Is Your Fridge a Source of Fresh Food and Mould?

By now, most people know that mould comes from excess moisture. Potential trouble spots in the home immediately come to mind, like the basement, the kitchen and the bathroom. Other obvious sources, like past leaks or flood damage are also pretty easy to come up with when pinpointing a source of mould in the home. This is especially true in places like Toronto and the surrounding area because of the underground streams feeding the rivers and Lake Ontario. But when you think there may be a mould problem in your house because of the tell-tale odour that goes with it, and none of the usual suspects are at fault, where do you turn?

The Spare Fridge – Not Just for Extra Groceries!

When buying a new fridge for their house as part of a new kitchen renovation, a lot of people will keep the old functioning but less attractive fridge in the basement. It comes in handy when entertaining or when taking advantage of perishable food items on sale. That spare fridge is a blessing for extra food storage, but as it turns out, when it comes to mould it’s actually more of a curse. Fridges are a very common source of mould infestations in homes, and not just because of spoilt food. If that extra refrigerator happens to be kept in the basement, the problem of mould can be compounded because the basement is generally the dampest part of the house.

How to Clean Mould from the Refrigerator

Luckily, if the problem is contained to the fridge itself, mould removal should be a pretty easy DIY job. A few easy steps and readily available household cleaning supplies may be all you need.

• First, remove all of the food and condiment bottles. Consider this an opportunity to check the expiry dates of everything, including sealed packages, and clean out everything that is past its best before date.
• Take out all of the removable parts like racks, trays and drawers. These will be much easier to clean thoroughly when removed. Once the fridge is completely empty, unplug it. Always be sure to keep the doors open so your mould problem doesn’t get a chance to keep growing.
• The removable parts can be cleaned most efficiently in the bathtub. Just allow them to soak in a full tub along with one cup of baking soda. Rinse and dry thoroughly before putting them back once the rest of the fridge has been cleaned.
• Distilled white vinegar has mould killing properties, is food safe, and non-toxic. It’s the perfect substance to safely clean the rest of the fridge. Wearing gloves and preferably a mask, scrub every interior surface with a rag soaked in vinegar. Rinse thoroughly by repeating the process with a water-soaked rag, and allow it to dry completely before plugging in the fridge again and returning the removable parts.

If there are any signs that the mould has spread beyond the refrigerator, know the risks of handling this potentially harmful substance. This is especially true if the fridge has been unplugged for quite some time as it could be something more serious than a little bad cheese. Consider engaging the services of a professional mould removal company to handle the safe cleanup and disposal of the appliance.