You may be wondering, how could a mold problem affect my refrigerator? Let’s take for instance, you go on a small family vacation or have a short business trip, and your power goes out the whole time your away, your refrigerator then becomes a warm environment with perishable foods. Or, if you happen to have a poor door seal, too much moisture could be entering your refrigerator, causing a mold or mildew issue. Either way, if you happen to smell a musty or mildew odor in your refrigerator, it’s important to take the steps to remove your mold or mildew infestation. Mold on your food, dark stains in your fridge compartments caused from mildew, or a rancid odor is a red flag your refrigerator needs cleaning to ensure you and your family’s food safety. Even a cold environment doesn’t stop mold, as it is a resilient and hardy fungus.
We’ve put together a natural approach to help rid you of this problem.
1) Remove your food Depending on what you may choose, you can unplug your refrigerator. However, make sure you have a cooler for frozen or refrigerated items as your freezer will begin to thaw. Remove and inspect all food items for mold, expiration dates, look for spills and mildew stains. Throw out any items that are near molded foods, too. Also make sure to pour out any uncovered liquids down your kitchen drain, and thoroughly cleaning the sink afterwards.
2) Use baking soda, water and vinegar Fill up a bucket with 1 quart of hot water, 1-2 tbsp. of baking soda and vinegar. Baking soda is a naturally occurring fungicide while vinegar is excellent at disinfecting and removing mold/mildew. Use a microfiber cloth and wipe down the compartments, walls, back and celling of your refrigerator. Take special note of thoroughly cleaning the refrigerator gaskets, too. Remove your bins and compartments and wipe them down. Also, it’s a good idea to wipe off any plastic Tupperware or food packaging.
3) Time to rinse Rinse out your refrigerator with your microfiber cloth and clean warm water. Wipe down all of the areas you washed with your baking soda and vinegar solution. Then, allow your refrigerator to dry. If you so choose, you can dry your refrigerator and its compartments with a soft cloth. Afterwards, fill up your fridge with your food items.
4) Use a Deodorizer If you want to help keep odors away for the future, an open box of baking soda in your refrigerator will help neutralize any poor odors. It is best to replace your baking soda box every few months or so.
Photo by: akeg | Flickr
