Hi there,
First time posting, but many of my searches over the years have led me here - but I have not found anything that might help resolve this problem.
My upright freezer got unplugged and a bunch of meat went rotten and I can't get the smell out! Is my freezer finished?
About 2 months ago I was moving some stuff around in the basement and noticed an odor. When I was near the freezer, I noticed it was not working! Upon opening was hit with a massive stench of rotting meat. Seems like somehow the plug was nudged out of the socket god-knows how long ago. Must have been weeks. I immediately got some rubber gloves, pulled out all the meat into garbage backs and wiped everything down first with soap/water, then bleach/water, then vinegar/water. Put the garbage bags of meat back in(with it turned on) since it was late at night and immediately took them to the dump the next day. After than, repeated the process: soap/water, bleach/water, vinegar/water. Put 2-3 boxes of baking soda in tin foil trays and left it a few days. When I checked on it, the stench was just as bad. So I repeated the process and have been doing so about ever week for 8 weeks. The smell only started getting *slightly* better after I tried wiping the interior down with a baking soda paste, then rinse with water and finish with vinegar/water. That was 2 weeks ago. I changed the baking soda 3 times in the last 8 weeks and even added about 2 cups of activated charcoal (from the pet store), and replaced that once already.
Anyone else have a similar experience and successfully recover the use of the freezer? Or should I just have it hauled away and get another one?
Thanks!
First time posting, but many of my searches over the years have led me here - but I have not found anything that might help resolve this problem.
My upright freezer got unplugged and a bunch of meat went rotten and I can't get the smell out! Is my freezer finished?
About 2 months ago I was moving some stuff around in the basement and noticed an odor. When I was near the freezer, I noticed it was not working! Upon opening was hit with a massive stench of rotting meat. Seems like somehow the plug was nudged out of the socket god-knows how long ago. Must have been weeks. I immediately got some rubber gloves, pulled out all the meat into garbage backs and wiped everything down first with soap/water, then bleach/water, then vinegar/water. Put the garbage bags of meat back in(with it turned on) since it was late at night and immediately took them to the dump the next day. After than, repeated the process: soap/water, bleach/water, vinegar/water. Put 2-3 boxes of baking soda in tin foil trays and left it a few days. When I checked on it, the stench was just as bad. So I repeated the process and have been doing so about ever week for 8 weeks. The smell only started getting *slightly* better after I tried wiping the interior down with a baking soda paste, then rinse with water and finish with vinegar/water. That was 2 weeks ago. I changed the baking soda 3 times in the last 8 weeks and even added about 2 cups of activated charcoal (from the pet store), and replaced that once already.
Anyone else have a similar experience and successfully recover the use of the freezer? Or should I just have it hauled away and get another one?
Thanks!