What is this smell in my kitchen?

[Rosecottage888]

All day today there's been a stinky cheese whiff in my kitchen. It got worst throughout the day and DP can smell it too.

It's not in the fridge, not the bin, not the floor. I've had the fridge and freezer out and hoovered/mopped underneath in case it was trapped food. I've had the kick boards out and nothing is behind them. I've had everything off the worktops and given them a good clean and antibac. The smell is still there!! 😩

Kitchen is small, cleaned fully every night and there's no clutter. WTF could this be, has anyone got any suggestions? Please.

Unfortunately, it sounds like a dead mouse or rat. That's a stinky cheese smell!
As you've ruled out lots of other things, the dead smell could even be coming through the wall (as happened to us). It will pass in a few days.

Oh what!? 🤢 the other side of the wall where it's coming from is the dining room... absolutely no smell there whatsoever! Although I'll take it if it passes in a few days rather than drive myself mad trying to find it!

I could have written exactly this, down to pulling fridge and freezer out and scrubbing, about 3 weeks ago. Never did get to the bottom of it, but it's gone now! It was a weird cheesy vomit smell.

Is it the drip pan at the back of the fridge? That can smell really bad.

Yes! Cheesy vomit, that's it!

I thought that too but nope ☹️

Do you have a bag of potatoes? If yes check for rotten ones. My kitchen was stinky couple of weeks ago and it took me ages to find the culprit!

Haha I've had that before and know how rank that is but definitely not that! Thank you though!

We had that weird sickly cheese smell- took up the floor trying to find the source- it was a slowly rotting rat

Have you sniffed the sink drain, the overflow, and the sponges/cloths at the sink?

Sounds like a dead mouse trapped behind the walls but the smell should only last a short while as they decompose quite quickly.

Yep! All of this.

Is it coming from the sink? Could something be sitting in the pipes? Bleach down and then bicarb and vinegar.

However I echo PP on the dead mouse. It's a very specific smell. Decay. Like gone off milk mixed with a bag of Parmesan 🤢

😩

Yup, sounds like a dead rodent somewhere.

Another one - any pet food bowls that aren't empty? Wet kibble left in a warm space for a day smells rank.

This is exactly what it smells like. It's nowhere near the sink but I have had my nose down both plug holes just in case and it's definitely not there.

No pets, DP is terrified of both dogs and cats (the big wuss) so we can't have any.

So I must have a rotting rodent somewhere then by the looks of it... thanks for all the advice and hopefully it passes in a few days. We are away from tomorrow morning till Saturday night so hopefully it will have died down (not pun intended) a bit by then 🤞🏼

@Rosecottage888 I think you might have a deceased visitor in that case! 🤢 my sympathies it's a bloody awful smell but it does pass quickly and I don't think it's worth dismantling your walls or flooring over unless it persists. Make use of any left over face masks for now 😷

Oh no, I wish I didn't come back to see the other comments now! Bleurgh!

Dead rodent, sorry!

When you say it's not the drip pan at the back of the fridge, have you checked the reservoir where the overflow collects? So not just that little gutter with the drainage hole on the inside of the fridge but if you pull the fridge out and look at the bottom there is a small container where the water collects and it usually evaporates into the atmosphere but if something like milk or food has leaked through it can stink just like you've described.

Dead rat either in the wall or under the floor. It will wear off eventually.

Mice are too small to pong.

Shamelessly following for an update on smell when you get back from your trip! Good luck