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I have recently bought a camper, in which I need to clean the refrigerator/freezer - it has a bit of mold, the outside of the seals have some mildew, and inside is some roach-poo
This camper has been stored for a long time, so this cleanliness issue is from former times, not a recent thing.
I have some clorox-cleanup, I thought I might spray both the freezer/fridge down with that, and let it sit awhile, then proceed to wipe it down, wash-rinse-repeat..
Or maybe spray it with bleach, then go through it with a soapy cloth?
I could replace the fridge, but if I could get it clean, that would be money for other things in the camper instead.
You have to be careful about using odorous cleaners/disinfectants in a fridge. Once the food is placed in there it will take on the smell/taste of the cleaner used. I recommend a strong solution (1/4 cup) of the natural disinfectant plain vinegar in a gal. of water. Add 2 or 3 drops of original lemon scent Sunlight dish soap. Afterward you have scrubbed well with the solution you can wipe down with plain baking soda (helps neutralize odors and acts like minibeads) then rinse with damp cloth. Repeat at least once a week until you notice there is no outcropping of undesirable items in your fridge.
We bought a used home fridge that came with a roach infestation (sellers did a good job cleaning it, it was only when I went to clean the condenser coils that they were discovered ~ thankfully Before moving it inside). Plus, my wife si a clean-freak... if it can be cleaned, it is cleaned before coming into our home.
Anyway, she used Clorox-cleanup to clean everything inside ~ spray, let sit for a few minutes, wipe down. Some areas got a more through spot-treatment. Then she cleaned with a Mr Clean general cleaner (it's green, comes in concentrate) all over and I *thoroughly* doused the unit in Defense SC (our pest-control of choice, works quite well). We left i to sit for a day, with the doors propped open, and then cleaned it with the Mr Clean stuff again before moving it in.
It never smelled of chemicals beyond the time we were using them. The food absolutely NEVER took on any kind of smell or taste (we use used green tea bags for deodorant swapped out about monthly vs. baking soda if that's worth anything). Being our 4th or 5th used fridge, I'm certain we've done this a few times before and I can never remember one picking up chemical smells. I'm willing to concede that some people are WAY more sensitive to that kind of thing, but if you're not, I wouldn't worry about it or hesitate. The only real concern is a functional one, bleach can cause pliable rubber (the seal) to harden and crack in some cases. I don't think I'd let it sit for long in those areas.
Clean with whatever works but test it on some of the plastic in a less conspicuous area. Make sure doors are held open until the interior is completely dry. Place a bowl of baking soda and a bowl with vanilla extract or imitation and close the doors.
If it was molded or badly mildewed and it's frost free there will be many hidden areas affected.
Don't use bleach near food. All you need is dish soap and vinegar in water as hot as you can stand, and use baking soda as an abrasive to scrub out gunk.
Don't use bleach near food. All you need is dish soap and vinegar in water as hot as you can stand, and use baking soda as an abrasive to scrub out gunk.
OMG, really??!?
Bleach is WIDELY used in industrial food prep for sanitation, including washing fruits and veggies... you know, the kind you just put right into your mouth...
It's NOT a big deal to use it to clean surfaces where packaged food will rest.
Just goes to show, you can get some Horribly wrong "advice" from asking random people on the internet.
You have to be careful about using odorous cleaners/disinfectants in a fridge. Once the food is placed in there it will take on the smell/taste of the cleaner used. I recommend a strong solution (1/4 cup) of the natural disinfectant plain vinegar in a gal. of water. Add 2 or 3 drops of original lemon scent Sunlight dish soap. Afterward you have scrubbed well with the solution you can wipe down with plain baking soda (helps neutralize odors and acts like minibeads) then rinse with damp cloth. Repeat at least once a week until you notice there is no outcropping of undesirable items in your fridge.
I've never had problems using bleach in the fridge. Just be sure to air it out. My go-to kitchen cleaner is Lysol Antibacterial Lemon Spray, but in case of a moldy fridge, bleach is your friend. A mild bleach solution with hot water will kill bugs dead. Wipe it with plain hot water, air it out afterwards for a few hours, and all is well.
I'd buy new gaskets -- older ones don't seal well and if you bleach them they can become brittle. Save the hassle, clean the inside and replace the gaskets. It's easy to do.
I'd use some citrus-based cleaner. Smells really good and cleans really well. Non-toxic.
There are a bunch of different ones on the market.
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