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Having been away for two months I arrived home to find that there was no electricity and I suspect that there had been none for several weeks judging by the state of the fridge/freezer. Everything was liquid and covered in mold and the stench was unbearable.
Following advice in this and other forums, I cleaned everything with soap and water and then wiped everything with a solution of bleach. When I say everything, I really do mean everything. All the shelves came out, the drawers dismantled, the appliance pulled out from the wall and cleaned underneath and the drip tray inspected. Once the power was back on I put a tray of bicarbonate of soda in the fridge and a commercial anti-odour gel but after several days the smell had not improved.
So I pulled it all apart again and wiped it all with a solution of bicarbonate of soda, then left it with a few bowls of coffee grounds and yet more anti-odour gel tubs. Two day later it still smells disgusting. I’m going away again tomorrow for two weeks and my plan is to leave it switched off and the doors open, but does anyone have any other suggestions? I haven’t tried vinegar, but as bicarb and coffee didn’t work, I’m not hopeful.
Re: Something died in the freezer!
One area that often gets missed when deep cleaning is the inside of the lower edge of the door seal. Furl it back to check it out.
Re: Something died in the freezer!
iadom wrote:One area that often gets missed when deep cleaning is the inside of the lower edge of the door seal. Furl it back to check it out.
Yes, I did check that too. I’m 95{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} certain that the smell has been absorbed by the plastic walls and components of the fridge/freezer – there was mold and rotting meat in there for a long time – but how to get rid of it?
Re: Something died in the freezer!
You don’t tell us what make and model it is. Some of the fridge guys may know of model specific areas that need checking.
Sadly it could be so badly ingrained you may never shift it fully. 🙁
Re: Something died in the freezer!
Sliced lemons in a couple of teaspoons of water in a dish to stop them drying out are good to absorb the smells.
If anything has managed to enter the insulation then you will not get rid of the smell so check to see if any contamination has entered any joints near the insulation.
Bob
Re: Something died in the freezer!
It’s a Samsung RSA1UTWP, a side-by-side American style fridge/freezer. The design is such that the fridge has no drain hole and the one in the freezer is located behind a panel hiding the evaporator. The only liquid that could go down it is melt water from the defrost cycle. Most of the contents that turned to liquid were in sealed bags or packets, the little that escaped came out the front through the door seals.
Both compartments appear to consist of a single moulded piece of plastic, there are no obvious seams.
Re: Something died in the freezer!
I’m not so sure you will succeed in solving this problem. Mould spores in a frost free unit like this can be extremely evasive. Gets in the ice maker, fan chamber and almost certainly will penetrate the insulation foam at some point.
If you have Home contents insurance I would suggest you claim towards total loss of the fridge freezer.
Re: Something died in the freezer!
Martin wrote:I’m not so sure you will succeed in solving this problem. ………….If you have Home contents insurance I would suggest you claim towards total loss of the fridge freezer.
I fear you may be right. However, the compensation offered for a 7 year old unit will likely be less than the excess on the insurance – but a new one is around 1,200€ (the house is in Spain). I’m leaving this morning and I will switch the unit off and leave the doors open. I’ll find out in 2 weeks if it’s made any difference.
Re: Something died in the freezer!
I don’t know if this is relevant or safe for food but they make products to clean smells from car air conditioning to help with mould smells
cant see a quick reason why it may not be ok maybe someone else has an idea
Dave
Re: Something died in the freezer!
So after leaving the fridge off and the doors open for two weeks, the situation improved but not by much. As a last resort I put a gel type air freshener in the fridge for a day or so. That gave me lemon fresh dead cat smell!
After two weeks, I went off again for three weeks and again switched it off and left the doors open. On my return this week the smell is still in evidence, but much improved. I suspect it will gradually disappear over time. So do I spend 1,200€ on a new one or persevere and hope that the smell goes eventually? No contest – I’ll wait!
I did check my insurance and they would have paid for the ruined food, but not for a new appliance.
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