Mold, Refrigerant Leaks, and Other Reasons a Freezer Stinks

Chances are you spend a lot of time in your kitchen fridge. Whether you’re getting ingredients to prepare a meal or simply grabbing a snack, opening the fridge is a common practice in most households.

Food has a limited shelf life, so you can smell when fresh items begin to go bad. By the time you smell the food in your fridge, it’s time to toss it.

Freezers are beneficial because they keep food fresh for months when you can’t eat it right away. Therefore, it can be puzzling to you when you open the door and smell an unpleasant scent. Here are some common causes for odors found in your freezer.

An overgrowth of bacteria

When you smell foul odors on frozen food, it’s often attributed to the overgrowth of bacteria. Bacteria can spread in temperatures above zero degrees Fahrenheit. By the time it stinks, you’ve had a spill or open containers that have become home to plenty of bacteria. That bacteria causes the growth of fungus like mold.

Freezer-burned meat

If you’ve rid your freezer of bacteria-ridden items and still notice a lingering odor, you could be dealing with freezer-burned food. Freezer burn can occur if the temperature fluctuates in your freezer too often and causes evaporation. The evaporation causes a gas-like substance that can travel through your freezer, creating an unpleasant smell.

The more items you have in your freezer, the more likely you’ll experience freezer burn. In some cases, your ice cubes will smell like the freezer-burned food and even make your beverages smell bad.

Your fridge is transferring bad smells

Have you recently experienced a power outage? Freezers have the ability to remain cold for up to 48 hours with the door closed. However, refrigerators must hold temperature at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below to avoid food spoilage. On average, refrigerators will remain cold during a power outage for four hours before food starts to go bad.

Although your freezer might be closed, your refrigerator can actually pass scents to your freezer. This is common among refrigerators that are attached to freezers because they share a single evaporation unit. Additionally, they have a common airflow channel.

Once your power comes on after the outage ends, it’s easy to eliminate smells by taking the spoiled food out and cleaning everything. In the event of an outage that doesn’t occur because of the weather or you can’t remove the odor, you’ll want to have a professional come and service your freezer.

If the smell persists and you need to hire a cleaning service, The Maids specializes in deep cleaning. They can also recommend regular maintenance tips to reduce your freezer’s vulnerability to unpleasant smells.

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