Author Topic: NEED HELP Strange Request (Read 687 times)

LONGTOM · « **on:** November 28, 2009, 05:28:53 PM »

Long story short.
Last year my wife found a small skunk dead in our garage.
Seems it died from eating mouse poison.
Looked like he just curled up and went to sleep.
No smell.
I thought it would make a nice mount so I put it in a zip lock bag and put it in my outside freezer.
Frozen hard as a rock.
This year I picked up my deer dogs (hot dogs made with deer meat) and made the mistake of packing the upright freezer to tight and it quit freezing.
The skunk started to thaw and the smell is all through the freezer and the refrigerator.
I moved everything to the other freezer and the first freezer is working fine.
Just my fault.

QUESTION:
What the heck can I use to get the smell out of the freezers?
It hasn't affected the meat but the packages sure are rank!

LONGTOM

DalesCarpentry · « **Reply #1 on:** November 28, 2009, 05:40:55 PM »

I would think scrubbing them out with a 50/50 of bleech and water would do it. Dale

highwayman · « **Reply #2 on:** November 28, 2009, 05:49:30 PM »

would baking soda and water work?

or tomato juice?? vinegar??

powderman · « **Reply #3 on:** November 28, 2009, 05:53:34 PM »

Tomato juice. POWDERMAN.

DalesCarpentry · « **Reply #4 on:** November 28, 2009, 06:09:08 PM »

I know of nothing that bleech will not clean even if you have to step up to 100% bleech!

Dale

Graybeard · « **Reply #5 on:** November 28, 2009, 06:17:21 PM »

My recommendation would be fire. I'd burn the sucker. NEVER EVER put a skunk with food and never put food where a skunk has been.

kwells2006 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 28, 2009, 06:24:35 PM »

I agree with Greybeard... take it as a lesson learned

LONGTOM · « **Reply #7 on:** November 28, 2009, 06:54:04 PM »

Lesson has been learned.

I guess some of us still do dumb things.
The thing that get me is there never was any smell even before it was frozen.
It has been there a year in the zip lock bag with no smell.
None until it started to thaw.

Still need to get rid of the smell.
I figured the bleach would be my best bet.

LONGTOM

kwells2006 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 28, 2009, 08:06:50 PM »

well, when it thawed, those muscles relaxed... thus leaking the stench

williamlayton · « **Reply #9 on:** November 28, 2009, 11:53:04 PM »

I wouldn't be too hard on myownself if I was you. I know it makes you mad but you had no control over the freezer stopping.
I think I would try soaking it down with Tomato juice for a day or two and then do the the bleach and see what happens.
Certainly won't hurt too try before the big bon fire.
Blessings

Gerry N. · « **Reply #10 on:** November 29, 2009, 12:04:20 AM »

Get two or three gallons of distilled white vinegar and some rubber gloves. Wash everything with the vinegar full strength. Then let it air out. This may or may not work according to how much of the musk got into cracks and seams. If you've got cracks and crevices, you may be able to work the vinegar in with a disposable chip brush.

Good luck, you're going to need it.

Gerry N.

JoeG52 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 29, 2009, 01:19:17 AM »

This is from the PA Game Commission web page, it does work.

"Should you or your dog be sprayed by a skunk while attempting to alleviate a problem, use the follow concoction to eliminate skunk odor: mix one quart of hydrogen peroxide with a quarter-cup of baking soda and a teaspoon of liquid soap. Apply the mixture to the sprayed area and it will neutralize the skunk’s musky odor."

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=458&q=160709

Tommyt · « **Reply #12 on:** November 29, 2009, 03:04:53 AM »

The only thing I've found to remove stink from Fridge or Freezer is Thaw and wash with bleach
If there is a bit more smell and you've aired it out
Put a small Open Mason jar 3/4 full of ammonia and close it for a day Repeat airing it out
Good Luck
Tommyt

I will say this if you keep Fish and Bait for years in one there is no help

the smell (and I hope not in your case) gets into the Plastic walls
If its an up-right you could always salvage it as a Smoker

hillbill · « **Reply #13 on:** November 29, 2009, 03:10:17 AM »

i can still remember my mom chewing me out for trying to put some skunk hides in the freezer lol when i was a kid.after that i wasnt allowed in the same room with the deep freeze.

JBlk · « **Reply #14 on:** November 29, 2009, 03:28:24 AM »

When our dogs would tree a skunk in the cornfields we would soak it with tomato juice for three or four days before it was tolerable to be around.The dog would still have a skunk odor around it for alot longer.I would move the meat to another freezer and unplug the one thats contaminated and put six or seven boxes of baking soda in there and leave it that way for a couple of weeks.

D Crockett · « **Reply #15 on:** November 29, 2009, 03:56:06 AM »

I would try JoeG52 way if that did now work load it up in a truck and go to the scrap yard then buy a new one D Crockett

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #16 on:** November 29, 2009, 04:56:00 AM »

longtom.. if we didn t do things that didn t turn out so good ...we would never learn what we can an can t do..to err is human..welcome to the humane race

.. slim

Mohawk · « **Reply #17 on:** November 29, 2009, 05:03:55 AM »

I had the same problem 5 years ago. Place the empty freezer doors open in direct sunlight. Turn as needed as the sun moves. UV rays deteriorate the scent. Mine stunk so bad the taxidermist would not mount it. I settled on a cottontail rabbit for the same price. Sunlight kills many pathogens, odors, and cells including the rabies virus. God's natural disinfectant.

95Road King · « **Reply #18 on:** November 29, 2009, 08:30:32 AM »

We had the same problem in our camping trailer when the freezer thawed out for a 2 week period. Was our fault!! Rotten liquid got down in the cracks and insulation. Ended up having to get a new fridge. $1400.00 lesson learned the hard way!!!

torpedoman · « **Reply #19 on:** November 29, 2009, 12:38:49 PM »

peroxide works de skunking dogs try a spray bottle of it. just put it in an old windex bottle and give it a go.

Skunk · « **Reply #20 on:** November 29, 2009, 12:39:43 PM »

Oh those pesky little rascals.

LONGTOM · « **Reply #21 on:** November 29, 2009, 01:26:34 PM »

Thanks guys, lots of good suggestions.
Today the wife and I spent about 4 hours breaking it down as far as we could.
We hand washed the whole thing with a hot water & baking soda mix then dried.
Then we washed it again with bleach wipes and dried again.
Lastly we washed it down with clean water and dried again.
It has been unplugged all day with the doors open and will remain that way a few days to see if it worked.
If it doesn't then I think I will try JoeG52s idea.

The freezer was free so there is no money lost but it is almost new and would hate to have to dump it if it can be saved.

I guess I will just have to wait and see.

Thanks again
LONGTOM

sk330lc · « **Reply #22 on:** November 29, 2009, 03:57:45 PM »

Didn't (Mith Busters) Do one on Skunk smell removeal??

The Hermit · « **Reply #23 on:** November 29, 2009, 04:40:41 PM »

Plastic is sometimes very porus. I wish you well, but don't be surprised if you have to chuck it. I had an uncle pass away many years ago and the power was shut off to his home. Time we found out about it, food in the frig and freezer stunk so bad we had to junk them.

The Hermit

nw_hunter · « **Reply #24 on:** November 30, 2009, 01:56:29 PM »

Quote from: williamlayton on November 28, 2009, 11:53:04 PM

I wouldn't be too hard on myownself if I was you. I know it makes you mad but you had no control over the freezer stopping.
I think I would try soaking it down with Tomato juice for a day or two and then do the the bleach and see what happens.
Certainly won't hurt too try before the big bon fire.
Blessings

My cousin and I got skunked one day while waiting on the school bus. We missed school that day, and his Mom made us soak in Tomato juice.

The next day we went to school smelling like skunk and tomato juice.