New Delhi, Jan. 5 -- That fridge smell isn't dramatic and it doesn't hit you the moment you open the door. You notice it later, when yesterday's rice tastes faintly stale, or cut fruit carries an odd cold note that wasn't there before. The food hasn't gone bad, it just tastes like the fridge now. People often assume the fridge needs a deep clean. Sometimes it does. More often, the smell comes from how air behaves inside a refrigerator and how easily food absorbs it.

A fridge is a sealed box with circulating air and every strong smell inside it travels. Cooked food, onions, cheese, leftover curries, even uncovered vegetables release aromas that don't stay contained. Cold air keeps moving, and anything exposed slowly takes on whatever else...