Asked on Jan 09, 2013

Mold/mildew around seal on refrigerator.

Judy Temple
by Judy Temple
I am living in my house that is stilll under construction. No air cond. or heat. I am finding that my refrigerator seals stay wet from moisture. I try to keep them dry by wiping them but it has gotten out of hand. The frig is only 5 years old. HELP with how to get it off and keep it off!
  4 answers
  • 3po3 3po3 on Jan 09, 2013
    Are you still getting a good seal? That's probably the first thing to check. A good way to test is to try to slide a piece of paper through the door seal. If it slides right through, you don't have a good seal?
  • Z Z on Jan 09, 2013
    I'm thinking Bob at @Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com will be of some help on this.
  • Many refrigerators are frost free units. They work by keeping the box warm. What can happen is if the frost free elements that run around the edges of the door have failed, they begin to cool down enough to cause moisture to collect. This in turn will cause mold to develop as well. It is not practical to attempt to fix this issue as the cost would be way to much as compared to a new unit. Another possible reason for this occurrence is a door that is not properly sealing allowing cold air to escape out around the gaskets. Take a sheet of paper put it into the door and close it on the paper. Can you pull the paper out easy or not at all. If it slips out this is an indication that the door needs to be adjusted or the fridge needs to be leveled as the box is out of square. Try this test all around the door as some areas may be fine while others may not. Steve G also suggested this as well. In any case you need to use a strong bleach solution and a short stiff brush and clean the gasket real well. Be sure to wear eye and hand protection to prevent any bleach from getting into your skin or eyes. But that should help prevent mold from growing back to fast. The mold that typically develops on this area is Aspergillius. This type of mold can cause infections in cuts.
  • Z Z on Jan 10, 2013
    Thank you @Bob. I knew @ had the right idea about how to check the seal, but wasn't sure if there was more to it.