My 8 yr old son and I have been caught up in the rioting in London. After 2.5 weeks we have been able to come home. The power was out for a long time and then came back on. The food in my freezer had defrosted, gone moldy, then refrozen when the power went back on.
I have gotten rid of the food, cleaned with Fairy liquid, then Dettol. The smell seemed to go. I put the freezer back on, but when I opened the door the smell has come back. Any suggestions for getting rid of this odour? The freezer is built in under the counter so I can't move it and can't afford to replace it.
By Alison
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Hi Alison, glad you're back home safe and sound!
Here is what the USDA recommends for methods to remove odors from your freezer, plus some suggestions for what to do if you don't have success the first time.
www.fsis.usda.gov/
We have always had good luck with using fresh (un-used) coffee grounds, as mentioned in the article referenced by la34a. An open box of baking soda is also a good bet. Good luck!
When I had a similar experience I tried most of the things listed in the USDA fact sheet without much luck. My freezer was almost new so I was unwilling to part with it. I bought a 5 pound package of clay kitty litter, poked holes all over it with an icepick and put it in my freezer, closed the door for a week. When I checked it there was no more odor. Hope you can get clay kitty litter in the UK.
Try placing a small open saucer of fresh coffee inside the unit, close it and leave the coffee there for a day or two. I have found that fresh (not used) coffee will eliminate odors in refrigerators, freezers and microwave ovens. It does a much better job than baking soda.
You can also try using a small brick of charcoal, like that used for barbeques, to keep foul odors out of the refrigerator.
And too, you can put a banana with the peel pulled down, but not removed, in the unit. Suggested by a friend, I used that when some milk spilled onto the car carpet. It worked, no nasty smell.
A small bowl of white vinegar will keep a room odor free.
And last but not least, crumpled newspaper is great for stuffing shoes or other things to absorb and remove odors.
I hope one or all of my suggestions will be of some help.
I always thought washing with vinegar got rid of smells and the vinegar smell does not remain.
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