A student living in a dorm is getting frustrated over the strong stench of pre-prepared meals that dominate their entire living space whenever the fridge is opened. In response, cleaning fans have shared their best solutions for banishing the unwanted odour.

Meal prepping is a part of many people's lives now, especially when the demands of full time work or school can feel overwhelming. In a bid to save time on a daily basis, some people choose to batch cook and prepare all their meals for the upcoming week.

This can prove to be an ideal time management solution but it's not without its downsides, as one student has discovered. Despite using air-tight glass containers to store their meals, the smell is still incredibly powerful and leaves them feeling "nauseated".

They turned to Reddit looking for tips and advice, in a post simply titled "Get Rid of Food Smell in Fridge".

They then explained: "I have a small fridge in my dorm, and I keep pre-prepared meals in it. They're in airtight glass containers. However, the smell is still really strong.

"Whenever I open my fridge, I'm nauseated by the smell of food. It's driving me insane. All of it is really seasoned and has garlic/onion, so I imagine this may be why, but I can't deal with it much longer."

They asked for ways to "minimise" the smell, then added: "I hate feeling like I can't open my fridge without spraying half a bottle of perfume."

In the comments section, people were keen to share their ideas - with many suggesting leaving sliced lemons or bicarbonate of soda in the fridge to counteract undesirable smells.

One person said: "Try putting baking soda and changing it every few weeks. Also cut up some lemons and put them in the fridge overnight."

Another replied in agreement: "Known this since I was a kid in the 70's, my grandmother did it. Good old school life hack."

A third said: "My mother always did this and, now after 20 years I just discovered why."

A fourth commented: "Put a cup of coffee grounds in your fridge. Dry not brewed. I've had good luck with that killing bad odours. Then take it out after a week or so."

Someone else echoed this line of thinking and shared: "Coffee or charcoal always works for me.

"I clean up, throw old stuff, wipe down. Make sure everything's covered. There's always coffee beans or charcoal somewhere in my fridge."

And another said: "They make 'rechargeable' charcoal bags. Lasts a month or so then you leave it in the sunlight for a day to recharge."

Someone else added: "Cut a lemon in half or quarters and leave it in the fridge. Change it out every week. It does wonders for getting rid of that 'fridge' smell".

Lemons are effective in removing odours because their acidity can help to neutralise bad odours, while their fresh, clean aroma offers a naturally pleasant fragrance.

Similarly, baking soda works to rid fridges of unwanted odours because of its effective powers of absorption and ability to neutralise smells.