Baking soda and vinegar will help, but you need to scrub.

Yes, but it’s not magic. The fizzy reaction mostly looks cool and does little for odors on its own.

The real trick is scrubbing every surface with a baking soda paste (3:1 baking soda to water), letting it sit for 15 minutes, then rinsing. Vinegar can help cut grease and kill some bacteria, but it won’t neutralize odors by itself. After cleaning, wipe dry and leave the cooler open in the sun for a full day.

Don’t skip the drain plug – that’s where the worst smells hide. And if odors linger after all that, the cooler’s plastic has probably absorbed the smell permanently. Time for a new one.

Leave the lid open for a day after cleaning.