I need HELP!! Smell of DEAD!

TreeDoc · #1 11-10-2005, 02:59 PM

Great news! While in Colorado chasing things to put in my freezer my wife was at home throwing everything that was in it, out! Apparently something went wrong with the electrical connection and the once full freezer went off maybe a week ago. It was RUDE!!!

With the help of a gracious neighbor, they got everything into a dumpster a washed out the interior numerous times. The problem is it still smells like evil dead after numerous bleachings!

Anyone have any suggestions? I have this Buck that needs to be cut and frozen and I need to do something fast. I'm hoping to avoid buying a new one but that might be on my agenda here soon.

Jack · #2 11-10-2005, 03:58 PM

Baking powder is supposed to be good at absorbing or neutralizing odors. Mix some up with water and wash the freezer out with that.
I wonder if Febrize would work.....

fabsroman · #3 11-10-2005, 04:16 PM

I will put this simply. When Nitro crapped all over my car and ground it in everywhere, I sprinkled Arm & Hammer baking soda everywhere and then vaccuumed it out. I left an open box of the stuff in the car for a while (i.e., 6 months). I also used Febreeze in the car at first, but that was mostly to mask the smell. After a couple of weeks, nobody that rode in the car complained about the smell.

Have you tried plugging the freezer back in? Maybe the cold will help with the smell. If I were you, I would plug the freezer back in and stick a couple of boxes of baking soda inside.

Actually, if I were in your shoes, this would be a great excuse for another freezer, and if you ever get the first one to stop stinking, why not have 2. LOL

DaMadman · #4 11-10-2005, 04:22 PM

when we were working in Texas afterr the hurricanes they were telling people to use large boxes of baking soda and telling them to buy charcoal briquettes, make sure it is NOT the matchlight kind witht the lighter fluid presoaked in them. Just plain generic charcoal and lay it out on a cooking sheet and put it in the fridge/freezer and turn it back on. All this of course after it had been thoroughly bleached and cleaned out

TreeDoc · #5 11-10-2005, 07:37 PM

I just might have this issue licked. I filled the freezer half full of warm water, dumped about 6 pounds of Baking Soda, a 1/2 gallon of Bleach, and a skinny bottle of Pine-Sol and began scrubbing. I saturated the seal with pure bleach and scrubbed the inner top and lining with a paste of baking soda. I then drained it off after an hour of scrubbing and wiped it dry. The smell seems to be gone now.

I had my wife plug it right back in after her cleaning attempt and place a couple defosted Blue Ice bags in the freezer to check if it still worked. When I got home all was frozen but the smell was bad news.

It's plugged in now with a 4 lb box of Baking Soda. My deer will be processed and ready on Saturday so we'll see how this goes.

Thanks for the suggestions!

6.5s4ever · #6 11-10-2005, 08:10 PM

Hey Doc!, The guy that made the Charcoal Suggestion is Right on! Get some charcoal and put it in a couple of brown Paper Bags it will absorb the odor. This really works! Roy

ringo · #7 11-10-2005, 08:42 PM

Clean the freezer, then turn on the freezer, then crumple up newspapers and put them in to absorb odors, leave in overnight, then remove newspapers, repeat if necessary. Women call it the Tupperware trick.

Nulle · #8 11-11-2005, 03:50 AM

Your local vet. should have some Tek-Tol and this will kill the bacteria on contact and then I agree with the Charcoal

Dan Morris · #9 11-11-2005, 09:46 AM

Ya mite try washing down with a tomato juice mixture, this works wonders washing death oder from hands! Then rense good and use the charcoal/soda trick.
Dan

muledeer · #10 11-11-2005, 04:53 PM

The charcoal will work. Make sure it's RED HOT when you put it in the freezer. Upon melt down buy a new freezer

BTW, I have room in my freezer for the venison

Hope my input has been helpful

muledeer

saskshooter · #11 11-12-2005, 09:19 PM

try using coffee grounds they are supposed to work better than baking soda they worked for me with a cooler that had fish bait left in it for about a week.

skeeter@ccia.com · #12 11-14-2005, 11:26 AM

My sears freezor only about a month in operation with deer,fish,etc decided to quit...no need to ask how I found out... Now I have a new one with a LIGHT that lets me know when no power is there. Best thing. Power on light...
Bleach, boxes of baking powder, charcoal for weeks scrubbing etc made it smell ok untill plugged back in...the smell still came out somewhere. I was told is in the seal and only way to get rid of it is to replace the seal...I was lucky enough to get a replacement freezor after the fight with sears..(which I will never own another sears item..$1200 camcorder with no battery or available replacement...electric trolling motor with no prop because they just don't make them anymore and I need to rebush shaft to make one fit...) A wire just fell off the freezor motor because someone forgot to tighten it at the factory..is why quit in first place.
Try to replace the seal..is only way I know can remove odor from it....or as stated, red hot charcoal........good luck......I also run to my generator when power is out for more than an hr and run the freezor on it....

Mil Dot · #13 11-15-2005, 12:24 AM

BBQ at Tree Docs' on Saturday!! For gosh sake don't buy a new freezer ... folks don't forget the barley sodas' and sides ... Hope you've got a few places to pitch a few tents 'cause the circus is coming to town!

Don't worry, we'll ponder the solution to your problem over a cold one and some of those backstraps.

Now these are the type of problems friends are there for!

TD, Make sure and take care of the little lady for tossing the stuff out before you got home. That had to be a stomach turning experience. I have picked up a frig from a clients abandoned rental house that contained a turkey for about 30 days w/o power. WRITE OFF! Fortunately, it sounds like you caught this early enough where some of these other suggestions may work.

Good luck!