Food contamination is a major cause of food-borne diseases. Lack of personal hygiene, uncooked or partially cooked food, and improper storage both in and outside the refrigerator are causes of food contamination.

Food stored in the fridge and freezers is at a higher risk of contamination, and this is indicated by the food smelling and tasting bad. If there is a bad odor in the freezer, two steps are required to get rid of it: discarding the spoiled food and cleaning the fridge. Despite thorough cleaning, the odors from the freezer could remain. Here are some tips to banish freezer odors:

• DIY cleaning solutions
  Combine equal quantities of vinegar and hot water or combine 2 tablespoons of water with 4 cups of water. Transfer this solution to spray bottles and use it to clean the interiors of the fridge as well as the doors, gaskets, hinges. If it is a deep freezer, leave the door open for a day. If it is a manual frosting freezer, keep it unplugged with the door open, do not store anything for a day, and allow it to dry completely after cleaning.
• Vanilla
  Vanilla has a naturally sweet fragrance and is very effective in removing stale odors that are left behind after cleaning a freezer. Soak a small ball of cotton in vanilla extract, place it in a cup and leave it in the freezer. If the freezer is large, you can place them in two or three spots, preferably in the back corners.
• Essential oils
  Lavender oil and lemon oil are effective odor eliminators. Mix baking soda with water, add 15 drops of essential oil to this, and freeze this mixture in molds. These can be placed in the freezer among the storage containers.
• Vinegar
  Another tip to banish freezer odors that remain after cleaning it is to leave a small cup filled with vinegar in the freezer until the odors are eliminated.
• Oatmeal
  Place some oatmeal in a small bowl in the freezer compartment right after cleaning. This helps absorb the odors and can continue to remain there until the odor goes away, even after you have restocked the freezer.
• Coffee beans
  Grind some fresh coffee beans, spread the ground coffee over cookie sheets after cleaning, and run the freezer empty with this for 2 to 3 days.
• Lemon
  Chop a few slices of lemon and place them in between the food containers. Change the slices every week to effectively prevent and banish freezer odors.
• Cloves
  Chop half an orange or lemon, press a few cloves into the fruit, and place it in the freezer. This can stay in the freezer until the orange or the lemon dries out.
• Potatoes
  Potatoes are effective odor eliminators, so just peel a potato and place it between the food containers. Remember to change it twice a week.
• Activated charcoal
  Place some of it in a cup and leave it in a closed freezer for 3 to 4 days.

Another effective tip to banish freezer odors is to spray water onto crumpled newspapers and put them in the freezer. The only drawback is that this needs about 5 or 6 days to take effect, and you need to find alternative options to store your food.