Cleaning out cooler

[Balls Casten]

Had a neighbor wanting to toss out a Yeti cooler. ($350 new) He had left a raw brisket in it for a few months and the stench was bad! I told him for what they cost he had to at least try to clean it up.

First we washed with HOT water and Tide laundry soap (sodium percarbonate). That cleaned it up so that you could at least be around it with the lid open. But when you shut the cooler up for a day the odor came back. It is in the plastic. So we did the hot water and soap again except left it full and shut it up for a week, did that twice. No luck. Used regular bleach … same effect.

Anyone ever save a cooler in this kind of shape?

 

[Rooster]

There is a non-toxic spray called odo-ban. I've had that stuff take out some bad smells before. We pick it up at walmart or target.

 

[aquablue22]

Yep, dead fish.............fill it with water and add a gallon of two of Clorox or pool chlorine and let it sit for a couple of days outside in the sun, propped open. You'll have to repeat this process several times. One of the keys is fresh air and sunlight. Took me a month to get the smell of rotten fish out of my Icey Tek (loaned it to a nephew, should of known better) Baking it in the sun helps a lot. Good luck.......

 

[jeffboyette]

Sodium bicarbonate in the form of baking soda should in a thin paste with water. Let the residue remain without rinsing, after it dries rinse out. Stick activated charcoal in the bottom of it (get from aquarium store) and close the door with a small fan to circulate the air. The activated charcoal will trap and absorb odors. Spray it down with 50/50 clorine bleach and water and allow to marinate for a few days. Furthermore using an enzimatic and bacterial sterilizing cleaner (odoban) works wonders.

 

[dmprantz]

A few things to try, some mentioned, some not:

High Chlorine soak
High Vinegar soak
Activated Charcoal - buy this as "Acquarium Carbon" at Petco. Close this in dry for several days, empty, and repeat.
Try Oxy-Clean, or some other TSP

 

[jeffboyette]

Worse case scenario, take 800-1000 grit sand paper and rub down the interior. If the bacteria soaked in, (unlikely) removing it mechanically may be a last resort. Make sure you finish with 2000 grit and a coat of sealing wax to prevent other critters from soaking in after.

 

[Cryodain]

I get plastic pickle buckets from a local deli as they serve a wide variety of purposes. When I get them I stuff them with news paper and allow them to sit for a few days (old boy scout trick) not sure if it would work for you, but thought that I would pass it along

 

[wildflower]

TSP is the way to go

 

[Big_T_BBQ]

If you've got any pets then you probably have a bottle of nature's miracle lying around - it's worked for me on funky trash cans. It's an enzymatic cleaner so it actually brakes the smelly stuff down.

 

[Balls Casten]

Thanks guys will give them all a try. It's my cooler now, he gave up on it today.
I now own, although maybe usless, a Yeti cooler!

 

[C Rocke]

If you've got any pets then you probably have a bottle of nature's miracle lying around - it's worked for me on funky trash cans. It's an enzymatic cleaner so it actually brakes the smelly stuff down.

Nature's Miracle is the ticket!

 

[olewarthog]

Try coffee. Just get cheap ground coffee & pour it into the cooler & close it up for a couple of hours then dump the coffee & let it air out to see if the odor is gone. If not, repeat the process. Years ago I worked at a peanut processing plant. We used coffee to take odors out of trailers before loading the shelled peanuts on them.

 

[KC_Bobby]

Bleach, fresh air and lots of sunshine would be my first try

 

[wecsobbq]

Bleach and sunshine has always worked for me. I have a bad habit of not cleaning my coolers in a timely manner. Never left a brisket to rot though.

 

[Ryan Chester]

Is a cooler really worth all the trouble? Sounds like a challenge more than anything at this point.

 

[BBQ_Mayor]

Prop the lid open and sit it in the sun. The sun will take care of that smell.
I had a small dorm fridge in my old pop up camper I used to have. Well, I loaned it to my niece and her husband for the weekend in the fall and I open the fridge the next spring to a mess of cheese, milk and God know what else. Used a lot of chemicals with success, till I talked with a landlord. He said sunshine does the trick. Hey it worked.
Good luck.

 

[SirPorkaLot]

Bleach, fresh air and lots of sunshine would be my first try

Bleach and sunshine has always worked for me. I have a bad habit of not cleaning my coolers in a timely manner. Never left a brisket to rot though.

Yep, dead fish.............fill it with water and add a gallon of two of Clorox or pool chlorine and let it sit for a couple of days outside in the sun, propped open. You'll have to repeat this process several times. One of the keys is fresh air and sunlight. Took me a month to get the smell of rotten fish out of my Icey Tek (loaned it to a nephew, should of known better) Baking it in the sun helps a lot. Good luck.......

What they said ^^^ Clorox, & sunshine - let sit for several days, repeat until problem is solved

I have done this successfully several times with my old fish cooler.

 

[Learnin Querve]

The Yeti website FAQ recommends the high pressure wash and soap at a car wash.

A Yeti is worth trying to save. If you give up on it, let me know. I'll gladly take it off your hands.

Chris

 

[bander7003]

Definitely should try the Nature's Miracle route. Get the extra strength stuff at PetSmart or PetCo.

 

[Pyle's BBQ]

Have you tried the recipe for removed skunk stink.

1 qt 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp liquid soap

It is supposed to attach to the smell molecules when mixed. You will need to vent the cooler because the mixture creates oxygen.