# Baaaad smell coming from fridge!!!



## JW2 (Oct 13, 2009)

We've got a terrible odor coming from our fridge and freezer! We've already cleaned out the whole fridge and freezer, wiped down with cleaning solutions and removed the front and rear panels and cleaned with shop vac as well as cleaned drip pan. It dosen't smell like rotten food, it smells like a mouse or rat has gotten inside and died. I cant smell anything underneith, it all comes from inside. We put baking soda and coffee inside and it STILL SMELLS!! Now it just smells like coffee scented death!!! Any ideas? I'm about to go to the store and try to find some stuff to fix the problem. Any help would be GREAT!!



Thanks, Jeff


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## Milkman (Oct 13, 2009)

YUK !!

Sounds like you  have covered all the bases as far as the fridge goes......... I would suggest that you research the surrounding area as well for the dead mouse odor. 
One could be in the wall or cabinets making it seem like the fridge is the source of the odor.

Hope you find the problem.


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## Dixie Dawg (Oct 13, 2009)

I had something similar happen once about 12 years ago... we were living in a mobile home in Indiana and had this horrible smell of rotting death coming from the refrigerator (so I thought).  Same as you, we cleaned everything inside and out, drip pan, everything, and then discovered that right underneath the refrigerator, under the mobile home, a possum had tried to climb up under the floor and got stuck and died.  After they removed it, bye bye smell... but man it was awful!!! I have sympathy for you!  That's a horrible smell, especially to have around your food that you eat 

Good luck!


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## Twenty five ought six (Oct 13, 2009)

Leaking freon has a terrible smell.


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## JW2 (Oct 13, 2009)

Twenty five ought six said:


> Leaking freon has a terrible smell.



Does it smell like a dead animal? Maybe i need to check the temp.


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## JW2 (Oct 13, 2009)

UPDATE!! Well..... I found the source of the stank! Apperantly.... SOMEONE  put a pound of deer meat in the bottom vegetable drawer. I'm pretty sure that was the problem because when I opened the zip lock, I almost lost it!  U think Kroger will take back all the baking soda I bought??


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## jason4445 (Oct 13, 2009)

I was in the repo furniture business for a year and a half and well acquainted with the mousy smell - it is mold.  

Make sure you have taken out all that can be taken off.  Like if there is a large glass shelf over the veggy bins - take the bins out and bang up from underneath the shelf.  It should come out and way in the back mold can grow very well.

Mold also grows in those cracks and crevices that you cannot get to for cleaning.  Over the years liquids have spilled and flowed down in there and mold starts to grow very slowly cause of the cold.  Also this is true in the freezer.  Also the little drain pipe to the drip pan is another good mold area.

One trick we did, and man there were some nasty fridges, was just take it down to the coin car wash and use that.  The pressure sprayer does a good job one the crevices, but prepare to get wet.

If all else fails, remove all from fridge, turn it off and let it sit open for a day or overnight.  Then clean it with a 50-50 water Clorox very liberally letting the liquid seep down a bit into the cracks.

Sometimes none of these things work and its new fridge time or put up with the smell.

Also if you lay the fridge on its side, or even tilt it a lot you need to let it stand on its base for 8 hours to let the freon flow back to the compressor before turning it back on.


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