To prevent food smells, wrap all foods in moisture-proof, vapour-proof, packaging materials, preferably marked for freezer use. Old bread wrappers, wax paper, margarine tubs or plastic supermarket bags are not as effective.
Cure
Spread bicarbonate of soda or activated charcoal (available at chemists or hardware shops) on shallow foil plates and place them on the freezer shelves.
Remove all food from the freezer and pack crumpled, slightly dampened newspapers on each shelf. Replace the newspapers every day until the smells disappear. (It may take 5 or 6 days.)
When defrosting, clean and deodorise the freezer with a solution of 2 tablespoons bicarbonate of soda in 2 pints/1 litre warm water. If you have a frost-free freezer, wash the interior with a bicarb solution at least once a month.
To get rid of the smell of spoiled food after a freezer failure, place bowls filled with used or unused coffee grounds inside the freezer.
Freezer smell after it was turned off while on vacation.