To prevent odors in the future, make it a point to look in your fridge at least once a week to remove expired food. If you find any spoiled food, toss it out right away. This preventative measure will keep foul smells from building up in the first place.^[17]
   
   • One tip is to go through your fridge right before you go grocery shopping so that you can replace spoiled food with fresh items.^[18]
   • Store fresh foods where they’re visible so they don’t spoil unnoticed. This includes things like vegetables, fruits, meats, and dairy products.
   • As an extra precaution, make sure the expiration dates on food items are visible so that you can easily check them whenever you go into the fridge to get something.
2. Set the temperature in your fridge below 40ºF (4.4ºC). Keeping your fridge at this temperature or below will make it so that any place is safe for you to store food. If the temperature in your fridge rises above 40ºF (4.4ºC), bacteria will begin to grow, causing your food to spoil and smell.^[19]
   
   • Avoid setting your fridge below 32ºF (0ºC) since your food will freeze at these temperatures.
3. Keep leftover food in airtight containers to prevent it from smelling. If you leave food uncovered in your fridge or leave it in something like a cardboard takeout box, it’s likely to spoil a lot faster. By keeping leftovers in a sealed airtight container, you’ll help them last longer and prevent foul odors from stinking up your fridge.^[20]
   
   • Label each container with its contents’ expiration date. For an extensive list of how long certain types of food stay good in the fridge, check out this guide from foodsafety.gov.
4. Clean up spills as soon as they happen. Oftentimes, bad odors come from spilled foods or liquids that have been sitting at the bottom of your fridge for some time. If you notice any messes, clean them up right away with warm water and dish soap or a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water. It’s also easier to clean up fresh spills than ones that have hardened and stained your fridge.^[21]
   
   • Another tip is to wipe down food containers, like plastic tupperware and glass jars, and condiment bottles before placing them in the fridge.^[22]
   • If you have containers that are prone to leaking, place something like a plastic lid or plastic bag underneath them to catch any spills and make cleanup easier.
5. Deep clean your fridge every 3 months. Get ahead of any bad odors by keeping a strict cleaning schedule for your refrigerator. Every 3 months, take out all of the food from your fridge and wipe down the interior with warm, soapy water or a mix of equal parts white vinegar and warm water.^[23]

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Related wikiHows

• Make a Basement Smell Better
• Clean a Refrigerator
• Arrange Refrigerator Shelves
• Clean a Microwave
• Replace a Refrigerator Door Seal
• Empty Your Refrigerator Before Traveling

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-the-refrigerator-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203976
2. ↑ [v161119_b01]. 28 August 2019.
3. ↑ [v161139_b01]. 27 August 2019.
4. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/food-safety-during-a-power-outage.html
5. ↑ [v161119_b01]. 28 August 2019.
6. ↑ [v161139_b01]. 27 August 2019.
7. ↑ [v161139_b01]. 27 August 2019.
8. ↑ [v161119_b01]. 28 August 2019.
9. ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/emergencies/removing-odors-refrigerators-and
10. ↑ [v161139_b01]. 27 August 2019.
11. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/deodorize-fridge-pantry-ingredients-23124871
12. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/deodorize-fridge-pantry-ingredients-23124871
13. ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/emergencies/removing-odors-refrigerators-and
14. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/deodorize-fridge-pantry-ingredients-23124871
15. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/charcoal-bag-trash-trick-23386885
16. ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/emergencies/removing-odors-refrigerators-and
17. ↑ [v161119_b01]. 28 August 2019.
18. ↑ [v141832_b01]. 15 August 2018.
19. ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/refrigeration
20. ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/6-quick-ways-get-rid-the-bad-smells-your-fridge.html
21. ↑ [v141832_b01]. 15 August 2018.
22. ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/help-around-the-kitchen/get-rid-of-fridge-smells
23. ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/help-around-the-kitchen/get-rid-of-fridge-smells