Sometimes even with proper cleaning and maintenance, refrigerators can get moldy. This is because mold forms in dark and damp conditions. Once it combines with bacteria, leftover food particles, and moisture it becomes a breeding ground for mold. Aside from causing bad odors in your fridge, mold can be dangerous for your health. It can cause headaches, sore throat, coughing, sneezing and in more extreme cases, more serious upper respiratory infections and even asthma. Call a mold remediation expert when dealing with mold.

How to Remove Mold Odors From the Refrigerator?

Removing the mold smell from your fridge as soon as you notice it is very important. This is because sometimes even after mold has been removed, it can leave a lingering bad odor. Also, mold will keep forming if you do not remove it and if it does not get the opportunity to release the heat that’s inside, you will end up with a mold layer from food toxins that are cancerous. It is very important to clean the mold from your fridge before putting new food in it. Here are the steps you should take when cleaning your fridge:

1. Take all items out of the fridge and freezer:

Even if you know which item is moldy, you will still need to take all items out and clean out the whole fridge.

2. Wash all bins and shelves:

Make sure to take all refrigerator pieces out such as bins, drawers, shelves, ice trays etc. They need to be washed with warm and soapy water. If you are experiencing extreme smells, you can mix bleach and water and clean shelves and bins and then let them dry before you put them back in the fridge.

3. Wash inside the fridge:

You can use baking soda and water to wipe down and clean the inside of the fridge.

4. Air out the fridge:

Unplug the fridge and leave the door open to let it air out. This may help get rid of any bad odors. If the bad odor continues, you can use the baking soda and water solution again and air it out.

5. Clean the Evaporator:

Make sure to clean the evaporator coil in your fridge. The coil and the fan which distributes the air are in the back of the freezer. You should clean the coils, based on directions from the manufacturer. Usually, this entails unscrewing them, cleaning them, and putting them back as directed.

Other Mold Removal Tips to Eliminate Bad Odors from the Fridge

If a proper fridge cleaning as described above does not work, there are various other ways that you can clean your refrigerator so that you can get rid of mold quickly and efficiently. Here are a few ways to get rid of mold odors in your fridge:

• Baking soda: Open a package of baking soda and just leave it open in the fridge for about three days. That should help remove the odor. You could also separate the baking soda into multiple bowls and put one bowl on each shelf for a few days to get rid of any odors.

• Lemon: Take a half of a lemon and squeeze it into juice. Put the juice on a cloth and wipe down the plastic of the fridge. You could also take that half of the lemon that you squeezed and put it on a plate and leave it in the fridge for a couple of days to absorb bad odors.

• Coffee: Take a cup of (unused) coffee grounds and leave it in the fridge for a couple of days. Replace them every few days so they can absorb more odors.

• Vanilla: Take a cotton ball and soak in vanilla essential oil. Leave it in the fridge for at least a day with the door closed.

• Newspaper: You can roll some newspapers and place them in the fridge for a few days to absorb odors. You could also use a few newspapers soaked in white vinegar to wipe down all the plastic parts of the fridge.

Find the source of the smell to treat it

If you have a fridge odor but you are not sure what is causing it because you have no spoiled or rotten food, you will need to find the source of the odor. Here are a few other places you should clean so you can be sure you get all the places where bacteria could have hidden and cause a bad odor:

• Cleaning under the veggie bin trays: Pull out the bins and make sure that there is no juice or bacteria under them that could be causing the smell. Clean the area below the bins with vinegar or peroxide to get rid of any odors. In the meantime, also clean the bins themselves with soapy water.

• Drip Tray Cleaning: Make sure to look up the owner’s manual for your fridge on where your drip tray is and how to properly clean it. It may be full and that can cause a bad odor. If in fact your drip tray is dirty, you can use hydrogen peroxide to get rid of bad odors.

• Cleaning under your fridge: Always make sure to clean under your fridge as food particles may have gotten moldy and smelly as they rolled under it. Clean the floor well and the odor should be gone.

• Cleaning the fridge seals: You should wash the whole perimeter of all the fridge seals with warm water and soap and dry them with a clean cloth. Fridge seals trap a lot of particles of food which can spoil and mold.

How to Prevent Mold in the Refrigerator?

It is always best to prevent mold than to try and clean it after it appears.  Here are a few ways you can prevent mold in your fridge:

• Keep everything you bring into your fridge very dry.
• Clean your fridge weekly to prevent bacteria from spreading due to food pieces that may have fallen around your fridge. Adding zones in your fridge can help with this.
• Make sure you regularly defrost your fridge to prevent mold.

Are you in need of mold remediation services at your home or business? Call a mold remediation professional right away to remove the mold and restore the damage. Professionals eliminate the mold source and make sure that it does not come back.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.