Now I've gone and done it!

[mfoss]

After our last weekend camping we came home, parked the camper at the curb and plugged it in. Several days later I went into the camper and noticed a slight odor. I had to forgotten to take the garbage out. All that was in the garbage was an empty can of beans and some diet Coke along with some papers. I wondered at the time how one can of beans could stink like that. Several days later when I went out there the smell was worse. I then opened the freezer to find my hamburger patties and some cookies in a pool of blood. I really don't know just how "deep" the blood was as I quickly got it emptied out and started cleaning and deodorizing. I used a baster with soda water and gently squirted where the sides and bottome come together. I did this until there was no sign of pink. I have swabbed the surface with vanilla extract-----after several washes with soda water. I have a dish of dry soda along with a dish of some mineral powder, that is suppose to absorb odors, sitting on the shelves. Both the frig and freezer doors are standing open. While it's MUCH, MUCH improved I can still detect a whiff of this odor. Does anyone have any solutions for getting this totally cleared??

[Wifeofdano]

I would try turning on the fridge, leave an opened box of baking soda inside the fridge and one in the freezer and close the doors. That would help to consolidate the odor and get rid of it faster. For the Monty in general, how about Fabreeze???

[FulltimeFollies]

Throw some coffee grounds all around in both sectiions of your refigerator and leave em for a few days.

[jpkelpe]

try to use some oil of wintergreen on a cotton ball and see if that will take the smell away. We used to use this in the hospital in the rooms that had really bad smells

[awaywego]

I have heard that newspaper balled up will take the smell out. I have never used this, but have seen it several times in the hints papers.
Good luck

[mfoss]

Thanks for all the replies. I now have several things to try. Still don't know how the camper became unplugged but I'll never leave meat in the freezer again.

[CountryGuy]

mfoss,

if you can see any caulking, you know that real soft kind, not the silicone, and if any of the blood got near it, you might have to clean it out and replace. We did the same thing many many moons ago, and it was really snarly/nasty/ick!!! Al cleaned and cleaned, but we eventually had to dig out as much of that caulking stuff as we could and replace.

The newspaper works real good to keep mold and moisture down if you want to close the doors on a frig that is turned off and stored. We use it for all our frigs and coolers while they are in storage. Since we started using that trick we have had zero nasty surprises when we open a cooler that has been closed up for MONTHS on end. Use in the house when we leave for the winter months, turn off those frigs, clean well, dry and stuff with crumpled newspaper. When we get home, take the newspaper out, turn the frig on, and you are up and running! I am always amazed! HA HA

Good luck with your cleaning. I see a few really good hints here, let us know what works the best for ya, just in case we need the info.

Carol

[txkrumm]

Try a pan of plain charcoal briquets. It works like baking soda, leave the doors closed.

[Illini Trekker]

Stack of newspapers is the way I've hear it done.

[Roamingusa]

quote:Originally posted by mfoss

After our last weekend camping we came home, parked the camper at the curb and plugged it in. Several days later I went into the camper and noticed a slight odor. I had to forgotten to take the garbage out. All that was in the garbage was an empty can of beans and some diet Coke along with some papers. I wondered at the time how one can of beans could stink like that. Several days later when I went out there the smell was worse. I then opened the freezer to find my hamburger patties and some cookies in a pool of blood. I really don't know just how "deep" the blood was as I quickly got it emptied out and started cleaning and deodorizing. I used a baster with soda water and gently squirted where the sides and bottome come together. I did this until there was no sign of pink. I have swabbed the surface with vanilla extract-----after several washes with soda water. I have a dish of dry soda along with a dish of some mineral powder, that is suppose to absorb odors, sitting on the shelves. Both the frig and freezer doors are standing open. While it's MUCH, MUCH improved I can still detect a whiff of this odor. Does anyone have any solutions for getting this totally cleared??

Fresh ground coffee tied up in coffee filters will do it. Been there, done that (twice!) It will smell like coffee for a few days then the coffe smell goes away.

[stiles watson]

Done both the newspaper and the coffee grounds things. Newspaper does absorb odors and the fresh grinds just over powers everthing.

[Montana Sky]

I have used newspapers and the charcoal balls that hang from the shelves. Both seem to really keep the odor away and things smelling fresh after being stored all winter. Best of luck on getting the odors out.

[mfoss]

I think my odor problem is GONE!! The first thing I tried was the oil of wintergreen on a cotton ball. I had no odor at all in the frig so just put this on a small plate in the freezer and closed the door (freezer was turned off). After two days I could still faintly smell it. Next I put coffee grounds on a plate---I left the cotton ball in there too. The two smells together weren't very pleasant. I removed the wintergreen and decided to turn the freezer on. I just checked on it and all I can smell is coffee. I'll probably leave the coffee in there for awhile to be sure. The charcoal and newspapers were to be my next try. I have several coolers in the garage that I am going to stick some newspapers in.......sounds much easier than trying to freshen them up when you want to use them. You guys are good! Thanks so much for the help, I really appreciated it! Marilyn

[CountryGuy]

Thanks for the report back Marilyn! It is always good to hear what worked for you and in your situation.

(I love the newspaper thing for storage, for me it REALLY works!)

Enjoy that rig.

Carol