How to safely and effectively remove mold from your refrigerator at home?

The main purpose of a refrigerator is to keep food fresh; it loses its meaning if black spots of mold appear on the walls of the household appliance.

The problem should not be ignored, because mold, by spraying spores, poisons food stored in the refrigerator.

Quickly identifying and eliminating the cause of mold, washing all surfaces of traces of mold are the main steps to return the refrigerator to its main function of preserving the freshness of food.

Read the article on how to remove mold in the refrigerator.

Reasons for the appearance of fungus inside a household appliance and on rubber bands

The ideal habitat and breeding environment for mold is high humidity and moderate above-zero temperatures. Based on this, the first thing that can provoke the development of black spots on the walls and rubber band of the refrigerator is insufficiently low cooling temperature and condensation on the internal surfaces of the household appliance.

Also the appearance of mold may provoke:

• violation of the shelf life of food (spoiled food becomes covered with fungus and infects everything around it with spores);
• violation of operating rules (the household appliance is turned off for a long time with the door closed);
• putting fresh food already contaminated with fungal and mold spores into the refrigerator;
• irregular, poor-quality cleaning;
• leaky connection of the rubber door seal to the walls of the refrigerator (warm air, penetrating inside, provokes the appearance of condensation, which, in combination with above-zero temperatures, is an ideal environment for the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms).

How to withdraw using improvised means?

When choosing mold control methods, First of all, you should pay attention to available folk remedies. Unlike professional chemical compounds, they are more affordable and rarely cause allergic reactions and other health problems.

Hydrogen peroxide

Pharmacy hydrogen peroxide, having disinfectant properties, does an excellent job of removing black marks on the walls of the refrigerator.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Hydrogen peroxide is poured into a spray bottle (no need to dilute it with water), and all surfaces of the refrigerator are treated.
2. After fifteen minutes, wipe the walls, shelves, and drawers with a clean damp cloth.

Hydrogen peroxide has a bleaching effect, so it should not be used to clean colored surfaces (it may leave whitish stains).

Baking soda

The antifungal properties of baking soda will help you quickly clean the walls of your refrigerator from black spots.

Algorithm of actions:

• dissolve 2 tbsp in one liter of warm water. baking soda;
• the resulting composition is generously moistened with a soft sponge, which is used to wipe the infected surfaces;
• Traces of soda are removed with a soft damp cloth, after which the inside surface of the refrigerator is wiped dry.

Laundry soap

The alkali in laundry soap prevents the growth of mold spores.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Use a soft sponge, thoroughly rubbed with laundry soap, to treat all contaminated surfaces.
2. After ten minutes, wash the walls, drawers and shelves of the refrigerator with warm, clean water and then wipe dry.

To remove ingrained mold stains from the rubber seal, use a paste of laundry soap shavings. To prepare it, soap is grated on a coarse grater and mixed with a small amount of water until it becomes a plastic, viscous mass.

Alcohol

Ethyl, ammonia, boric or salicylic alcohol is an excellent antifungal agent that is effective in combating mold spores.

To quickly clean your refrigerator, necessary:

• dilute alcohol with water in a 1:1 ratio;
• moisten a soft cloth or sponge with the resulting product and wipe all contaminated areas of the interior surface of the refrigerator;
• if necessary (if the black spots have not disappeared completely), the treatment is repeated again.

Lemon acid

Citric acid will help to quickly remove not only black plaque, but also the unpleasant smell of mold.

To treat contaminants, it is necessary to prepare a cleaning solution - stir 3 tbsp in a liter of warm water. citric acid. The resulting product is generously moistened with black spots, left for five to ten minutes, after which they are washed off with warm water.

Alternatively, you can use lemon juice instead of citric acid. Traces of mold are rubbed with lemon slices, then washed off with warm water. Lemon will not only quickly fix the problem, but also fill the refrigerator with a pleasant citrus aroma.

White

Chlorine bleach kills mold and mildew spores.

Surfaces are disinfected according to the following algorithm:

1. Mix water and bleach in a glass container (10:1 ratio).
2. Using a brush or spray bottle, apply the resulting product generously to the black spots.
3. After two to three minutes (the stains will sharply lighten), the surfaces are wiped with a damp cloth, after which the refrigerator is left for five to six hours to air.

How to quickly clean surfaces with special compounds?

Special chemicals will help you quickly remove not only traces of mold, but also other contaminants from the inside surface of the refrigerator.

You can buy them at any hardware store. When choosing cleaning products, you must carefully read the manufacturer's label.

There are preparations of universal action (suitable for any surface), as well as products designed to combat mold in the refrigerator. Products with an ecological composition deserve special attention (they do not cause allergic reactions, they smell pleasant).

The TOP 3 best special products for combating mold in the refrigerator are presented below:

Domestos Ultra White

An effective cleaner against mold and mildew for all surfaces.Thanks to the special formula, Domestos Ultra White not only cleans, but also whitens walls refrigerator.

The gel structure allows you to use Domestos Ultra White as economically as possible.

The average price of Domestos Ultra White is 120 rubles. (500 ml bottle).

Cillit Bang

Cillit Bang Black Mold Remover will help remove black spots quickly and effortlessly from the refrigerator. It is enough to spray the product onto the contaminated surface, wait two to three minutes, and then rinse with clean water.

The average price of the Cillit Bang composition is 300 rubles. (bottle volume 750 ml).

OdorGone

OdorGone is a universal product that perfectly copes with unpleasant mold odors in the refrigerator. The drug is absolutely harmless for allergy sufferers and people suffering from lung diseases.

The average price of OdorGone is 600 rubles. (500 ml bottle).

Cleaning using special chemical compounds is carried out only in a well-ventilated area using personal protective equipment (rubber gloves).

How to get rid of the smell?

The first thing that indicates the appearance of mold inside the refrigerator is a very unpleasant, obsessive musty smell.

There are several ways to get rid of this “aroma”:

• Lemon peels (you can use slices of fresh lemon), slices of raw potatoes, rice, activated carbon tablets or dry baking soda powder in a bowl are laid out on the shelves and inner drawers;
• all internal surfaces are wiped with a solution of table vinegar (diluted with water in a ratio of 1:1);
• The shelves and drawers of the refrigerator are wiped with a slice of fresh lemon.

The video will show you how to get rid of the smell in the refrigerator:

Adviсe

A few tips from experienced housewives will help you quickly fix the problem. mold in the refrigerator:

1. Before treating contaminated surfaces, all loosely packaged foods are thrown out of the refrigerator without regret.

   Even if there are no visible signs of infection, mold spores have still managed to penetrate inside.

   By placing such products back into the refrigerator after cleaning, the previously carried out procedure for disinfecting surfaces becomes meaningless.

2. Cotton swabs or a toothbrush will help to thoroughly remove black stains from hard-to-reach places (corners, crevices).
3. After cleaning using chlorine bleach, it is necessary to lubricate the rubber seals on the door with oil (any vegetable oil). This will help maintain the plasticity of the seal.
4. When cleaning the refrigerator, special attention should be paid to the drainage tube and tray. It is in them that colonies of mold spores most often multiply.

After cleaning, the refrigerator must be left to air for several hours so that all disinfected surfaces dry thoroughly. Otherwise, residual moisture may cause the appearance of new areas of mold and mildew.

You will find useful tips and tricks for cleaning your refrigerator in this section.

Conclusion

A timely response to the problem of black spots on the inside of the refrigerator and subsequent maintenance of the cleanliness of the household appliance will help you forget about mold forever.