Removing mold from your fridge door seal

While a lot of mold is harmless, there are some species that can be dangerous, especially if there is a chance that spores may contaminate food. Either way, mold in your fridge door seal will be counted against you in an environmental health inspection, so it is imperative that you remove it as soon as you notice it or your staff report it.

Fortunately, most mold is simple to get rid of, and you will find full instructions in our blog and on our gasket maintenance page. Briefly, you have a few choices:

· If you have a PVC fridge seal, you should be able to source a commercial, fragrance-free cleaning product designed for this purpose. If the items stored in your fridge are for human consumption, make sure your chosen product is food-safe.

· You can make a cleaning paste from baking soda, lemon juice and water. After the paste sets, remove it using a cloth or, for stubborn mold spots, an old toothbrush.

· You can make up a vinegar solution. Again, use a cloth and toothbrush to clean off the mold.

Resist the urge to use harsh cleaning products such as bleach or ammonia because this can damage the structure of the seal. For the same reason, we don't recommend putting your gaskets in a dishwasher. Even hand washing your seal can shorten its lifespan.

If the mold growth is so ingrained that you are unable to remove it, you might be better sourcing a replacement gasket.

Preventing future mold growth

Mold growth is a symptom of a breakdown in the internal environment of your fridge, so you must look into the reasons behind its appearance. Otherwise the problem will recur.

Fridges are designed to have a consistently cold and dry interior, which is a very hostile environment for mold spores and other pathogens. The presence of mold on your door seal indicates that warm, moist air from outside has been allowed inside the fridge.

Inefficient stocking procedures is a common culprit. If you or your staff are constantly opening and shutting the fridge door, or leaving the door open for long spells at a time, mold spores can benefit from the warm and damp conditions and get a foothold in your door seals.

Although your fridge will eventually remove most of the water from the interior, it will have to work extra hard to do so. This will burn extra energy and place strain on mechanical components, particularly the compressor. The end result is higher energy bills, a larger carbon footprint and a shorter appliance lifespan.

For the same reason, you should avoid placing hot dishes into a fridge to cool down.

Is your fridge seal to blame?

Another reason why your fridge's interior may be unsuitably moist is that your door seal is not doing its job. If your gasket is clogged with crumbs, dirt and mold, giving it a clean may solve your problem. But if your seal is broken or has become warped or degraded, air may be contaminating your fridge.

While you are cleaning your gasket, give it a thorough visual inspection. If everything looks OK, place a bank note near the top of the fridge and close the door on it. If your gasket fails to hold the bank note in place, you may need to replace it.

For more in-depth information about cleaning and looking after your door seals, see our maintenance page. You can also use our simple gasket search features to hunt down your replacement seal by brand, profile (shape) or material.