My stinky freezer..HELP!! | FerrariChat

My stinky freezer..HELP!!

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by PeterS, Mar 12, 2004.

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  1. PeterS

    PeterS Four Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 24, 2003
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    This is gross:

    I had a vacant rental in which I had a large freezer full of meat. I was unaware that for about two months, a fuse blew in the garage (where the freezer was) and all the meat got pretty bad...real bad! I had to pay a kid to haul all of the rancid meat to the dumpster. I had the freezer cleaned, but the strong smell of old Arizona summer road-kill is still there.

    Is there anything I can use to get the smell out of this freezer? Its brand new! I did throw a couple of boxes of Arm&Hammer in it, but it is not working.
     
  2. Ike

    Ike F1 Rookie

    Nov 4, 2003
    3,543
    The only thing I could think of would be to scrub it down with bleach a few times and let it air out for a week.
     
  3. wax

    wax Five Time F1 World Champ
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  4. matkat

    matkat Formula 3

    Mar 18, 2003
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    Dave McGuire
    Get a new one!
     
  5. rob

    rob F1 Rookie

    May 22, 2002
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    Just be glad it wasn't fish if it was you would definately have to throw out the whole appliance. I'm assuming that it was defrosted and cleaned thoroughly with baking soda/water, if so there are a couple of other tricks you can try.
    Empty out the fridge then fill some cereal bowls with fresh ground coffee and run the unit empty for a couple of days.
    You can also try putting a couple of ounces of imitation vanilla in a shallow saucer and run empty for a few days.
    Best of luck!
     
  6. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Aug 6, 2003
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    I had the same thing happen when I moved into a basement apt and the previous tenants left a fridge of meat and vegetables (with fuse box breakers off)... fridge was outside in the carport in the Hawaiian summer heat, and the flies found their way in first. I opened the door and EVERY surface was crawling with maggots and coated with eggs. All the walls and racks were moving. Hello dry heaves!!

    I hosed it out and disinfected it 4-6x, but there were maggots and flies in all the ventilation systems and everywhere. It was a write off... and then I came home from class one day to find out that the landlord had moved it into my apartment!!! AGH! It reeked horribly with a goat-gagging stench, which was marginally helped by turning the fridge back on. I literally sprayed it out with Lysol and Ajax 2-20x a day, just to keep the smell out of my little apartment (never put ANYTHING into it). Moved out of there in a few weeks for a better place.

    Throw the freezer out.
     
  7. Tyler

    Tyler F1 Rookie

    Dec 19, 2001
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    I know it sucks, but I'd junk the thing.
     
  8. AJS328

    AJS328 F1 Veteran
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    Apr 23, 2003
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    I had the same problem once. I solved it by moving to a different apt.
     
  9. PeterS

    PeterS Four Time F1 World Champ
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    A repair guy told me yesterday that I need to unplug it and let it air for a month. The smell is bateria that has yet to die off.
     
  10. darth550

    darth550 Six Time F1 World Champ
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  11. dm_n_stuff

    dm_n_stuff Four Time F1 World Champ
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    Call your insurance guy. Bet it's covered by your homeowners, including the value of the tossed meat and the disposal ofsaid same.

    Might be enough $$$ to warrant a claim.

    Take a shot, nothing to lose.
     
  12. Ekasilicon

    Ekasilicon Formula Junior

    Jan 21, 2003
    507
    The same thing happened to me when I moved into a condo before I was married. The landlord sent over a cleaning crew that took care of it. It took a few weeks for the smell to completely go away, but this is what they did. They removed all the meat and washed out the freezer completely, they then put a few boxes of baking soda and a lot of charcoal briquettes in the freezer. They also sprinkled baking soda of all the furniture and carpet. After a few days the smell was mostly gone, so we cleaned up all the baking soda. But, like I said, it ultimately took a few weeks for the smell to be completley gone. For that few weeks that it still smelled, we burned a lot of scented candles to mask the smell. It seemed to work allright. Good luck.
     
  13. PeterS

    PeterS Four Time F1 World Champ
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    MJG...Was this two weeks with the fridge running or unplugger?

    Insurance claim??? And give those crooks another reason to raise my rates? No friggen way! Yes, it can hurt!
     
  14. dm_n_stuff

    dm_n_stuff Four Time F1 World Champ
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    It is homeowners right? Not your car insurance. Homeowner's is a whole different game.

    I'd ask, can't hurt.
     
  15. PeterS

    PeterS Four Time F1 World Champ
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    I put it in front of my garage with the door open. I'll let it air out for a couple of weeks. Hell, it just may keep burglars away!
     
  16. Ekasilicon

    Ekasilicon Formula Junior

    Jan 21, 2003
    507
    It was unplugged. Needless to say, I ate out a lot those couple of weeks.
     
  17. NTB

    NTB Karting

    Nov 3, 2003
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    There is a drip pan located under the freezer that has collected the defrosting water and meat "juice", this is where the smell is coming from. If you cannot remove the drip pan and clean it, just fill it with bleach. In about one day the smell will be gone. Last summer I lost power after a storm (5 days), and a honest repairman told me how to correct the problem without replacing it. It worked for me.
    Tom
     
  18. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Aug 6, 2003
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    Did you get a new freezer?
     
  19. UroTrash

    UroTrash Three Time F1 World Champ
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    We found a lasagna in the bottom of a closed frig after about 2 months (warm). Lots of clorox, open air outside eventually saved it but the lasagna was contained in a glass tray, so no seepage. If you have rotten blood into the cracks and insulation, its a goner.

    Did you get a good deal at Jeffrey Dahlmer's yard sale?
     
  20. Etcetera

    Etcetera Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Yes. He didn't have to pay an arm and a leg for it!
     
  21. GTO84

    GTO84 Formula Junior

    Dec 13, 2003
    565
    I'm pretty sure a can of wd-40 and a lighter would get rid of the stench. I'll
    show you next time I come up and you'll learn the proper tecnique.
     
  22. TinaDK

    TinaDK F1 World Champ

    Jun 23, 2004
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    Cover the inside with yoghurt... a eeh sour one.... I don't know what they are called outside of my own country :) And let it stay there for a day, and then clean it!! It works.... !!!!!! The sour stuff in it, will eat all bacteria and it's not bad for the environment or YOU :)
     

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