# How to fix a Smelly Freezer



## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

I have a used Freezer I bought. Problem is it smells horrible.

I let it thaw/dry and warm up and left Arm & Hammer Baking Soda in it for a few days.

Cleaned it out with soap and water.

Smells still there.

What can I do to fix this?

Thanks for your help in advance.

:sniper:


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## franchi (Oct 29, 2005)

Is the smell only coming from inside the freezer? If not, check the motor compartment for dead mice/rats. That was a problem with a used freezer we bought.


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## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

Yeah, we checked that. It is definitely coming from inside the freezer.

It makes the food smell in the freezer.


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## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

My first thought were make it a fish freezer..... here is what I found on Google.

- Wash the interior walls and door liner with a solution of 1-2 tablespoonsful of baking soda and 1 quart warm water, and wipe dry. Leave the door open and let it air out well, with a fan directed toward inside, and opened windows if the climate permits. If the odor still remains, try one or all of the following means of odor removal.

- Spread baking soda out on shallow pans (like shallow glass casserole dishes, pie plates, or jelly roll pans lined with foil) and put pans on the shelves to absorb odors, or on the bottom and in baskets of chest freezers. Leave open and unplugged.

- Buy activated charcoal (which is specially treated to remove odor molecules from air) at some department store housewares sections, appliance stores, or pet shops. Spread out on shallow pans and put on the shelves of the refrigerator. Turn the refrigerator on its low setting and run empty for a few days so odors will be absorbed.

- Spread cat litter in a shallow pan in the cabinet, turn on and run empty a few days. If the odor is disappearing but is not all gone, replace old litter with fresh litter.

- Pour several ounces of imitation vanilla (not pure extract) in a shallow saucer, put on the shelf and let the refrigerator run empty a few days.

- Put fresh ground coffee in cereal bowls inside the refrigerator and let it run empty several days. A slight coffee odor may remain, but will disappear after washing again with baking soda solution.

- Pack each refrigerator shelf with crumpled newspaper. Set a cup of water on the top shelf or sprinkle the newspaper lightly with water. Allow the refrigerator to run for approximately 5-6 days. This method takes a bit longer but has been effective in removal of strong odors.

- Buy a commercial odor remover, and follow instructions exactly. Several companies manufacture a liquid concentrate which sells for about $4.00 for 1/4 to 1/2 ounce. A couple of drops are put on a piece of cotton and placed in the area to absorb odors, in the cabinet or in a room. Three of many brand names are: "Odor-Away" by Wrap-on Co., available at hardware and hospital supply stores; "Super CD" IBL Household Products by Crackerbarrel Sales, Avenal, N.J., available in pet supply department or special products in grocery; or "Clean-Air" at some appliance repair shops. Hospital supply stores carry Dow Chemical Hospital Disinfectant and Deodorant Spray. Spray into the cabinet and quickly shut the door. Repeat.

If none of the above work you may have the start of making a home made smoker !!!


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

I used a gallon of bleach and filled my deep feezer to the top and let it sit for a few days. It did the trick--no more smell and I have it in my house. I had an extended power outage and while running cords to the freezer, once the lights came back on, I forget to re plug in the freezer to the wall outlet :idiot: , so 2 weeks it sat and started rotting all the meat, fish, fowl. uke: Boy was I pizzed! But the bleach worked the best. Not sure what a guy would do if it is an upright freezer though...


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## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

h2ofwlr said:


> I used a gallon of bleach and filled my deep feezer to the top and let it sit for a few days. It did the trick--no more smell and I have it in my house. I had an extended power outage and while running cords to the freezer, once the lights came back on, I forget to re plug in the freezer to the wall outlet :idiot: , so 2 weeks it sat and started rotting all the meat, fish, fowl. uke: Boy was I pizzed! But the bleach worked the best. Not sure what a guy would do if it is an upright freezer though...


How did you get all of that water out afterwards?


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## NDJ (Jun 11, 2002)

Is the inside all sealed up or are there cracks??? If meat has previously spoiled inside & that liquid has leaked through cracks and into the insulation your best bet would be to throw it/give away(know from experience!)


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## rowdie (Jan 19, 2005)

if it holds water, use bleach


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## fishless (Aug 2, 2005)

Coffee grounds will work, they will take the smell out of anything. Just take your left over grounds from your coffee pot throw them in for a few days and then walk away. About a week later go back and clean it out no smell. Believe me its amazing it really does work. :beer:


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

usmarine0352 said:


> How did you get all of that water out afterwards?


Siphon it out with a hose. Just remember that where ever you spread the water==the bleach will kill the grass, etc.. so keep that in mind to so the water goes on the gravel or down the drain in your house.

As mentioned above, if it does not hold water, that tells your where the smell is coming from. try the bleach and let soak for a few days, --you'll know if it leaks. Also a possibility that it'll kill the smeel if a very small leak and the bleach gets to it.


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## 2labs (Jul 3, 2002)

First make sure that you do not have any guides or high fence operators in the freezer&#8230;.because if you do they will certainly stick up the place. After your initial inspections soak it with bleach and you might have to remove the magnetic seal around the door. The stench can permeate the seals and replacing them is the only cure.


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## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

fishless said:


> Coffee grounds will work, they will take the smell out of anything. Just take your left over grounds from your coffee pot throw them in for a few days and then walk away. About a week later go back and clean it out no smell. Believe me its amazing it really does work. :beer:


Do you take out all of the food and thaw it first?


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## Boomi21 (May 7, 2010)

lolxxx....


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## bearhunter (Jan 30, 2009)

MossyMO said:


> My first thought were make it a fish freezer..... here is what I found on Google.
> 
> - Wash the interior walls and door liner with a solution of 1-2 tablespoonsful of baking soda and 1 quart warm water, and wipe dry. Leave the door open and let it air out well, with a fan directed toward inside, and opened windows if the climate permits. If the odor still remains, try one or all of the following means of odor removal.
> 
> ...


Holy Crap, by the time you buy all these "cleaning" ingrediants, you could buy a new freezer


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

I have never had to try this, but supposedly it works. Won't be all that expensive to try either.

Get a bag of charcoal for a regular grill. Not the stuff that has it's own lighting fluid in it, just regular charcoal birquets. 10lb bag should be enough. Lay the bag on it's side in the freezer and cut it open top to bottom, pull it apart a bit so that the birquets are exposed, shut the lid and leave it that way for a couple of days.

It would be relatively cheap and easy to try, if it doesn't work then use the water and bleach, I've used that one on coolers and it works.

huntin1


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Put your scentlock suit in there for a few days then take it out and go bear hunting. The freezer will be odor free and the bears will flock to you................... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I've used just bleach and water in cooler and it always seems to do the job.


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## Bug Guy (Jul 19, 2009)

If the freezer will hold water this is what I do every time I defrost. I put about 15 gallons of hot water (steaming) and bleach in the bottom of the freezer after it is completely thawed out and close the lid. The steam and chlorine kills just about everything in there. Then I leave the lid open overnight and let the chlorine evaporate out. Then the water won't kill the grass. Then siphon the water out and sponge out the rest with a towel. If it won't hold water, I would get another freezer. Good luck.


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## MOB (Mar 10, 2005)

huntin1 said:


> I have never had to try this, but supposedly it works. Won't be all that expensive to try either.
> 
> Get a bag of charcoal for a regular grill. Not the stuff that has it's own lighting fluid in it, just regular charcoal birquets. 10lb bag should be enough. Lay the bag on it's side in the freezer and cut it open top to bottom, pull it apart a bit so that the birquets are exposed, shut the lid and leave it that way for a couple of days.
> 
> ...


I had an upright (full) that got unplugged and was a stinky mess. I cleaned it up with bleach and it still stunk bad. I then put charcoal briquets on the shelves and shut it up for a couple of days and the charcoal absorbed all the smell. It worked great.


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## Csquared (Sep 5, 2006)

The regular charcoal will work, but in my experience it takes more than a couple days. I had a freezer full of animal parts in various stages of taxidermy prep, along with LOTS of venison come unplugged a few years ago. Talk about STENCH! Bleach didn't phase it, but a couple weeks running with charcoal inside made it good as new.

Good luck!


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## farmerj (Jun 19, 2004)

try using some peroxide in it. Not the stuff you buy at the pharmacy either. Closer to 10% if you can find it or check with a chem supply house.

Make sure you wear protective gear with this stuff. It loves to attack organic stuff.


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## gonehunting (May 14, 2005)

I was fortunate enough to have a breaker kick out on my freezer two years ago. The only way I found out was the smell of thawing fish and meat in the basement. It was bad!!! Anyway I hauled out all the contents and rinsed with soapy water. The smell persisted. I then took coffee ground and poored them in the bottom. I then took several days of newspaper and crumpled them up and placed them on top of the coffee grounds. Left it in there for two weeks. I removed all contents again, rinsed, and have been using it since. No smells any longer.


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## Nodak_Norsk (Aug 5, 2007)

Recycle the freezer and buy a new one. But hey...that's just coming from little old germaphobe me.


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## engberg27 (Oct 31, 2009)

just stick about half a forum of balled up newspaper around the freezer for awhile then remove about a week or two the smell will be gone it works just did it


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