Help! My Fridge Stinks Of Death

[learningcurve]

Hi, hope someone out there can give me some advice here. I have been away for 7 days with the family, we returned home this afteroon, opened the doors to the house and got bowled over by the smell of (very) gone off meat. Whilst we were away the trip went on the fuze box thereby turning off the fridge/freezer, obviously the frozen meat defrosted and started to turn in the now warm confines of the fridge/freezer, resulting in the smell of death throughout the house. My wife cleaned out the fridge, gave it a good scrubbing, but that terrible smell is still lingering (for lingering read bad enough to make you want to vomit). So my question is, how do we get rid of this terrible smell in the fridge/freezer (apart from dumping the pongy thing)? All replies gratefully received, even the sarcastic ones! Thank you very much, signed "He who sits with a peg on his nose".

[basjke]

Hi, hope someone out there can give me some advice here. I have been away for 7 days with the family, we returned home this afteroon, opened the doors to the house and got bowled over by the smell of (very) gone off meat. Whilst we were away the trip went on the fuze box thereby turning off the fridge/freezer, obviously the frozen meat defrosted and started to turn in the now warm confines of the fridge/freezer, resulting in the smell of death throughout the house. My wife cleaned out the fridge, gave it a good scrubbing, but that terrible smell is still lingering (for lingering read bad enough to make you want to vomit). So my question is, how do we get rid of this terrible smell in the fridge/freezer (apart from dumping the pongy thing)? All replies gratefully received, even the sarcastic ones! Thank you very much, signed "He who sits with a peg on his nose".

Next time just bury the body in your yard instead of keeping it in your freezer.

[Huey]

Take it outside, get the ammonia cut with some hot water (NOT anything else, especially Bleach, my wife almost killed us both like that) and clean every corner of that thing out AND the floor under and around were the fridge was.

That should square it away for ya.

[dumball]

Take the whole inside of the fridge apart , shelves , drawers etc and wash everything with chlorox water , the rest of the house , well , there are deoderants you can purchase .

[PhilHarries]

The only other time I've come across this situation it was self inflicted. The couple in question thought they were being safe and smart to turn the mains off while they went away on holiday.

Doh!

They just carried the freezer out into the back garden and cremated it and all it's contents.

The problem is cleaning out all those little crevices. Other than a strong bleach/disinfectant followed by copious flushings with clean water followed by leaving it stand outside in the fresh air for a week or so I don't know what to suggest. As for your house, the smell will have impregnated all the soft furnishings so a complete spring clean in autumn is your next task.

Alternatively, ask around as to where you can buy NBC suits.

[learningcurve]

Thanks for the replies so far. We have already sorted the house out, its just the fridge, when you open the door phweee. Will look for some ammonia tomorrow.

[MJo]

Get professional "bio hazard" team to do the job and charge it to your home/house/condo insurance.

If you don't have one, then i would buy one before getting rid of the fridge.

[barrybankruad]

Hi, hope someone out there can give me some advice here. I have been away for 7 days with the family, we returned home this afteroon, opened the doors to the house and got bowled over by the smell of (very) gone off meat. Whilst we were away the trip went on the fuze box thereby turning off the fridge/freezer, obviously the frozen meat defrosted and started to turn in the now warm confines of the fridge/freezer, resulting in the smell of death throughout the house. My wife cleaned out the fridge, gave it a good scrubbing, but that terrible smell is still lingering (for lingering read bad enough to make you want to vomit). So my question is, how do we get rid of this terrible smell in the fridge/freezer (apart from dumping the pongy thing)? All replies gratefully received, even the sarcastic ones! Thank you very much, signed "He who sits with a peg on his nose".

Also try vanilla essence if you can get it. Surprising how it manages to 'mask' the smell. The other posts are right, you will need to thoroughly clean, and leave it out in the sun for a couple of days. Good lucl!

Next time just bury the body in your yard instead of keeping it in your freezer.

[garyh]

Stuff it full of scrunched up newspaper with charcoal sprinkled amoungst it and leave for 2 days with the door shut is what some fridge manufacturers say.

[sassienie]

I had the same problem a year ago. Fridge stunk to high heaven. Took everything apart inside the fridge, used bleach, powder, washing up liquid, you name it, I used it. Nop, still ponged like someone had been dead in there for the last 6 months.

Then I checked out the back of the fridge, the part where the motor is situated. Just above that there is an oblong plastic box. This box holds water that is drained from the fridge during it`s defrosting process.

It was the water contents in the box that had stagnated and was the source of the smell. Also worth checking under the fridge as sometimes the stagnant water, if the box overflows, trickles onto the floor

Cleaned the box and under the fridge, end of problem.

[Maigo6]

Just buy a new one.........

15 -17000 Baht, no big deal.

[Geekfreaklover]

Bleach or a stong type of toilet cleaner. The more dangerous chemicals the better. Take it outside and soak that thing for a few hours (obviously unplug it first and make sure the electronical componants aren't wet.). Then use a soft wool or a stiff nylon brush and scrub the baby clean. Obviously check the under tray and any nooks that collect water. Just clean it snout to tail. No need to buy a new one.

Edited October 21, 2009 by Geekfreaklover

[cmsally]

Put a bowl of charcoal inside the fridge.

Or try this

Get rid of smells

Coffee and baking soda.

[simon43]

Mask the smell!!

Take a ripe durian and liquidise it in a blender, then take a small cloth, soak it in the liquid durian and rub the pungent solution all over the inside of your fridge.Next time you open the fridge door - hey presto!! - no rotten meat smell

Problem solved...

Simon

PS - you may still feel the urge to throw up - I am working on a solution for that...

Edited October 21, 2009 by simon43

[wattaman]

My mother used to wash the refrigerator (inside) with vinegar, for the smell, and then she left it to dry. That after the water/soap wash, of course. So, the vinegar being a little acid is dissolving the 'smell' infiltrated in the plastic - must let it dry and don't wash it with water.

However, when I was living in Athens I forgot myself the frig unplugged and after one week it had warms inside+the death body smell (yeah, forgot to bury the dam_n thing ); I've washed it and left it outside to dry, after the vinegar, for one day, but it still kept a special flavor. If yours is not that worst, with worms and green juice all over and if it had only the smell it is worth to try the vinegar.

Edited October 21, 2009 by wattaman

[Gaccha]

This was one of the great unmentioned parts of the Hurricane Katrina story. The fridges absolutely stunk. They defrosted, maggots began swarming, the smell was utterly rancid with 2 or 3 inches thick goo around the walls of the fridge and in the freezer bags, black frozen maggots. The solution then was to chuck the fridges away.

On the bright side, the smell of a decaying human body of 3 months is not as bad as an egg left for 3 months, so should you ever come across the former (as I have) then you might not be so shocked thanks to your current experience.

[pattaya_girl]

I would leave the Fridge outside for a few days with the door open.

Also, I just saw a pack of Pegs for sale at Foodland, in all different colors..

Good luck with it anyway.

[ballpoint]

Try cutting your nose off to spite your fridge

[Patsycat]

Lemon juice

[popshirt]

Re: AMMONIA

whatever you do, don't mix ammonia with chlorine bleach, it is an explosive combination.

but

I have never been able to find ammonia for sale in Thailand, I have looked everywhere and asked many people, it just doesn't seem to be available.............if anyone knows where to buy it, please pm me or post here thanks

[Harcourt]

Vanilla essence will counter the smell, after all the cleaning, leave a bowl of charcoal in the fridge...it really works.

[moe666]

Baking soda wash and then a coulp of boxes left open in the fridge for a few days.

[Minke]

I left for Malaysia for a month and my thoughtful landlord cut the power for me at my house. Same story, science experiment.

Take it from a chick: take the fridge outside, a strong bleach solution, sponge, elbow grease. And in the back of your fridge is the meltwater reservoir from the icebox. That should be filled with a nice soup spawning the offspring of cthulhu so get that bleached out too. Bleach won't kill you if you dilute it in water and don't mix it with anything other than water. It will work.

[chiliwasabi]

As some have suggested vanilla will work.

My money is on bicarbonate of soda. Just grab a box and place it open in the fridge to absorb the smell.

[craighj]

Vanilla essence in small bowls in the fridge, as well as baking soda on small plates. Both strategically place throughout the fridge.

These are both classic smell removers, you may have to do it a couple of times.

The other thing you might have to do is ensure that you cleaned the rubber door lines properly, I suggest with Vanilla essence mixed in a little water.

Good luck.

[Soutpeel]

Based on a similar personal experience....bin the fridge and buy an new one, I went through the vast majority of remedies suggested above and even though the smell was reduced considerbly, I still aways caught a wiff of rotten meat, everytime I opened the door..

To the poster looking for ammonia, Tesco's in their pharamacy section sell small bottles of ammonia (at least in Rayong, they do)

[spaceshipcrew]

Help! My Fridge Stinks Of Death

Did you open it or not ???

A Thai guy not far from here steals small dogs, let them suffer and starve in an abandoned home keeps the dead dogs in a freezer, just thinking of that...