How To Get Rid Of Smells In a Freezer

There are many reasons why your freezer does not smell right when you open the door. First, you or someone may have forgotten to clean up a spill. Second, you or someone may not have sealed a freezer bag or container properly and it remained open for some time.

No matter the reason, you are faced with a time-consuming task that won’t stop smelling bad until you get the job done. Be prepared to hold your nose until the clean up is finished.

To find out how to make your freezer smell good again, just continue to read our article. It provides the information you need to know about to make sure anyone who opens the freezer door will be greeted by a nice fresh scent.

Steps To Getting Rid Of Smells in Freezer

Step 1: Clean It Out Completely

There is a longer process to cleaning out the freezer than there is in cleaning out the fridge. The reason for that delay is that you have to wait till the freezer defrosts before you can start the cleanup.

The cleanup equipment consists of soft rags or sponges and a baking soda and water mixture. Do not use soap, knives, or other sharp edges as the soap is hard to rinse out and the sharp edges can damage the freezer lining or hurt yourself.

Step 2: Use Some Vinegar

If the cleaning time did not remove all the odor then you can turn to vinegar. You can either place some in a bowl and leave the bowl in the freezer until it is almost frozen or wipe the interior out with a soft rag and a little vinegar on it.

Vinegar is usually not that expensive and just about everyone has some in their home. It will only take a couple of minutes to get this task done and you can relax while you wait.

Step 3: Boiled Milk

This is great for hot cocoa and it seems to work for some people when they put some in a bowl and leave it in their freezer. Of course, you should not let the milk stay in too long or the bowl may crack on you if it is not made from plastic.

Only a few minutes are needed for the milk to work and the boiling time doesn’t take that long. It is a quick fix for a smelly problem.

How To Clean Out A Freezer

Believe it or not, there are some steps to this process and it takes a little time as most people are not looking forward to seeing what is making that awful odor. Here are the steps you need to take in order to get your freezer nice and clean again.

Step 1: Shut Off The Freezer

This is best done before you start pulling items out. You will have time to empty the freezer once it is fully defrosted.

Step 2: Let The Freezer Defrost

Now you can let the food defrost as well or have a cooler on hand with some ice in it to keep those food items you do not want thawed frozen.

Step 3: Start Pulling Items Out

This is going to be the toughest part of the job because you have to throw food out, smell the bad food items and even handle them. Open freezer bags, unmarked food items should be tossed just for health reasons alone.

Step 4: Clean The Freezer

Once the food is sorted, tossed, and preserved and the freezer section is defrosted, start your cleaning. You can use vinegar, baking soda, or other natural cleansers if you want. Avoid soap as it is hard to remove.

Step 5: Lingering Bad Odors

This does happen from time to time and before you start putting the food items back, you can put a dish of coffee grounds, baking soda, and water, vinegar, or even cut lemons inside to absorb any of that leftover odor.

Step 6: Turn On Your Freezer

Once you are done, turn on your freezer and start putting your food items back inside. After that, close the freezer door and you’re done.

No matter how hard you try to avoid it, mistakes happen and your freezer gets filled with a nasty odor you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. Cleaning out the freezer and getting rid of that smell is a dirty job but someone has to do it.

Using the above techniques and solutions your job should go easier and be over before you know it. Just make sure to label containers and freezer bags with the date you put it in the freezer and when the past due date occurs. That way you can avoid these little adventures for a little bit longer.