Rotten Food Smell After a Power Outage or Hurricane? How to Get It Out of the Fridge and the House

Every hurricane season, South Florida homes lose power for days. When the lights come back, a lot of people open the fridge to a smell they won’t forget. Spoiled food smell can spread into the kitchen, the floor under the fridge and even the rest of the house. Here’s how to get rid of it.

Safety First

• Never run a generator indoors, in the garage or near windows and doors. Generators give off carbon monoxide.
• When in doubt, throw it out. Federal food safety guidance says perishable food in a fridge without power for more than about 4 hours should generally be thrown away. Don’t taste food to check it.
• Wear gloves and bag spoiled food tightly. Get it into an outdoor bin with a lid as soon as you can.

How to Get the Smell Out of the Fridge

1. Empty it completely, including condiments and anything in the door.
2. Take out shelves and drawers and wash them in hot, soapy water.
3. Wash the inside with warm water and baking soda (about 2 tablespoons per quart). Get into the door gasket folds.
4. Clean the drip pan under the fridge. Spoiled juices often end up there. See mold in the refrigerator for the gasket, drawers and drip pan.
5. Leave the door open for a day with the AC running, then put open boxes of baking soda, activated charcoal or dry coffee grounds inside for a few days.
6. If the smell won’t quit after a couple of rounds, the insulation may have absorbed it. Some fridges can’t be saved, so check with your insurance before replacing it.

Check the Floor and Cabinets Too

When the freezer thaws, water and meat juices can leak out the bottom and under the fridge, into cabinets or under flooring. Pull the fridge out, clean the floor and the wall behind it, and look for swollen baseboards or soft flooring. If the house also had water come in during the storm, see our hurricane checklist. We offer a free visual inspection with moisture readings and an infrared (thermal) camera to check for hidden moisture. Lab testing is separate if it’s needed. Florida licenses: Mold Assessor MRSA4035, Mold Remediator MRSR4158.

When the Whole House Smells

Days without AC in Florida heat let smells spread through the house. Once the spoiled food is gone and the fridge and floor are clean, our whole-home odor removal treatment treats the air throughout the entire home, including one AC system and an attached garage. You’ll be out for about 8 hours, pets included. It’s an odor treatment only, so the cleanup comes first. For other smells, see our smell-by-smell guide.

Whole-Home Odor Removal in South Florida: $997

Our Whole-Home Odor Removal Treatment is $997 and includes one AC system ($550 for each additional AC unit). You can buy and schedule it online, or call 877-224-2532 to request a free visual inspection. We answer 24/7; when you call, we’ll tell you honestly when a technician can be there based on that day’s schedule. Hablamos español.

About the author: James Rice-Peña is the owner of FL Cleanup and a Florida-licensed Mold Assessor (MRSA4035) and Mold Remediator (MRSR4158). He has worked in property restoration in South Florida since 2012, and FL Cleanup has earned 200+ five-star Google reviews.