Refrigerator Drain Hole Blocked (Popular →)

Your fridge isn't broken. It just has a stuffy nose. Give that drain hole a quick clean, and you’ll be back to dry, cold storage in no time.

You open your fridge to grab a drink and see a small puddle of water on the bottom shelf or glass crisper drawer. Your first thought might be, “Is my fridge dying?” refrigerator drain hole blocked

Look at the back wall of the fridge, near the center bottom. You will see a small slit or hole (about the size of a pencil eraser). It might be covered in a thin layer of ice or gunk. Your fridge isn't broken

It drips down a channel, through a small hole (usually located on the back wall inside the fridge, just above the bottom shelf), and travels through a tube to a drain pan underneath the appliance. Once there, the room temperature air evaporates the water away. You open your fridge to grab a drink

Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 cup of hot (not boiling) water. Use the turkey baster to squirt this mixture directly into the drain hole. If the water flows down and disappears, you are done!

If you see ice covering the hole, do not chip at it with a screwdriver (you can puncture the plastic lining). Instead, use a hair dryer on low heat held 6 inches away, or press a towel soaked in hot water against the ice until it melts.