Rotten Potatoes Left a Smell in Her Kitchen Cabinet. Cleaning the Surface Wasn’t Enough

A bag of potatoes sat inside a kitchen cabinet during a 10-day vacation and rotted during a heatwave. When the homeowner returned, brown liquid had leaked across the cabinet and the smell remained after the potatoes were thrown away.

Rotten Potatoes Left a Smell in Her Kitchen Cabinet. Cleaning the Surface Wasn't Enough

Reddit user u/Electrical-Bedroom-6 cleaned the cabinet with vinegar, but that did not remove the odor. The concern was that potato liquid had reached the particleboard or chipboard beneath the cabinet finish, where a surface wipe could not reach it.

Rotten Potato Liquid Reached the Cabinet

The photo taken before cleanup shows the potatoes broken down inside the cabinet, with brown liquid spread across the shelf. Particleboard can absorb moisture through exposed edges, joints, holes, or breaks in its finish.

That can leave rotten food residue inside the panel after the shelf has been wiped clean. In this case, the smell that remained after the vinegar treatment pointed to a problem below the surface.

Rotten Potato Liquid Reached the Cabinet
u/Electrical-Bedroom-6

Cleaning and Drying Come First

Reddit commenter u/BladeRumbler suggested washing the cabinet with dish soap and water, placing a bowl of vinegar inside for an hour or two, then opening the door to let the cabinet air out. u/Loud-Calligrapher770 also suggested keeping the cabinet open for a couple of days.

For odor that remains after the cabinet dries, u/LinaTorontoShine suggested an enzyme cleaner made for organic stains. Check the product label before using one on particleboard and avoid soaking the panel, since excess water can cause the board to swell.

A Smell Inside the Board May Require Replacement

Another Reddit user faced the same problem after potatoes sat in a pantry for four months. u/Independent_Volume96 cleaned the mess and added baking soda, but the smell remained where potato liquid had stained the drywall. Several commenters pointed to the damaged wall as the source and recommended replacing the affected section.

A cabinet shelf can reach the same point. If the board remains smelly after it has been cleaned and dried, or shows swelling, soft spots, or a lifting finish, replacing the damaged shelf or panel removes the material holding the odor.

What has worked for you when a bad smell soaked into a cabinet?

The post Rotten Potatoes Left a Smell in Her Kitchen Cabinet. Cleaning the Surface Wasn’t Enough appeared first on Homedit.



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