1

Recently I used WD-40 in my freezer to stop the fan from maxing such obnoxious noises. But, now the freezer reeks of the smell, and my food inside also stinks like the product.

I cooked some steaks for dinner tonight, and the steak itself tasted like WD-40. I might be going crazy, but hope that I am just going crazy.

Improve this question
3
  • 1
    You may have to replace the part that you sprayed. The only solution I can think of short of replacement is to turn it off, unplug it, defrost it, then swab it with dilute detergent in water. Then air it out.
    – Jim Stewart
    May 7, 2017 at 0:29
  • 1
    They are not mutually exclusive. Whether or not your food smells like WD-40 has no bearing on whether you're going crazy. So knowing the answer to one doesn't rule out the other. Just sayin'. :-)
    – fixer1234
    May 7, 2017 at 2:53
  • @user185116 Check out my updated answer it will resolve your problem.
    – Ken
    May 9, 2017 at 1:32

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1

Replace the Fan.

If you insist on lubricating - Olive Oil works nicely.

EDIT 5-8-2017

You could buy food safe lubricants but they also might have unwanted odors and only allow for incidental contact with food.

Olive Oil on the other hand has been known to be a very good lubricant for a long long time at least as far back as the 12th Century, probably longer than that.

The Below Excerpt was copied from this Web Site PDF document: "olive oil spreads easily and thoroughly over the rubbing surfaces. Unlike the drying oils, it does not gum, taking up to seven days to gain as little as 1.7 percent of its weight after exposure to the air. Most important, olive oil stands up extremely well under pressure because of its viscosity and oiliness. Not only can it surmount the thrusts of force-closure, but after the machine is set in motion it also maintains coefficients of friction between 0.07 and 0.08 whether it is running between surfaces of wood and metal, wood and wood, or metal and metal. Perhaps its only weakness is that it can become too acidic, especially if the olives are left to ferment too long before going to the press. This disadvantage was overcome by simply pressing the olives as soon as possible. Within Tuscany and its immediate vicinity, then, olive oil was known as an efficient lubricant that could endure great stress."

Improve this answer
3
  • I have never tried olive oil but since it is used in food it should work. Your answer was flagged because it was short maybe an example of where you have tried this in the past would make it a good answer.
    – Ed Beal
    May 8, 2017 at 13:11
  • @EdBeal There are food safe lubricants out there but generally that is incidental contact. Olive oil has pretty good lubricating properties with out the issues of odor and food safety.
    – Ken
    May 9, 2017 at 1:21
  • I did not flag your answer I just added the comment it was flagged because it Did not have much information. Now you have added more information I will give it an up vote.
    – Ed Beal
    May 9, 2017 at 2:18
0

Air out the freezer and consider this a learning experience. WD-40 is full of volatile organic compounds and your freezer is an airtight enclosure; trapped odors can hardly come as a shock. I suspect that the levels will drop to acceptable levels with a couple days of the door open to let the gases out.

Speaking of going crazy, did you know people can't differentiate between apple and onions while holding their nose? Aroma is a significant portion of flavor so anything that picks up bad odors will taste weird. (Unsaturated fats are the "best" food for picking up foreign odors, which is why they should be tightly covered in the fridge, btw.)

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.