My under-sink cabinet always smelled musty, but this 1 natural trick with common kitchen ingredients fixed it without harsh chemicals

The cabinet under my sink has always had a weird, musty smell to it, thanks to a mixture of my cabinet-mounted trash can, moisture from the sink pipes, and my arsenal of cleaning products.

I was desperate for a solution, but I didn’t want to replace the damp smell with a harsh chemical one. I was thrilled when I tried a natural mix of lemon juice and vinegar and found it fully deodorized my stinky cabinet.

The best news? This uses two non-toxic cleaning supplies and can be used safely across all food prep spaces and kitchen cabinets.

A powerful but non-toxic odor eliminator for cabinets

You do not need harsh chemicals to clean well, so it should perhaps come as no surprise that the best way to remove odors from a damp spot is to clean with vinegar, as it kills mold (and with more efficiency than toxic chemicals such as bleach).

To remove the mustiness completely, however, I found that you have to pair this with cleaning with lemon juice.

Derek Christian, cleaning expert and co-owner at All Star Cleaning, explains, ‘Using lemon or lime juice will help remove and mask the smells instantly, and the mild acid also helps to slow the growth of bacteria and mold.’

Because you are combining two acids, there are no adverse effects – rather, you are creating a stronger cleaning solution. Plus, the lemon juice sufficiently masks the acrid scent of your other kitchen ingredient to avoid replacing one unfavorable scent with another when creating a non-toxic home.

What you need:

• White vinegar, distilled to at least 5%, such as the Great Value Distilled White Vinegar at Walmart
• Fresh lemons (one large or two small)
• A spray bottle. This glass spray bottle, from Target, has measurements on the side and is easier to clean out between uses
• Microfiber cleaning cloths, from Walmart, or strong paper towels, such as Bounty, also from Walmart

How I used it

To banish bad kitchen smells for good, however, it helps to understand why kitchen cupboards smell musty in the first place – mold.

Despite having a constant running extractor fan, and often opening the window when I cook, the sheer amount of moisture created when cooking, boiling a kettle, or even running the hot kitchen tap means the kitchen is a very humid room.

This humidity condenses easily in already damp spots, such as under the kitchen sink. Pair this with the fact that my only solution to where to put a trash can in a small kitchen is in this cabinet, and the mustiness increases tenfold.

1. Making the spray

I used freshly squeezed lemon juice for this trick, finding that fresh is more potent than the bottled stuff. I added around half a cup of 6% distilled white vinegar to a glass spray bottle, from Walmart, before squeezing in the juice of one large lemon.

I found that using a funnel, also available at Walmart, made this easier and less messy. This mixture is good for use for around seven days.

If you are especially averse to the smell of white vinegar, consider soaking fruit in in your bottle of it for a week or two before cleaning, creating a thoroughly infused DIY cleaning solution ideal for most areas of the home. Remember to brush up on what not to clean with it to avoid damaging surfaces.

Alternatively, if you really hate the pungent smell, you can swap it for hydrogen peroxide. Derek says, ‘To kill germs, one of the best things you can do is clean with hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide [available at Walmart] will kill mold and bacteria, but as we know, it is safe for humans and animals as well, as when it breaks down, it only leaves water and oxygen.’

2. Killing the mold

I then decluttered under the kitchen sink, taking the opportunity to throw out some expired cleaning products, before spritzing the now-empty cabinet with the solution and leaving it to sit for half an hour. This gives the mix some time to kill black mold.

Professional cleaners agree you don't often need commercial or harsh chemicals to clean well, but natural methods and ingredients may just need a bit longer, or a repeat spritz, to achieve the same results.

Then, I cleaned it up with some microfiber cloths, such as the Everspring multi-purpose cloths from Target, before throwing them straight into a hot laundry cycle to sanitize them and freshen them up for use again elsewhere.

3. Cleaning the trash can

I also used my DIY cleaning spray to clean the trash can, finishing by saturating some jumbo cotton balls (from Target) with the spray and tossing them into the base of the can before replacing the bag.

This can help mask trash can smells for a little longer so that I can spend less time cleaning.

What to shop

FAQs

What is the disadvantage of using vinegar?

The main disadvantage is that it can damage or wear down some surfaces, such as rubber and natural stone, over time due to the high acidic content. This can reduce the effectiveness or permanently alter the appearance.

Are the fumes bad for you?

Although vinegar is non-toxic, breathing in lots of vapors from acetic acid can result in irritation of the eyes and throat. It can also be very drying to the skin. As a result, it is still wise to improve ventilation when and use rubber cleaning gloves when using it to bust musty smells.

Meet the expert

Derek Christian

Derek and his wife own one of the largest home cleaning companies in America. Before owning his own cleaning company, he worked for Procter & Gamble for 13 years and was one of the authors of the book and training program used to certify home cleaners by the trade association, ISSA. 

Vinegar isn't only helpful for your kitchen – it has several uses for non-toxic ways to make your home smell nice that range from bathroom cleaning to deodorizing upholstery.