Evil smell from fridge - please please help!

[Sugar_Kane]

Hi all

For the past 5 weeks there has been an increasingly foul smell emanating from our fridge. When I first noticed it I couldn't find anything obviously causing it. Thought it might have been some spilt milk.Took everything out, cleaned it meticulously and put a cut lemon in as I'd read that helped.

It's been absolutely NO USE whatsoever. The smell is getting progressively worse and it's making me (7 months pregnant btw) heave every time I open the door.

I've tried newspaper, baking soda, vinegar, soapy water.....every possible tip I could find available on the internet but to no avail. I'm getting towards my wits end :(

Can anyone help?? I'm getting desperate.

Thanks in advance
xxx

[Rossetta]

Hi sugar, have you checked all the seals?

[Bathsheba]

Hi Sugar. Has your fridge got one of those drainage holes at the back? Try having a good poke around in it, make sure there's no blockage. Sometimes a fungus can lurk in there- looks like a soggy slimey mushroom xx

[Sugar_Kane]

Yep my OH did...and he tried as best he could to clean them (fiddly things!). We couldn't see any puddles of milk or find where the smell was originating. SO infuriating!

Some articles online mentioned decaying milk/food getting into the back of the fridge and how we'd have to take it apart?? As it's not actually ours (rented property) I didn't really want to start doing this unless as a last resort.

Just can't bear the smell every time I open the door and my pregnancy hormones are making me really upset about it.

Plus with bubs due in 10 weeks we can't afford to replace it :(

[Sugar_Kane]

Thanks Bathsheba

At the back on the inside of the fridge or the outside? Can't see anything like that inside.

Sorry if I'm being dense...I'm rubbish at this stuff. Am gonna get OH to pull the fridge out and examine more thoroughly tomorrow morning (Friday nights are not for such rank jobs!)

[Rossetta]

Is the smell definately coming from inside the fridge? What is the smell like? Is it likely something could have crawled in the back of the fridge? (outside)

[Bathsheba]

Inside the fridge, Sugar, at the back. Mine's in the centre, + it has drainage channels running to it, + a sticky label saying "keep drain clear" xx

[Sugar_Kane]

As far as I can tell it's coming from inside the fridge.....hits you in the face as soon as you open the door.

The smell is like curdled milk or decaying food but as I said there was nothing obviously off (we gave everything a good sniff). I do remember one day noticing that my OH had put the milk container on it's side on one of the shelves (rather than standing up inside the door) and there were drips directly underneath so I'm thinking it must have been that. I cleaned them immediately though. Ggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[Rossetta]

Men eh! O.k! So if there's a possibility milk has gone somewhere you can't possibly reach, how about buying a fridge cleaner in spray form & make sure you spray all joins inside then wipe over?

[Sugar_Kane]

I'll try anything at this stage!

Am off to Wilko's bright and early in the morning to stockpile cleaning ammo so will look for some fridge cleaner spray. Will look again for a drainage hole too.

Thanks for your help ladies. If anyone else has any ideas please pass em on!

x

[Rossetta]

Drainage hole normally located at the bottom back of the inside of the fridge x

[terambulan]

My fridge has the crisper drawer at the bottom. Have noticed that leaking food/drinks etc collect under the crisper drawer and just washing the lot isn't enuf. Make sure you wash the underside of the crisper if you have one. I finish off with neat household bleach wiped throughout the inside of the fridge.......smells fresh again......hope this works for you

[Eve]

Found this...

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Home-and-Garden /Question180325.html

http://ukwhitegoods.co.uk/modules.php?name=Con tent&pa=showpage&pid=6

at least it's not this bad :)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1571220 /Smelly-fridge-brings-town-to-a-standstill.htm l

[Houdi]

I tried this when I had a similar problem years ago. Switch the fridge off and take your time examining it from every angle. It's usually pretty easy to work out how things like door seals and light covers etc come off because they're designed to be replaced (don't attempt to dismantle anything if you're not sure you can put it back). Once you've removed whatever you can, use a sponge to cover everything with Milton sterilising fluid. The interior of a fridge is designed to sustain spillage so you should be able to slop the solution about generously. Such a persistent smell might mean there's a hairline crack somewhere inside the fridge where milk has escaped. If this is the case the Milton solution should chase after it. Most importantly, let the fridge dry out really well before you switch it back on. The smell is caused by bacteria digesting their food and bacteria loves damp dark places.

Incidentally, Milton fluid is also good for cleaning mildew off shower curtains.