Rotten Meat Stink Woooooow

[LJ-TJ]

Sent: 9/24/2003 11:34 PM


Went away for two weeks.Propane ran out.Meat rotted in fridge and freezer Woooooow gag.Is there anyway to get the stink out It's enough to make you ill.Or do I just get a new fridge.

[shagebago3142]

Sent: 9/24/2003 11:45 PM


I would say lots of concentrated pine-sol and let it air out for a few days! Pine-sol  will kill any bad smell!!! FYI- wear gloves, pine-sol is very hard on your hands!

Shagebago

[denisondc]

Sent: 9/25/2003 6:19 AM


The more you can dismantle it to clean the better I think - like the door gasket. After the pine-sol cleaning, you might try some other cleaning chemicals: Lye, aka sodium hydroxide or oven cleaner; Vinegar, aka acetic acid; Hydrogen peroxide solution; an oxidant for most organic molecules. Dont use the oven cleaner on aluminum, and dont mix the lye and vinegar at all! Rinse well between alkali and acid cleaners! I think McDonalds uses a cleaner with a butyl cellulose ingredient for cleaning their food processing equipment. Ive used such stuff, which is great, but it can be hard to locate - its like a wax stripper product. The ultra violet in sunlight is a good oxidant of organic molecules too. I wonder if my daughters florescent black-light gives off UV?We leave the RV fridge door ajar At-All-Times when not in use, and maybe a small light bulb in it to get it dried out initially - so the cooling coils dont rust.In in a month you can tell us if it is useable again. best of luck.


Dave Denison

[bhart70]

Sent: 9/25/2003 10:40 AM

My advice would be to sell me your fine rig at an extremely low price due to the smell.  Then you could go out and buy another one which is far more pleasant smelling.

Or you could clean it throroughly with Clorox, fire up the freezer, and buy a few Arm & Hammer baking powder boxes (I like the ones made for the fridge because they have tear-off panel which reveal a mesh insert which really allows good air circulation) and leave it in there for several days and it should go away.  Speaking from experience.

[Photoman]

Sent: 9/25/2003 10:46 AM

After you've tried all the readily available products such as Pine-sol, etc., and if they haven't removed the odor, I'd give "NEUTROLEUM ALPHA" a try.  "It's a product made specifically for the control of odors, such as those arising from penned animals, as in a laboratory or kennel, skunk spray contamination, or rotting carcass." is what it says on the 6 oz bottle I have.  I purchased it from the USDA probably 10 or 15 years ago to have on hand for just such odors.  I've never had to use it...knock on wood.  It is a liquid and is diluted 2oz to 1 gal of water...or 1oz to 1/2gal of water, or 1/4oz to 16oz water.  I ordered it from USDA Pocatello Supply Depot, 238 E. Dillon, Pocatello, ID 83201.  I seem to remember reading that people have used this product to remove the smoke odor from a vehicle whose previous owner was a heavy smoker, too.  I can't remember what the cost was, but if you want to email me your address, I'd be happy to send you an ounce to try free of charge.  Hate to see you pitch a good fridge just because of the odor.    Hopefully the bottle I have hasn't lost it's strength over time. 

[mightybooboo]

Sent: 9/25/2003 12:41 PM

Havent done this but read that crumpled up newspaper helps absorb odor.
BooBoo

[LJ-TJ]

Sent: 10/6/2003 10:58 PM

Hi everyone, and thanks for all the suggestions.  Hubby typed the first post, didn't mention that its not our fine little Weenie Winnie (see pix under LJ&TJ's Weenie Winnie) but a friend in a lovely 2000 Jayco who came to visit us here on the farm for two weeks, having just picked up her motorhome after leaving it at a service depot for several weeks, where her propane ran out, thus the rotten meat stench.  She'd done the Pine Sol, baking soda, charcoal etc. route by the time she'd got here and still couldn't stand it.  Seems the rotten meat juices ran into the packing between the inner and outer frames of the fridge and freezer, and that's wherein the stench lies.  We've passed on all your suggestions to her, and will let you all know what route she ends up taking.

She's really ticked off about the great Kansas steaks she lost!

So sorry bhart, won't be selling ours , but might remotely get you a great deal on a gently used, but smelly Jayco!

Blue skies to all, and thank you again so much.

LJ&TJ