Refrigerator and Freezer failure cleanup
Power outages cause refrigeration and freezer units to fail. Food inside the refrigerator spoils and the smell is awful. Opening the freezer or refrigerator door just once for one moment can blast a terrible odor into your home. When food rots it liquifies and aside from the extremely unpleasant nature of the situation it also presents two primary risks. The first is mold which can grow on food easily within 12 hours of the refrigerator failure. The other is bacteria and parasites of which Clostridium, E. coli, Giardia, Listeria, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and Trichinella are the most common. Depending on the condition of the home at the time of failure and effectiveness of the refrigerator seals pests can also enter the space.
For a minor refrigerator or freezer failure situation which you wish to try and tackle yourself the best approach is to start by removing all the food items. Bag them and get them out of the house entirely and quickly. Don't forget the drawers. Clean the inside with mild dish soap and warm water. If the odor is mild, cleaning with baking soda mixed with water might help. Use tablespoons baking soda and 4 cups warm water.
Do not use bleach or more caustic cleaning chemicals. This can have two side effects. You can ruin the interior finish on your expensive refrigerator or freezer unit. It can leave a strong cleaning chemical scent which can seep into your food items when you stick the fridge again.
A more serious situation calls for professional cleaning. A1 BioHazard is properly equipped to handle strong mal odors and hazardous cleaning. More serious situations require checking the appliances seals and gaskets, cleaning the coils, and non toxic but highly effective disinfectant techniques. A1 BioHazard carries industrial grade cleaners meant specifically for restaurants, kitchens, and food preparation areas. We have relationships with appliance manufacturers and repairers if rotted food has seeped into the insulation spaces.
Call us if you have experienced a refrigerator or freezer failure after a hurricane, power outage, or unplug.
We will set up a safe zone, quickly remove rotted food from your home, deep clean your appliance without further damage, disinfect, and check temperature and seals as needed.