I'm throwing down the gauntlet: 2 challenges for those in the know

[Kalikaroo]

Sorry for the dramatic heading but I have 2 housekeeping problems that have overcome my attempts to fix them (I'm far from being a domestic goddess though) .

For those who like a challenge, here they are:

1)While away for 2 weeks a couple of months ago, our freezer defrosted. This caused a huge puddle of putrid stinking goo to leak everywhere inside the freezer and all over the floor [dry heaves thinking about it emoticon]. I've cleaned and scrubbed it to within an inch of it's life and there are no visible signs of said goo, just this god-awful lingering stink that STILL hits me every time I enter our front door. YUCK!!!!!! How can I get rid of the stink?????

2)Was out with DS in the buggy a few days ago and crossed the road at a point that I now realised was recently tarred. I know have 4 attractive tarry tyre marks on the lino in our kitchen. Have tried scrubbing them with various stuff (floor cleaner, soap, alcohol) but no joy. Any ideas what I can use to get rid of the marks?

Our house is rented and we're moving out in a few months, so I'd like to get our deposit back if poss - not sure this will happen if we leave the flat in this state. Also, the smell is making me gag...

Please help!!!!!!!!!!
(virtual Harrods gift hamper to the person who solves my dilemmas)

Not sure about the freezer but apparently you are supposed to put ice on the tar and leave for 5 mins then scrape with dull edge of a knife. Keep repeating with the ice till it all lifts.

I think with the freezer ou need to empty it turn it off and leave the door open for quite some time. Have you tried putting in bi carb of soda it's very good at absorbing odour

freezer question...have you moved the frezer to clean underneath? has it all seeped inside a grill somewhere? have you claimed on your insurance?

marks on lino..try WD40

Butter gets tar off of things.

On the freezer, I would scrub it first with vinegar, then really well with a sodium bicarb (thick) paste, then leave it empty with either charcoal chunks or coffee grounds inside for probably a week, to absorb the remaining odor. (When I bought my house, there was an old freezer here that we couldn't get out of the house so had to de-stinkify until we could get it out! This worked for us after many alternate attempts failed).

Don't know what to suggest on the tar but you'll need something oil-based I think?

Freezer - try the soap liquid that you put in dishwashers (used instead of tablets). This is meant to dissolve food when used at high temperatures so mix with v hot water and scrub again.

Check the back of the freezer. Sometimes there is a kind of drip-tray type thing (may even look like a small lidless box) that catches excess condensed water via a plastic tube. If you have one of these you may well find that it is full of said putrid goo and needs to be cleaned out. We had a similar problem with spilled milk in the fridge. This foul smell lingered for weeks before we figured out that we have one of these drip catcher things at the back by which time the contents were truly vile and jellified! Smell disappeared the instant we cleaned it out. HTH

Bicarb of soda - (in industrial sized vat?!?!) - let us know how you get on!

Thank you everyone for the advice!

Have now tried vinegar and bicarb on the freezer and it is definitely smelling a bit less stinky - I think there might be some goo left somewhere at the back of the freezer, but I can't move it out of its position to find out (freezer belongs to landlord and it's bolted into position). The landlord isn't keen on replacing the freezer unless it actually breaks down - if the smell doesn't go away soon, then the freezer might have to meet with some kind of accident...

Have tried ice and WD40 on the tar stain, but no joy. I think it's actually the mark left by tar on the wheels of the buggy rather than the tar itself, so there's nothing to scrape off the lino. Back to the drawing board with that one.

Since you all gave useful advice I think it's only fair to share out a MASSIVE Harrods hamper among you all!!

RE: the tar, have you tried baby wipes? They haven't failed to rise to any challenge so far.

No seriously.

When you cleaned the freezer, did you clean right inside the door seals? They can be folded over themselves in such a way that they look solid sided, but are in fact full of lovely goo-catching ripples which face inwards in perfect goo-ctching position. You need to get your finger, or a cotton-bud, right into the folds.