If you are wondering how to clean a moldy
In this guide we will cover:
- A little background on mold
- What you need to clean a moldy
fridge - 6 easy steps to get rid of mold from your refrigerator
And some tips you can use to avoid mold growth.
Over the years, we have advanced our food preservation technology. Nonetheless, as with all problems, there’s always another obstacle lurking. Case in point: moldy refrigerators.
What You Need To Know About Your Moldy Fridge
Mold grows both indoors and outdoors. The fungus responsible for causing the mold is resilient and thrives in damp, dark conditions.
Refrigerators encourage the growth of mold because they’re dark, damp, and cold. If you have mold in your
Additionally, mold can cause serious health issues if you inhale or touch them as they produce toxic compounds known as mycotoxins.
The most common source of mold in a refrigerator is moldy food. Rotting food often develops mold while in the
Food like hard salami and cheese produces mold naturally, which is less likely to spread to other surfaces.
You must clean your
Extremely high humidity and water accumulation in your
Supplies You’ll Need for Cleaning a Moldy Fridge
You don’t require a whole lot by way of specialty products to clean a moldy
Here are some helpful items to get the job done:
- Disposable or rubber gloves
- White vinegar
- 2 boxes of baking soda
- Trash bags
- A cooler
- 2 Microfiber washcloths
- Bucket
- Small plastic bowl
- Paper towels, rags, or sponges
- Dish cleaning detergent
- Toothbrush
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How to Clean a Moldy Fridge (5 Steps)
After gathering the necessary supplies, you need to turn off your
1. Toss Out Expired Food and Overstayed Items
The first step is to check dates on every food item and toss out anything that has expired, or is about to expire. Use gloves to scoop out old, soggy food. These are the culprits of mold. Place the remaining contents in a cooler. Don’t leave anything in the
While you’re at it, take out any removable door inserts, drawers, and shelves.
2. Clean Thoroughly with Warm Water and Soap
It’s recommendable to use warm water and detergent to clean mold from hard surfaces. Wash all removable parts in the sink with soapy water. Make sure you wear gloves when cleaning these surfaces, so you don’t touch the mold.
Spray the parts with vinegar before washing them with a mixture of baking soda and soapy water. Scrub the detachable items thoroughly as mold can be persistent. If you don’t remove the mold on the first try, spray the moldy area with vinegar, wait for about 10 minutes, and scrub it again in soapy water.
Rinse off the parts and wipe them thoroughly with clean paper towels. Dispose of the towels in a trash bag.
3. Scrub the Interior Aiming for Mold
Fill up your bucket halfway with water and some dish soap, and turn your focus to cleaning the insides of your
Spray vinegar along the gasket (outer ring of the
Use a toothbrush to reach and scrub out the mold growing in the gasket.
4. Rinse, Dry and Re-organize the refrigerator
Rinse all surfaces with clean water. Wipe your refrigerator with a dry microfiber cloth to dry it. Completely dry the detached parts as well. After the refrigerator dries up, return the inserts, drawers, and shelves to their respective places. If you need to adjust shelf placements to create more room, this would be a good time to do it.
Next, put back the original contents of the
5. In case the Vinegar Smell is too Concentrated…
Once you have everything back into the
Baking soda eliminates foul odors – it’s a natural deodorizer.
If the smell persists, spread ground coffee beans on a plate and place it on one of the shelves for a day. These two methods allow you to eliminate the smell of mold without chemicals.
Prevent Mold
Prevention has always been better than cure. You want to avoid growing mold in your
Discard food that has started rotting, as soon as you spot it. Also, cover all your food with food-safe containers, tin foil, or plastic wrap. Covering food discourages mold spores from spreading from moldy food to other parts of your
Be sure to clean your refrigerator regularly and thoroughly. After every cleaning session, leave the door(s) open for a day or two to get rid of any moisture that can lead to stinky odors and mold growth.
It’s recommendable to defrost your
If possible, avoid storing cardboard or paper in your
Food Storage Tips to Avoid Mold Buildup
To avoid mold inside your refrigerator, you need to observe good food storage practices.
Milk and other dairy food
Store wrapped cheeses deep on the shelves or in drawers. Place dairy-based food on the main shelves, and not the door shelves. Door shelves are subject to temperature fluctuations that can affect the integrity of milk and other dairy products.
Lettuce, berries and herbs
Put fresh herbs, berries, and lettuce in the drawer section of your
Store eggs
You can place eggs on the door shelves or any other place with minimal disturbance.
Ethylene gas-producing veggies and fruits
Don’t mix this type of food with vegetables and fruits that are sensitive to ethylene. Ethylene-sensitive food includes broccoli, green beans, unripe bananas, carrots, tomatoes, mangos, and avocados.
Tomatoes
Unless very ripe, you should store tomatoes away from ethylene-producing food.
Jarred items
Keep jarred items like dressings, olives, and jellies in door shelves.
They’re highly stable items that are barely affected by temperature fluctuations.
Wrapped meat and fish
To avoid drips, place wrapped food in a container or a plate. Store this type of food on the bottom shelves to prevent drips from contaminating the food below.
Salad vegetables
Wrap your salad veggies in papers with air holes to protect them from any contamination. You can also wrap these vegetables in a damp paper towel to keep them fresh for longer. Store your salads in the crisper (salad drawer).
Follow these simple rules to keep your
- Never leave open cans in your refrigerator. They can cause chemical contamination and promote mold growth.
- Don’t overload your
fridge . Cramming your refrigerator can block the cooling unit, thereby reducing its performance.
- Maintain the correct temperature: below 5° C for the
fridge , and below -18° C for the freezer.
- The new stock goes behind the old one. You want to eat the food in your
fridge based on the expiry date to avoid throwing any food away.
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We hope this answered your question of how to clean a moldy
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