S.O.S. Need Stench Remover

Oh my...how could you stand it?? The smell I mean? Baking soda's an
effective stank remover...but in this case you may need a truck load.

"Damsel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The further adventures of Damsel and Crash ....

Okay, so I made Jill's butternut squash in the middle of the night (I

blame

Quoted message said:

Jill for everything you're about to read). <G> This is my third time.
The first two batches were out of this world. This time, I used
supermarket, powdered black pepper. I absolutely couldn't eat it, because
the same measure of powdered pepper is much more dense than the more
coarsely ground stuff. I decided to freeze the whole batch in a 5-quart
ice cream bucket, and combine it with a fresh, unpeppered batch sometime

in

Quoted message said:

the future.

Took the bucket downstairs, opened the freezer door, and WHAMM-O!
I don't know how long the freezer hasn't been working. It was half full

of

Quoted message said:

bloated turkey, beef brisket (a big one), a couple huge slabs of wild
salmon, roasts, etc. I filled a few garbage bags with rotting animal
corpses and *ran* out to the trash barrel. In that short time, the smell
filled the whole house.

After dinner (I had to wait until after we ate), I gathered up some old
towels, soaked up the big puddle in the bottom of the freezer, and again,
*ran* it out to the trash barrel.

I don't have the stomach to go down and actually clean that thing right
now. I'm wondering if anyone can recommend an effective, but CHEAP way of
neutralizing the odor enough that I can crawl in there and clean the thing
out.

This smell actually made me cry. My eyes didn't water. I was actually
crying and wailing like I'd lost my best friend. Couldn't help it.

Remind

Quoted message said:

me never to become a homicide detective or a coroner.

On a more positive note, we left the house earlier this evening to go to
the grocery store, and neither of us remembered to bring the keys.
Locksmith couldn't pick the lock, so he had to tear the doorknob off and
replace it.

Ya gotta laugh, or you'd go insane.

Thanks for any help,
Carol

Daaaaamn, girl, not the salmon! Try putting dryer sheets and newspaper in
the freezer, and close the door. Leave for a day or two-if the funk doesn't
scare you too much<G>

Lynne A
[email hidden]

Damsel said:

The further adventures of Damsel and Crash ....

Okay, so I made Jill's butternut squash in the middle of the night (I blame
Jill for everything you're about to read). <G> This is my third time.
The first two batches were out of this world. This time, I used
supermarket, powdered black pepper. I absolutely couldn't eat it, because
the same measure of powdered pepper is much more dense than the more
coarsely ground stuff. I decided to freeze the whole batch in a 5-quart
ice cream bucket, and combine it with a fresh, unpeppered batch sometime in
the future.

Took the bucket downstairs, opened the freezer door, and WHAMM-O!
I don't know how long the freezer hasn't been working. It was half full of
bloated turkey, beef brisket (a big one), a couple huge slabs of wild
salmon, roasts, etc. I filled a few garbage bags with rotting animal
corpses and *ran* out to the trash barrel. In that short time, the smell
filled the whole house.

After dinner (I had to wait until after we ate), I gathered up some old
towels, soaked up the big puddle in the bottom of the freezer, and again,
*ran* it out to the trash barrel.

I don't have the stomach to go down and actually clean that thing right
now. I'm wondering if anyone can recommend an effective, but CHEAP way of
neutralizing the odor enough that I can crawl in there and clean the thing
out.

This smell actually made me cry. My eyes didn't water. I was actually
crying and wailing like I'd lost my best friend. Couldn't help it. Remind
me never to become a homicide detective or a coroner.

On a more positive note, we left the house earlier this evening to go to
the grocery store, and neither of us remembered to bring the keys.
Locksmith couldn't pick the lock, so he had to tear the doorknob off and
replace it.

Ya gotta laugh, or you'd go insane.

Thanks for any help,
Carol

Is there a Fleet Farm nearby? Buy a jug of "Steramine" in the dairy
supply aisle. It contains an industrial disinfectant called "quatenary
ammonia", 10%. Quat has an oddly "fresh" smell to it, and it kills
bacteria, fungi, and even virii. Mix it up about 4 tablespoons to a
gallon of warm water, hold your breath, and go down and spray inside the
freezer with it. (Don't get any in your eyes -- especially the
concentrate.) Air out the basement as best you can. You probably need
to open whatever little windows the basement has and set up a fan to
pull the nasty air out (also open a window upstairs on the other side of
the house to equalize the pressure.)

You could also call the sheriff's department and ask them to recommend a
crime scene cleanup service and tell them what you've got. They'll get
a laugh out of it and they might be able to help. (Just don't call the
emergency number.)

The Steramine will get rid of the smell, but it won't work until you get
all the rotten food out of the freezer.

OTOH, are you planning to repair the freezer? If not, maybe you can
seal it up and have it hauled away with all the gore still inside.

If the freezer still works and it just lost power, turning it back on
and freezing the rotten stuff might make it less nasty to handle.

Best regards,
Bob

Lynne A said:

Daaaaamn, girl, not the salmon! Try putting dryer sheets and newspaper in
the freezer, and close the door. Leave for a day or two-if the funk doesn't
scare you too much<G>

Yeah, the salmon and the brisket were for the cook-in. 🙁

Dryer sheets! You're a genius! I'll run out to the garage for some
newspaper, too. Gotta run. It's about to start storming.

Thanks!
Carol

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

I don't know how long the freezer hasn't been working. It was half full

See if your homeowner's insurance will cover any loss.
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> 5/8/05.
"Are we going to measure, or are we going to cook?" -Food Critic Mimi Sheraton

On Tue 10 May 2005 08:40:00p, Melba's Jammin' wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

I don't know how long the freezer hasn't been working. It was half full

See if your homeowner's insurance will cover any loss.

Good point, Barb. They may even pay for cleanup. Our insurance paid for
cleanup when our washer's inlet valve stuck open and overflowed. They also
paid for replacement carpeting, wallpaper, etc.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

Food For Thought said:

Oh my...how could you stand it?? The smell I mean? Baking soda's an
effective stank remover...but in this case you may need a truck load.

It's one of those things where somebody's gotta do it. But I sure wish it
was somebody else. 🙂 The good thing about baking soda is that it's
cheap. That's what we're going for.

Didn't have any newspaper per Lynne's advice, but there are dryer sheets on
all the shelves. Those poor dryer sheets don't stand a chance.

We're burning incense upstairs. If I can muster up the courage, I'll start
some burning in the basement. On the cement floor, so I don't set fire to
the house. That was last month.

Thanks,
Carol

Melba's Jammin said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

I don't know how long the freezer hasn't been working. It was half full

See if your homeowner's insurance will cover any loss.

$500.00 deductible (we have to change that), and there was nowhere near
that much food in the freezer. The food can be replaced as we have the
funds. We'll be okay. 🙂

Carol

zxcvbob said:

Is there a Fleet Farm nearby? Buy a jug of "Steramine" in the dairy
supply aisle. It contains an industrial disinfectant called "quatenary
ammonia", 10%. Quat has an oddly "fresh" smell to it, and it kills
bacteria, fungi, and even virii. Mix it up about 4 tablespoons to a
gallon of warm water, hold your breath, and go down and spray inside the
freezer with it. (Don't get any in your eyes -- especially the
concentrate.) Air out the basement as best you can. You probably need
to open whatever little windows the basement has and set up a fan to
pull the nasty air out (also open a window upstairs on the other side of
the house to equalize the pressure.)

Nope, no Fleet Farms nearby. We'll open the basement window (only one
opens) and point a fan at it tomorrow, after the storms are over (Are you
getting a good light show at your place, Bob?).

Quoted message said:

You could also call the sheriff's department and ask them to recommend a
crime scene cleanup service and tell them what you've got. They'll get
a laugh out of it and they might be able to help. (Just don't call the
emergency number.)

This probably isn't as weird as it sounds. I can see if someone there
knows how to get rid of "dead."

Quoted message said:

The Steramine will get rid of the smell, but it won't work until you get
all the rotten food out of the freezer.

The food is out, but I just absorbed as much fluid from the bottom as I
could in the 15 seconds that were allowed.

Quoted message said:

OTOH, are you planning to repair the freezer? If not, maybe you can
seal it up and have it hauled away with all the gore still inside.

I hope we can repair it. Although your second suggestion is mighty
tempting.

Quoted message said:

If the freezer still works and it just lost power, turning it back on
and freezing the rotten stuff might make it less nasty to handle.

I wouldn't have thought of that. Thank you!

Carol

zxcvbob said:

Food For Thought said:

Guess you missed the part of her post where she says she emptied it
out??

1) I wasn't talking to you, [censored].

Now, boys. All this bickering isn't going to make my house smell
springtime fresh!

Quoted message said:

2) I didn't miss anything. She hauled several bags of rotting corpses
out, and blotted up a bunch of liquid from the bottom. I don't know if
the freezer is empty now or not. So I gave advice for either case.

It's empty, except for some yummy juices that I intend to bottle and mail
to my enemies.

Quoted message said:

I did forget to mention though; she needs to clean the drip pan as well
as the inside of the freezer.

Drip pan? Damn.

Carol

"Damsel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Lynne A said:

Daaaaamn, girl, not the salmon! Try putting dryer sheets and newspaper

in

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the freezer, and close the door. Leave for a day or two-if the funk

doesn't

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

scare you too much<G>

Yeah, the salmon and the brisket were for the cook-in. 🙁

Dryer sheets! You're a genius! I'll run out to the garage for some
newspaper, too. Gotta run. It's about to start storming.

Thanks!
Carol

Not moi, it was a tip I got from a used appliance guy-we moved into a house
once where the power had been off and the previous tenants had left all
kinds of nasties in the fridge-oh, and did I mention this was in Fl???
EWWWWWWW Worked a treat though!

We ain't gonna talk about the salmon anymore, I'm just gonna go cry now.
Hey, maybe I can bring some salmon to the cookin for Crash to do up?? I'd
actually be making a contribution<G>

Lynne A
[email hidden]

Wayne Boatwright said:

On Tue 10 May 2005 08:05:06p, Damsel wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

The further adventures of Damsel and Crash ....

Well, look on the slightly brighter side... You might not have gone down
there for another month or two.

Excellent point. I have NO idea how long this had been going on. But I
want an astronaut's suit when I go back down there to clean.

Quoted message said:

If things like this hadn't happened to me, I'd swear you need a keeper!

Maybe we BOTH need keepers. Ever thought-a that? 😉

Quoted message said:

Deodorizing cat litter and baking soda - a lot of both.

Cat litter. That sounds good. Would it suck the smell out of the air, or
would I be sprinkling in on the bottom? I think cleaning it back out would
be a [censored]. Hmmm .... there are two ways of reading that last sentence.
LOL!

Thanks,
Carol

Wayne Boatwright said:

On Tue 10 May 2005 08:40:00p, Melba's Jammin' wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

I don't know how long the freezer hasn't been working. It was half full

See if your homeowner's insurance will cover any loss.

Good point, Barb. They may even pay for cleanup. Our insurance paid for
cleanup when our washer's inlet valve stuck open and overflowed. They also
paid for replacement carpeting, wallpaper, etc.

Our basement isn't finished, so the only physical damage was the loss of
some food. Not worth filing a claim and winding up with higher insurance
bills.

Carol

Lynne A said:

"Damsel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Yeah, the salmon and the brisket were for the cook-in. 🙁

Dryer sheets! You're a genius! I'll run out to the garage for some
newspaper, too. Gotta run. It's about to start storming.

Not moi, it was a tip I got from a used appliance guy-we moved into a house
once where the power had been off and the previous tenants had left all
kinds of nasties in the fridge-oh, and did I mention this was in Fl???
EWWWWWWW Worked a treat though!

So you know what I'm talkin' about. I thought I would never smell anything
worse than the bag of rotting potatoes and onions that a renter (and former
friend) left in the bedroom closet when she moved out. That smell was for
amateurs. We're in the big leagues now.

Quoted message said:

We ain't gonna talk about the salmon anymore, I'm just gonna go cry now.
Hey, maybe I can bring some salmon to the cookin for Crash to do up?? I'd
actually be making a contribution<G>

That would be magnificent! And you are making a contribution. You're
helping me clean and making the birthday cake, right? I'm pretty sure the
smell will be gone by the end of July.

Carol

Damsel said:

zxcvbob said:

Is there a Fleet Farm nearby? Buy a jug of "Steramine" in the dairy
supply aisle. It contains an industrial disinfectant called "quatenary
ammonia", 10%. Quat has an oddly "fresh" smell to it, and it kills
bacteria, fungi, and even virii. Mix it up about 4 tablespoons to a
gallon of warm water, hold your breath, and go down and spray inside the
freezer with it. (Don't get any in your eyes -- especially the
concentrate.) Air out the basement as best you can. You probably need
to open whatever little windows the basement has and set up a fan to
pull the nasty air out (also open a window upstairs on the other side of
the house to equalize the pressure.)

Nope, no Fleet Farms nearby. We'll open the basement window (only one
opens) and point a fan at it tomorrow, after the storms are over (Are you
getting a good light show at your place, Bob?).

No light show yet.

BTW, it works better to put the fan outside as close as you can get to
the window (point it away, of course.)

If you can't the Steramine, you can buy a quart of humidifier
bactericide/algicide at Menard's or Lowe's or Ace Hardware. IIRC, it's
1% quaternary ammonia (the active ingredient should be something like
"benzylconium chloride" or "alkyl- (50% C11, 50% C12) benzyl ammonium
chloride". Dilute it about 5:1 or 10:1 and wipe out the freezer with it.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You could also call the sheriff's department and ask them to recommend a
crime scene cleanup service and tell them what you've got. They'll get
a laugh out of it and they might be able to help. (Just don't call the
emergency number.)

This probably isn't as weird as it sounds. I can see if someone there
knows how to get rid of "dead."

And like I said to FFT, don't forget to clean the drip pan underneath
the freezer.

Good luck,
Bob

On Tue 10 May 2005 09:01:05p, Damsel wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

On Tue 10 May 2005 08:05:06p, Damsel wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

The further adventures of Damsel and Crash ....

Well, look on the slightly brighter side... You might not have gone
down there for another month or two.

Excellent point. I have NO idea how long this had been going on. But I
want an astronaut's suit when I go back down there to clean.

Quoted message said:

If things like this hadn't happened to me, I'd swear you need a keeper!

Maybe we BOTH need keepers. Ever thought-a that? 😉

Quoted message said:

Deodorizing cat litter and baking soda - a lot of both.

Cat litter. That sounds good. Would it suck the smell out of the air,
or would I be sprinkling in on the bottom? I think cleaning it back out
would be a [censored]. Hmmm .... there are two ways of reading that last
sentence. LOL!

Thanks,
Carol

Cat litter will absorb both remaining fluids and a lot of the odor.
Baking soda should help with the odor. If your freezer has a plastic
liner, though, it may permanently absorb some of the odor.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

zxcvbob said:

If you can't the Steramine, you can buy a quart of humidifier
bactericide/algicide at Menard's or Lowe's or Ace Hardware. IIRC, it's
1% quaternary ammonia (the active ingredient should be something like
"benzylconium chloride" or "alkyl- (50% C11, 50% C12) benzyl ammonium
chloride". Dilute it about 5:1 or 10:1 and wipe out the freezer with it.

Okay, I'll check that out. Is it something I can use to reduce the amount
of stink before I start doing the actual cleaning?

Carol

Wayne Boatwright said:

Cat litter will absorb both remaining fluids and a lot of the odor.
Baking soda should help with the odor. If your freezer has a plastic
liner, though, it may permanently absorb some of the odor.

Alrighty then. The bottom is plastic, and the shelves have gotten all
rusty and nasty. At this point I'm thinking duct tape, a rented dolly, and
a call to the rubbish haulers. A new freezer won't be cheap, but it's not
completely out of reach, either.

And we have to clean the drip pan. <G>

Carol

Damsel said:

zxcvbob said:

If you can't the Steramine, you can buy a quart of humidifier
bactericide/algicide at Menard's or Lowe's or Ace Hardware. IIRC, it's
1% quaternary ammonia (the active ingredient should be something like
"benzylconium chloride" or "alkyl- (50% C11, 50% C12) benzyl ammonium
chloride". Dilute it about 5:1 or 10:1 and wipe out the freezer with it.

Okay, I'll check that out. Is it something I can use to reduce the amount
of stink before I start doing the actual cleaning?

Carol

It'll clean and deodorize it at the same time. You probably need to add
a little soap if you use the humidifier stuff rather than a cleaner with
quat in it. You'll never get the smell *completely* out of the plastic
freezer liner, but if you get it clean and disinfected, the smell will
be OK as long as the freezer is cold.

I've also seen quat sold at Sam's Club as a super deodorizer and
cleaner. I don't recall what the name is; it's green, I think. The
Fleet Farm stuff is cheaper and stronger so I've never tried the brand
from Sam's.

Bob