Odours may be caused by food left too long,
"strong" foods not covered or packaged tightly, by a drip pan that
needs cleaning, or by food spoiling when power goes off while the owner is away
on holiday.
 To Remove Odours
Remove all items from refrigerator or freezer. Throw
out any spoiled foods. Take out removable parts and wash them and door
gasket with mild detergent in warm water. Rinse well and wipe dry.
Wash interior walls and door liner with solution of 1-2
tablespoonful of baking soda to 1 litre warm water, and wipe dry. Leave door
open and let it air out well, with a fan directed toward inside.
If odour still remains, try one or all of the following
means of odour removal.
-
Spread baking soda out on shallow pans and put pans on shelves
to absorb odours, or on the bottom and in baskets of chest freezer. Leave
open and unplugged.
-
Buy activated charcoal (which is specially treated to remove
odour
molecules from air). Spread out on shallow pans and put on
shelves of refrigerator. Turn refrigerator on low setting and run empty
a few days so odours will be absorbed.
-
Spread cat litter in shallow pan in cabinet, turn on and run empty a
few days. If odour is disappearing but is not all gone, replace old
litter with fresh litter.
-
Pour several ounces imitation vanilla (not pure extract) in a shallow
saucer, put on shelf and let run empty a few days.
-
Put fresh ground coffee in bowls inside the refrigerator and
let run empty for several days. A slight coffee odour 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 refrigerator to run for approximately 5-6 days. This method takes
a bit longer but can been effective in removal of strong odours.
If none of these methods removes all the
odour, then it
has probably penetrated into insulation. Contact an appliance service
company for an estimate on the cost of removing the liner and replacing the
insulation. If the cost is too high you may prefer to get a new appliance.
The old fridge
could be used as a "beer fridge" where the odour will not get
into the beverage.
WARNING! If refrigerator cannot be
salvaged and is discarded, remove the door or lid to
prevent deaths of children who may hide in the cabinet and suffocate.
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