Bad odors are caused when the freezer goes inactive due to accidental unplugging or power cuts. The food stored could rot or perish, and if left unattended in the freezer, the odor spreads to the other parts of the freezer.

As soon as the odor develops, check and remove any spoiled food. Checking each item of food and fruit and vegetable trays is a helpful tip to identify the source of the odor. If you are unable to identify it, the entire contents should be removed to clean the freezer thoroughly. This should be done quickly to control the odor before it spreads.

Tips to banish strong freezer odors

Defrost
The first step of this tip to banish freezer odors is to unplug the freezer and defrost and drain it. For thorough cleaning, the freezer has to be unplugged and left open for a few hours or a day for the moisture to dry completely.

Clean the shelves
Remove all the shelves and trays and clean them with soap. Then, repeat the process with clean water before wiping them dry. If the cleaning is done without removing the individual trays, food particles may remain hidden in between the corners, where bacteria would continue to grow.

Clean the insides of the freezer
Clean the inside of the freezer with gentle cleaning liquids and water, and clean the hinges and openings. The plastic linings and panels have to be cleaned with soft wipes and cleaners rather than with hard scrubs.

Spray disinfectant
Another tip is to spray disinfectant if the odor is persistent and then leave the freezer open for a day or more to banish the freezer odor. If the odor were mild, a few hours would be enough.

Use odor absorbers
Using odor absorbers or odor-removing products is also a helpful tip to banish freezer odor. This can also be done with many ingredients easily available at home. Simply leave them inside the freezer for a few hours until the odor is completely gone:

• Placing an open box of baking soda in the freezer helps as it has odor-killing properties.
• Vinegar is an odor neutralizer.
• Slices of lemon left inside the freezer help absorb unpleasant smells.
• Placing charcoal in a bowl is also a tip to banish freezer odors.
• Fresh ground coffee kept in sheets in the freezer or an open bag of ground coffee absorbs odor.

Plug it in empty
After the freezer is cleaned, run it empty for a day or two with just the odor-absorbing trays inside.

If the odor remains after following all these steps, it may have penetrated the plastic interiors and reached the insulation of the freezer. In such cases, the freezer will have to be serviced and cleaned by a professional service company. Once the freezer becomes odor-free, care has to be taken to prevent odor by following simple tips and regularly checking the contents and cleaning the freezer.