At 06:06 PM 5/1/00 -0400, Jason Yasment wrote:
>    No.  This is not the latest flavor for Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.  It
>always seems when I first crack the fridge from it's winter slumber that the
>funk from it is unbearable.  I leave a box of baking soda in it to no avail.
>  Now, i've bungeed the door open in order to help clear it all out.
>
>    Also, I've used about every anti-bacterial cleaning concoction that I
>could lay my hands on.  To look at it, it is the cleanest looking just not
>the cleanest smelling.
>
>  Aby ideas on how to combat the evil Phunk of the Phridge?

The good news is that the smell is caused by bacteria and fungus that have
found a great place to grow.  The bad news is that they stink to high
heaven and must be wiped-out in total for the fridge to not smell
again.  The solution is easy.  Use a 10% bleach solution to clean the
inside.  Be sure not to mix ammonia based products such as glass cleaners
with the bleach solution, the resulting gas given off is similar to WW1
Mustard gas.  Keep the solution off the carpets especially if they are brown!

I seem to forget to prop the fridge door open every fall when I store the
van.  I always think there is going to be "one more campout".  Needless to
say, every spring there is yet another stinky fridge to greet me.  The
bleach solution works great, but be sure to get every surface in the
fridge, and also be sure to let the fridge dry out completely before
closing the door again, otherwise any food stored in the fridge will have
that wonderful pool smell.

Chris Smith