My Refrigerator Smells! - Ways To Remove The Smell

[Harry Palmer]

we were away for two weeks recently & upon our return, found that the power had tripped and everything in the fridge freezer had gone rotten and stank to high heaven...

madame palmer has cleaned it with disinfectant, bleach, jif, h.ell she has even put bounce sheets in it, in an attempt to take the smell away, also got bicarb in there but it still smells. i am not putting any food in there until the smell has gone...

does anyone please have any sensible suggestions on how to get rid of the awful smell?!

[350torana]

Drag the bugger outside and let it air for a few days . If this fails,buy some durian and leave it in the fridge. I hate the crap and its smell. But, it will overcome other smells.

[kayo]

leave it open (and unplugged obviously) for a few days. Smells (almost) always dissipate with time.

Alternatively, spill loads of beer in it, then at least it will smell like euhh...beer

[francois]

hi'

the oldest trick is a glass of vinegar inside and leave open and not working for a couple of days, then leave another glass of "new" vinegar inside and go on

normaly, just a glass of vinegar inside suck the smell out ... if not too bad

you should not need to do it twice .. only if very bad smell ... (like durian)

or like some french cheese

cheers

francois

[xbusman]

Got some bad news for ya Harry, spent a few years in my youth taking care of motorhomes and people were great for coming home and running in the house without unloading the fridge or plugging the coach in. The smell permeates the foam insulation all around the box and there just is not a good way to fix it. Over time it will get better but in my experience no matter how much better it gets every time you open the door you will get a "yechhhh".

If its a top line refridge like I could find in America, some of them can have the interior panely removed and you can get to the insulation to clean it. After thats done, needs to be sealed with a chemical sealant that does not add to the mix. Even then you will have a 90% chance of remembering what you forgot every time you open the door. Dont know much about the construction of Thai refriderators though, might be differant here.

Let me know if my info is outdated, been many years since I fought that problem.

[medicinebox]

Try dragging it outside and leaving it in direct sunlight for a few hours. This should kill the bacteria. Or melt your fridge.

I heard something about lemon juice but cant remember.

[stroll]

Have you thought of fastening a miniature G-clamp to your nose? There is a 'Smart Buy' shop on Tooting Brdw which sells them for 99pence.

[chuchok]

Sunsine can help, but the best smell away product I have ever seen is sansom deodorant stone.Your trouble and strife will know exactly what it is.You can buy a kilo of the stone/crystal at most markets.smash it up into little bitty pieces, wet it and then leave it in the fridge.It will take away most smells.It is used by Thais as a body deodorant and water purifier .It has some fantastic properties.

[Pink Mist]

Sodium Bicarbonate, open the top of the box completely and leave in the fridge.

[Harry Palmer]

Have you thought of fastening a miniature G-string to your nose? There is a 'Sex' shop on Tooting Brdw which sells them for 99pence.

uhmmm stroll... an imaginative solution but perhaps a little inappropriate as my parents are coming over tomorrow... thanks anyway, i will bear it in mind

[Ice Treasure]

Bi Carbonate will work...end of story however if it is an older frig, where there are gaps, it may well be through into the foam lining. If that is so, forget it and replace it.

[chuchok]

Sansom crystals contain positive Ions which cause odor saturated molecules to coagulate. The result is that odor molecules are not only captured but broken apart and done away with...

Another product that absorbs an ordor is charcoal...but this has to be replaced on a regular basis.

[lopburi3]

The Thai solution is to use fresh leaves from farang (guava) tree.

[Gazza]

madame palmer has cleaned it with disinfectant, bleach, jif, h.ell she has even put bounce sheets in it,

Where did you buy Jif and Bounce? In Thailand? I was looking for these a few months back but couldn't find them.

[Stocky]

Just buy a new fridge you tightwad

[Boon Mee]

Just buy a new fridge you tightwad

Excellent reply, Stocky!

...and Tutsi wonders why Thaivisa has gone to the dogs of late...

[mouse]

Sodium Bicarbonate, open the top of the box completely and leave in the fridge.

Yuk ehrrr I mean Yup!! old Arm and Hammer Baking Soda and I saw it around at almost every larger store.

[BKKfreddy]

Another totally useless thread by Harry Palmer, couldnt the admins give him a temporary ban just to teach him a lesson.

[Totster]

Another totally useless thread by Harry Palmer, couldnt the admins give him a temporary ban just to teach him a lesson.

They did.... and it didn't...!

[BKKfreddy]

It would be sad to see him permanently banned, but maybe that is the only answer, sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, for the betterment of tv it would not be such a great loss if Harry Palmer was banned for life i suppose.

[keda]

1 - I've heard of kitty litter absorbing smells, but better for your type of stench must be charcoal, which naturally absorbs odours as well as dampness. You can buy the fancy charcoal, though regular charcoal works just as well, but if you go this route try to get some activated charcoal, the type that's used to filter water in fishtanks.

If you have any onion/garlic bags, bird feeders, string bags, or can make some other holey bags, put the charcoal in and hang the bags from the shelves so that the charcoal can work over a greater area.

2 - Take out the shelves and boxes, wash them with regular detergent, rinse well and then dry them. Wash the fridge thoroughly, inside and out, as well as underneath, where crap tends to congregate.

Pay particular attention to the cracks, crevices, and the rubber gaskets. Also, clean the drip tray located below the fridge; you will need to remove the lower panel in the front or rear of the fridge to access the tray, which is there to catch moisture as the freezer de-frosts or the refrigerator drains condensation. Most people don't know it exists, and if you've never cleaned yours you may find some pretty nasty stuff growing there.

Then rewash everything with warm water mixed with 4-6 tablespoons of baking soda and a small amount of Detol.

Reconstruct everything, and keep an opened box of baking soda in the main fridge unit, and one in the freezer.

Hey - don't forget to flush out the draining channel or line from the freezer and fridge units to the drip tray.

3 - If it's a musty smell, spread small dishes of vinegar on each shelf. This will give you a strong smell of the vinegar, which is less unpleasant (I like it), but after about day or two there shouldn't be any more mustiness at all.

I would tend to opt for a combo of the baking soda wash, with baking soda and charcoal left in the unit to draw the odours.

Good luck

keda

Tip before storing fridges or freezers: Place a couple of lightly sealed brown paper bags of coffee in the unit, and one in the freezer. About a cup of coffee per bag should see you ok for up to a couple of months.

[poolcleaner]

After this lot Harry you'll be able to write a book!!

Pity the folks are coming tomorrow it means you're going to have to hedge your bets and try as many of the remedies as possible at once.

Good Luck!

Oh and great thread by the way!

[BKKfreddy]

Another totally useless thread by Harry Palmer, couldnt the admins give him a temporary ban just to teach him a lesson.

I have just been Skyped by poor old Harry Palmer & he took great pains to put me in the picture vis-à-vis the 30 day posting ban imposed upon him. I may have been a little harsh in my judgement of the poor chap, so lets hope he serves his time profitably in the thaivisa penitentiary and comes back a reformed character oh, I advised him to take care in the shower especially if he should drop his soap!

[A. BOOZER]

My old Mother always said that the best way to get rid of smells in a refrigerator was to cut a lemon and rub the raw edge all over the interior and then leave another cut lemon inside fridge for 24 hours.

[Gazza]

My old Mother always said that the best way to get rid of smells in a refrigerator was to cut a lemon and rub the raw edge all over the interior and then leave another cut lemon inside fridge for 24 hours.

Explains the lemon halves in public urinals. I thought they were to give us something to aim at.

My mother-in-law keeps leaving bits of lemons on scrubbing pads and in badly ventilated areas.

[Bizz]

My old Mother always said that the best way to get rid of smells in a refrigerator was to cut a lemon and rub the raw edge all over the interior and then leave another cut lemon inside fridge for 24 hours.

Lemon is right bread soda is right but cleaning out the fridge with a very light solution of water bleach will do the trick and leave a cut onion in there.

Lemon and water also helps with microwave disinfectant also

http://robbiehaf.comhttp://www.thefunplace...use/tips/hhtips. html/RobbiesKitchen/RobbiesHints.html

[plachon]

hi'

the oldest trick is a glass of vinegar inside and leave open and not working for a couple of days, then leave another glass of "new" vinegar inside and go on

normaly, just a glass of vinegar inside suck the smell out ... if not too bad

you should not need to do it twice .. only if very bad smell ... (like durian)

or like some french cheese

cheers

francois

Francois, will a glass of French wine do just as well? I've always used it in me radiator on a cold winter's morning in the past, but if I could find another use for it, I'd be well chuffed. Then I could save the French plonk for the fridge, the Bulgarian stuff for the radiator and the Oz stuff for drinking.

[Gazza]

Why not try a combination from a few of the suggestions already made?

Place a Beer soaked Durian in a bowl

Sprinkle a teaspoon full of Baking Soda over the Durian

Add a Slice of Lemon

Add some Diced Onion

Garnish with some Freshly Ground Guava Leaves

Pour on Glass of French Wine

Add small amount of Vinegar

Keep refrigerated for 2 hours at 20 celcius.

If that doesn't work then get pissed on some 'Salad Durian Refrigidaire'.

[taxexile]

Explains the lemon halves in public urinals. I thought they were to give us something to aim at. 

thats how they marinate them before dropping them in your drink !

[Kringle]

I reckon he, she, it should just stay out of the fridge and it wouldn't stink (the fridge , that is). I'm tired of trying to figure this poster out. Post more crape than anyone I know. He11, if I knew half as much as this twit says he knows about anything, I damm sure would know to use some baking soda, wash with lemon juice or let the bloody thing sit in the sun. Just a dreeb and the last time I will even look at another post he starts.