Help !  Lightening hit our camper and knocked out the refrigerator , TV , microwave , VCR , DVD player , the control board for the power , and the electric part of the hot water heater . We have insurance but it will only pay for $1,100 that has to include service which is $600. Soooo they will replace the power control board , and the electric part of the fridge ..thats it . To buy a new fridge would be $1,500 !!!!! The fridge was full when the power went down  and it was almost two weeks before we found it ....the smell almost knocked me down down when I opened the door ! ( rotten chicken in the freezer part , yuck !) I have put in newspaper , and bowls of charcoal and it still stinks . Any ideas would be very welcome . Thanks

    Have a Blessed day ya`ll !

                           Lynn

I had to clean a fridge that we sold on Craigslist and even though I emptied it out before we unplugged it, it had a funny odor. I did a thorough cleaning with bleach and water to kill any bacteria and then I scrubbed it out with a paste of baking soda and water and left it on the walls for a while and then wiped it out. I also put bowls of baking soda in the fridge after I was done cleaning it.

The tray under the fridge was terrible. I removed it and used a hose and a stiff brush to clean that off. It collects all sorts of melted stuff.

Also, the rubber seal around the door is a harbor for gross stuff. Check and make sure there isn't gunk hiding in the door seal.

mamasjob:

I scrubbed it out with a paste of baking soda and water and left it on the walls for a while and then wiped it out. I also put bowls of baking soda in the fridge after I was done cleaning it.

I have also used baking soda for removing stink from a fridge. Instead of putting it in bowls after I was done cleaning it, I just poured half a box into a jar, put on the lid, put the jar int he pantry & then put the half-full box in the fridge.  If you shake it a little every week when you clean the fridge, it will continue to absorb any odors ( onions, etc) for a LONG time.

You can also use vinegar in a spray bottle and wipe it down.  Be sure to pull out everything - trays, drawers,racks - that will come out and wash them under the hose or in the tub.  It may help to spray them with vinegar or bleach solution and leave them outside overnight.

Try wiping the gasket well with bleach or vinegar, but you may have to replace it.  The soft rubber will hold odors.

(Be sure to use bleach separately from other cleaners, and open the windows and use a fan!)

Also, once you're done cleaning it out as well as you can, unplug it and let it sit with the doors open for as long as possible to air out.

Baking soda helps.

Bleach the gaskets, then wash them off after the stains are gone.  Bleach the bottom tray, and wash the inside of the fridge with a weak bleach solution to kill the mildew organisms.  Rinse well, then spray with white vinegar and shut the door for awhile.  Rinse again. 

Had a tenant move out without notice some years ago.  She had unplugged the fridge, and when  I opened the fridge to clean it, I discovered she had left a gallon of coleslaw in it to rot in the heat.   Have no clue if 'd done something to upset her or if she was just a you-know-what.  I purchased some strong sandalwood incense and got a little aluminum foil. Held my breath, threw in the foil and plenty of  lit incense after it, then waited 24 hours.  It reduced the stink enough to get in and clean it.  

Hi, Lynn.  Lynne here.  No problem!  After you remove everything, clean all the racks and the entire inside of the box with baking soda. Rinse it really well so you don't leave residue. Be sure to scrub, with a toothbrush if necessary, any rubber gaskets, corners, nooks or crannies. Soak removable parts in a baking soda and water solution. (Don't worry, you can't use too much, just be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse.) Any remaining dirt at all will make it smell bad again.

Make sure it's good and dry. Then hang a sock (a baby sock will do) full of fresh coffee grounds so it hangs freely in the box. Be sure they are not used grounds, because that won't work. Whole beans won't work either. Close the fridge. After a few days, open it up and check it. It will be as fresh as if nothing happened.

I'm sure you scrubbed the outside, the the coils, the whatevers on the outside, too. Again, baking soda is the ticket, and a brush does a really good job. It's what I have used forever. I was an Army wife, and we had to store our used fridge for 4 years in a warehouse. The day we got it at our next duty station, it was as fresh-smelling as the day I put it away.  Bon Apetit!

wipe it down inside with bartenders helper and to wipe it down with vinager and water with dish soap and after all that crap is done put arm and hammer baking soda in it soaks up all the gross smells we all get in the fridge...( bartenders helper is kinda like ajax if you don't want that use a comet)

Oh unplug fridge first forgot to say that...