Is the Refrigerator Spoiled?

New Zealand Listener, Volume 10, Issue 253, 28 April 1944, Page 31

Is the Refrigerator Spoiled?

Dear Aunt Daisy, I was away from home for a few weeks and unfortunately left some lemons in my electric refrigerator, and the power

off. When I came home the lemons were all mouldy and so was all the inside of the refrigerator. I may add that I had left the lemons in one of the draweérs. Well, I’ve washed and washed it out and cleaned every bit of it thoroughly, but it still taints everything that is put into it. At present I haven’t any butter, for I brought home my ration up to date, and put it into the refrigerator, having cleaned it, and left it open for a couple of days, but it has ruined my butter, and also half of a lamb that I had to put in it. Now, can you or the Daisy Chain suggest anything to take the taint out? It smells and tastes like ether. Wishing you all the best of luck in the future.V.V.H., Wanganui. The Wellington agents for the refrigerator tell me that your best chance is to wash it out very thoroughly with hot water and bicarbonate of soda. No other kind of soda, or soap, just the bicarb. Then leave saucers filled with powdered charcoal in the different compartments. The charcoal is best bought from chemists. It is splendid for absorbing taint or odour. One of our Links recovered her tainted butter by bringing it to the boil and then leaving a lump of charcoal in it for some hours. I do not know how she kept the charcoal from colouring the butter-perhaps lIurmp charcoal does not give up any colour-or she may have wrapped it in thin muslin.