Deodorizing smelly appliances

STL B.

Hello I need to de-funk a bunch of appliances and dont know where to start, hopefully some of you folks will have a proven method.

These appliances belonged to my former neighbor (a high-end appliance repairman) who apparently was a huge horder of fine appliances, cats and and garbage. These appliances smell like peppermint schnapps, cat feces and urine and cigs.

So where should I start and what products should I use?

DrHicks

Wow - classy neighbor!

Our daughter & her husband recently moved into an apartment with a WRETCHED smelling frig/freezer. I basically did a good old scrub job - removing not only all the drawers & shelves, but removing the "lining" out of the freezer, and cleaning the fan, insulation, etc. I used a Simple Green cleaning solution.

I then left a bowl of white vinegar inside the fridge - which absorbs odors well, but also makes it smell like vinegar - then I set a small basket of charcoal briquettes in it.

All in all, it was a pretty successful de-stenching. However, nothing ever seems to completely and totally eliminate any and all odors.


Good luck!

hvac122

Put a bowl of charcoal in them. Absorbs lots of odors. Change in a few days as needed.

Its A Good Life!

ratherbefishing

Many years ago, I worked in an auto repair shop. Nobody cared much about cleaning the refrigerator. About twice a year, I'd yell "cleaning the fridge in 5 minutes!" After 5 minutes, anything not moved or claimed went into the trash. Then I'd handtruck the fridge into the parking lot and go at it with the pressure washer. Let it drip dry 30 minutes and back into the shop. Looked and smelled like new. (maybe not quite new.)

STL B.

Thanks for the replies fellas I appreciate it. I've been at these things for a couple days now and I've nearly finished cleaning the outsides of everything. I power washed all of the removable racks and shelves, and have been wiping the outsides down with simple green.

I'm weighing whether to take everything apart and to clean under the panels or maybe find a restoration/clean-up company that has an ozone chamber and have them take care of it. The only problem with that is that I'd have to move them again and this stuff is heavy.

Are any of you gents appliance techs........the kind with service manuals? I think I know how to take the interior panels out of the fridge but would like some clear directions, I also have a GE monogram icemaker that I'd like to run through before I plug it in. Thanks

Protocol.

I usually use vinegar to clean and will use a bowl of coffee grounds to soak up any odors.

STL B.

OK I've taken all of the racks,tracks,bins and panels out of the fridge and wiped them all down to remove the scum and slime. I called around the local disaster cleanup companies looking to score some microban when a nice lady told me to try "oda ban" from Sam's, it seems to be the same as microban. Its doing a great job.

The fridge has a drip collector for the interior coil that I removed, when I removed it I tore the caulking and need to know the appropriate caulk to reinstall with. Kitchen and bath caulk is what I was thinking, what say you folks?

Since the guy was such a heavy smoker everything is/was covered in a heavy nicotine coating supplemented with matted cat hair. This is especially bad around the compressor and coils. I'd like to know what kind of chemical and what method I should use to to clean the mechanical portion of this fridge. This is a sub zero side by side with the compressor/condenser and coils are mounted on top of the unit.