If you allow food to spoil in the freezer, there are chances that there will be a bad odor that sometimes gets extremely difficult to remove. In addition to being a nuisance every time you open the freezer door, it is also a hazard to freezer safety as there will be other food items that might be affected because of the odor. There are certain very ways to get rid of the strong odor, some of which have been discussed below.

1. Cleaning the appliance
The first step to getting rid of the odor is cleaning the appliance properly, after you’ve gotten rid of the particular food in question. Clean the freezer from the inside gently by using a bleach solution with a very mild concentration of chlorine. It is important to remove the contents of the freezer before you clean the inside to make sure that anything else is not affected by the spoiled food.

2. Leave the door open
It might not sound very wise at first, but leaving the door open for some time depending on the intensity of the odor is a very important part of freezer safety. While sometimes, you will notice the odor will vanish in a few hours, you might have to leave the door open for a couple of days in other instances. Make sure to spray disinfectant, especially around the corners and hinges, as these are areas that seem to absorb the bad odor.

3. Place activated charcoal
If none of the simple methods work, you should consider getting some activated charcoal from a nearby store and placing it in the empty freezer. Let the freezer function without any other contents for a few days. If you’re unable to get activated charcoal, other alternatives are clean kitty litter or baking soda, which should also be placed on the shelves of the refrigerator.

4. Place ground coffee
Coffee is known for its property of overpowering other fragrances, and this can be used to your advantage in case the freezer has a foul smell. Take some ground coffee, place it in cookie sheets and store it in the freezer. Run the appliance with only coffee for 2-3 days. You might notice a coffee-like odor, which will automatically go away in a few days, but the foul smell will certainly vanish.

5. Other commercial products
In addition to the above, various other commercial products are also available that can be used to remove the odor. These products are available online or in grocery or departmental stores.

6. Removing the odor of a switched off unit
It might be a little tricky to get rid of the odor if the unit has been switched off for a few days and has picked up a foul odor, as the odor has probably entered the insulation. For freezer safety in such cases, a lot of work may be required. An air compressor can come in handy to blow air into this part of the unit. If the odor still persists, a technician should be contacted for professional assistance.