Getting rid of mold in refrigerator - what concentration of bleach?
Question:We just bought a used refrigerator for our garage and it has some mold in the freezer. I heard that the only thing to use is a bleach solution. Does anything else (less smelly) work? If it does have to bleach, how much bleach to how much water?
Answers:
DON'T use bleach! That will dry out & crack the seals.
Get a large bowl & mix together 1/2 cup of plain white vinegar, three or four drops of teatree oil (makes it smell a bit better & has disinfectant properties) and 3/4 cup of water. Once it's swirled together, pour in one cup of baking soda.
It will foam like crazy (this is why you need the big bowl). Once the foam dies down, just make sure it's all mixed together to a cream-soup type of consistency.
Then start smearing the goop all over the fridge, on the seals, walls, etc. Use a sponge or soft scrubber to clean up the mold & black spots & a toothbrush to get the mildew out from the seals at the doors.
Once it's all scrubbed up, just wipe it down with a dry cloth (it's okay if some of the baking soda powder stays on the inside of the walls), and make sure the seals have been dried too (otherwise they'll just mold up again).
You'll smell the vinegar a little bit at first, but it will die away after about a day.
No bleach. This will dry the plastic in the freezer and cause it to crack. Use baking soda mixed with warm water to a paste. This can scrub, get rid of mold and deodorize all at the same time. I'd do the fridge part at the same time. Once the whole thing is clean, put some baking soda in both the freezer and fridge parts to continue to keep it smelling clean.
White vinegar also works, still smelly, but not so potent. Also keep an open box of baking soda in there to get rid of all the fumes and smells afterwards.
You can use baking soda, make a paste with water and rub, if you use bleach 1/2 cup to a gallon. You can however use bleach straight on a rag but be sure to wear gloves.
use white vinegar. it's great for many uses.
Use bleach, but use it on a rag. The mold will dissolve in front of your eyes. Then just wash with any detergent.
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