5 Tips to Prevent Mold in Your Refrigerator

Because refrigerators store your food, keeping them clean is essential. Unfortunately, mold prefers to grow in moist, enclosed spaces, so a fridge is the perfect place for mold to grow. The good news is that mold can be prevented with a little care and maintenance. In this article, we look at the five most important things you can do to prevent mold growth as well as break down what to do if you discover mold growing in your refrigerator. 

What Is Mold? 

Mold is a type of fungus that can grow in a range of environments, both inside the home and out in nature. It prefers to grow in environments that are moist and have organic matter it can feed on, such as leaf litter, food, or other nutrient-rich substances. There’s a huge variety of mold species, all with varied appearances and growth habits. While mold is a necessary part of nature, it’s unwanted when it grows inside your home—particularly inside appliances where you store food. Mold can cause allergies and breathing difficulties, and it can even be toxic. 

What Causes Mold To Grow

Mold grows and thrives only in certain conditions. It can’t grow in every environment. It ideally needs a moist environment that isn’t too hot or cold. It also requires nutrients. It grows best in areas that are often left undisturbed, which is why you’re more likely to find mold growing in the lesser-used parts of your refrigerator. 

Preventing Mold From Growing:

1. Keep an Eye on the Temperature

While a refrigerator’s interior is too cold for many mold species to flourish, some types can proliferate even in cold environments. This is made far more likely if your refrigerator isn’t kept at the recommended temperature. Ideally, your refrigerator’s interior should be kept between 35° and 38°F. This will make your fridge far less likely to grow mold. To ensure your fridge is kept at the right temperature:

• Set the refrigerator’s thermostat to the right temperature. 
• Check the refrigerator’s actual temperature with a thermometer to ensure the thermostat is functioning. 
• Ensure the door seals are working properly and that warm air isn’t getting inside the fridge’s interior. 
• Never put warm food into your refrigerator; wait for any food to cool to room temperature completely.

2. Clean All Spills Immediately

Mold can’t grow without a source of nutrition, so ensuring you don’t leave food spills to fester and grow mold is essential. Any spills or food leakage should be immediately cleaned up, ensuring nothing is remaining for the mold to feed on. 

3. Keep an Eye on Food Freshness

If your food is past its expiration date and beginning to go moldy, that mold can easily spread to the interior of your refrigerator. Keep an eye on the use-by dates of your packaged food, and keep on top of your produce’s freshness. Make sure you only buy produce in small amounts to avoid having excess food going off in your crisper drawer. 

4. Store Food in Airtight Containers

One of the most important things you can do to reduce mold growth and improve food safety is to ensure all of your food is stored in airtight containers. This has two main advantages:

• It keeps the food’s moisture enclosed in the container, preventing the interior of your fridge from getting too humid. This helps to prevent mold formation.
• If the food itself begins to go moldy, storing it in an airtight container prevents the mold from spreading to other food or the interior of your refrigerator.  

5. Keep on Top of Cleaning

As mentioned above, mold spores germinate when left in undisturbed locations. Regularly cleaning your refrigerator will prevent this from happening, and will also help to remove tiny amounts of spilled food or crumbs that you may not have noticed. Make sure you wipe out the interior of your fridge every couple of months and also dry it carefully. 

Getting Rid of Existing Mold 

Prevention is all well and good, but what if you already have a mold problem? If you notice mold growing in your fridge, don’t panic! It’s relatively easy to get rid of, and once it’s gone, you can keep it at bay by following our prevention tips. Here’s how to get rid of mold and make sure it doesn’t come back:

Throw away any old food

Mold often spreads from out-of-date food, so it’s essential to clear any mold sources from your refrigerator. Check expiration dates and fresh produce, and discard anything that’s not fresh. 

Wipe away visible mold

Take a cloth or rag dipped in a mild detergent and water mixture and wipe away all visible mold. 

Spray with a vinegar solution

Make a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water and spray it onto all areas surrounding where the mold was growing. Let it sit for at least an hour to kill the mold spores. 

Dry thoroughly

After leaving the vinegar solution to sit, dry it thoroughly with a clean towel. Leaving moisture in your fridge is an invitation for mold to grow, so this is an essential step!

Don’t forget the seals

Fridge door seals are often a source of mold as they provide a moist, undisturbed environment for mold spores to grow. Use a cloth dipped in white vinegar to thoroughly clean the seals, ensuring you get in all nooks and crannies. 

Try peroxide

For serious mold issues that keep returning, peroxide is the answer. Remove all food from your refrigerator and spray the interior with peroxide. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes, then dry thoroughly with an old, clean towel.