USE Coffee Grounds TO Deodorize the Fridge If you’re anything like your parents (or grandparents, or great-grandparents), you likely have a box of baking soda perched inside your refrigerator to absorb funky smells. We have another idea: Swap that box with a bowl of used, dried-out coffee grounds. The pantry staple works as a natural air freshener thanks to its odor-eliminating nitrogen. And you were just gonna throw those grounds out anyway, right?